The Clear Lake Lion Track & Field team traveled to Humboldt where the team placed third. Algona and Humboldt took first and second, respectively, in a competitive field.
Lion head coach Tyler Havens made the relays, hurdles and field events the biggest focus of the meet.
Starting with field events, Dylan Litzen set a season best in the high jump, placing third, just one inch off the winning mark of 6-1.
Sam Howland and Keeton Jeppeson both finished with a height of 5-8. Bradyn Watkins cleared 5-06. These jumps were listed in the junior varsity category of the meet which was first, second and third.
“Humboldt is a tough venue for high jump because the track surface isn’t big enough and the guys have to start in the grass,” said coach Havens. “We also jumped our best four long jumpers and placed well. In the throws we were missing a few guys for this meet, but Henry Bunn had a big PR in the discus to start the outdoor season.”
Sam Dodge was third in the long jump with a leap of 19-00, while the winning jump was set at 20-08.5 by Humboldt’s Elliot Carlson.
Bunn’s personal record in the shot put came in at 39-08.5 which was good for ninth overall with the winning throw of 51-04 coming from Webster City’s Jaxon Cherry.
In the hurdles, the Lions ran to third in the shuttle hurdle relay, but saw a close race.
Derek Erpelding, Max Larson, Keeton Jeppeson and Cooper Cooke ran a 1:04.67, just behind Emmetsburg who ran a 1:04.38 for second and Humboldt’s winning time of 1:03.79.
“Our shuttle hurdle relay battled a couple other good teams to place third,” said coach Havens. “It wasn’t the cleanest race for us, so we know we have some work to do with that relay. Gage Larson is rehabbing an injury and we hope to have him back in the next couple of weeks.”
The 110 meter hurdles saw a Lion gold with Cooper Cooke narrowly beating out Emmetsburg’s Cameron Madden by :01 seconds.
The photo finish saw Cooke win with a 15.80. Clear Lake’s Erpelding finished third with a 16.2. Both Lions finished with new personal bests.
Jeppeson also took on the 400 meter hurdles for the first time finishing second with a time of 1:00.41, just behind Humboldt’s Mason Brown who finished with a time of 59.55.
The relays shined for the Lions with three first place finishes and two second places.
“We put together some really stout medleys and sprint relays for this meet,” said coach Havens. “Alex Kerr had a notably impressive night anchoring the sprint med, 4×200 and 4×400. Jaxson McIntire also had an impressive night with the LJ, Dmed and then going back to back with the 4×1 and 4×4 relays.”
Taking first place was the 4×200 relay team of Titan Schmitt, Isaac Brownlee, Sam Dodge and Alex Kerr who finished seven seconds ahead of Emmetsburg with a time of 1:32.69.
The Lion 800 sprint medley team of Enke, Schmitt, Dodge and Kerr was first overall with a time of 1:36.81. The distance medley also finished first and consisted of LeFevre, McIntire, Aidan Hartl and Jack Englin. The team ran a time of 3:58.16.
The Lion 4×100 relay finished second, just :01 second behind Humboldt.
The Clear Lake team of Blake Enke, Jaxson McIntire, Tyler LeFevre and Aidan Hartl ran a 45.13.
The 4×400 team of Brownlee, Schmitt, Dodge and Kerr finished in a time of 3:36.07 which was just under one second behind Humboldt who finished first.
“Overall we are very pleased with our boys following the first outdoor meet of the season and we are looking forward to seeing their progress as we work towards May.” said coach Havens.
Also for Clear Lake: 100m – 2nd, Enke, 11.7; 13th, Cayden Lester, 13.01; 200m – 6th, Hartl, 24.48; 12th, Cayden Lester, 26.46; 400m – 6th, Drayce Dohlman, 58.39; 800m – 7th, Caleb Jones, 2:27.03; 9th, Englin, 2:28.86; 1600m – 3rd, Owen Smith 5:00.61; 6th, Cael Stucky, 5:26.79; 3200m – 3rd, Jones, 10:56.26; 6th, Stucky, 12:06.15; 4x800m – 5th, Isaiah Marschke, Aiden Burtness, Ezra Zickefoose, Owen Smith, 10:44.54; Shot Put – 9th, Henry Bunn, 39-08; 10th, Thomas Meyer 38-00; Discus – 9th, Bunn, 111-05; 13th, Meyer, 92-01
