by Marianne Gasaway
The Clear Lake boys track and field team competed in three meets last week, with a goal of qualifying as many events as possible for the upcoming Drake Relays.
Lion Relays
Clear Lake and Algona, the two favorites to win the North Central Conference title, went head-to-head at the Lion Relays Tuesday. Clear Lake was the winner by a nose— or five points.
“We did have a disqualification in the Distance Medley Relay that cost us at least eight points,” said Coach Tyler Havens. “If we have clean exchanges, that would be a race where we can beat them. To be able to absorb that mistake and still come out on top is encouraging. However, Algona is going to be great competition at Conference and we need to continue to find ways to be more points productive. This track and field team has a true all-in mentality and you can see that in our performances.”
Clear Lake’s 4×100 team hit the blue standard at the meet to automatically qualify for the Drake Relays. Blake Enke, Alex Kerr, Sam Dodge and Titan Schmitt ran 43.69 and finished second.
Winning performances included: Schmitt in the 100 meters (11.55); Zeke Nelson, 110 hurdles, 15.51 and 400 hurdles, 57.35; Kerr, 200 meters, 23.33; Sprint Medley (Aidan Hartl, Enke, Schmitt, Kerr), 1:37.56; Shuttle hurdle (Gage Larson, Derek Erpelding, Cooper Cooke, Nelson), 1:03.05; 4×800 (Jack Crane, Jack Englin, Aidan Manemann, Marcus Skidmore), 8:33.55.
Jim Ahrens Coed Relays
Once again Coach Havens was letting his athletes try different events while still putting together a competitive lineup and allowing the Lions’ 4×200 squad another shot at qualifying for the Drake Relays
“We won the meet and our 4×200 (Tate Garman, Aidan Hartl, Caden Cavett, Tyler LeFevre) ran a season’s best that currently sits 25th, just outside of the top 24 it takes to qualify. We still have until next Thursday to attempt to qualify,” said Havens.
The coach was pleasantly surprised by some performances.
Senior Zeke Nelson impressed in the long jump with a leap over 20-feet while competing in the event for the first time in his high school career. He places second with a mark of 20’2.25”. Freshman Max Larson launched the discus further than he has all season and took third with a throw of 107’10”.
“We were able to get the team win in the process without a max points lineup. This was a fun meet for all our guys and is another piece in the puzzle to creating our championship lineup.”
Clear Lake bested the field of four teams with 105 points. West Hancock (96), Fort Dodge (42) and Riceville (28) followed.
The Lions took first, second and third in the 100 meters with Titan Schmitt (11.65), Sam Dodge (12.05) and LeFevre (12.31). Zeke Nelson won the 200 in 23.36 and Jack Crane broke the tape in the 800 in 2:13.27. Isaac Smith won the 1600 in 5:10.65.
Clear Lake’s 4×100 with Blake Enke, Alex Kerr, Dodge and Schmitt was a winner in 44.41. The Sprint Medley with Enke, Hartl, Garman and Skidmore ran a 1:39.29 to place first. The Distance Medley with Hartl, Garman, Englin and Crane was also a winner in 3:58.19.
Iowa City West
With the Clear Lake Prom taking place on the same day, Coach Havens took a small group of competitors to Iowa City West on Saturday to see some great competition.
“The whole goal of the meet is to put together a competition field that will allow athletes to qualify for the Drake Relays,” explained Havens. “All of the guys we brought to Iowa City had to qualify into the meet. No team scores were kept.”
The Lions started off the day winning the Sprint Medley relay with a season’s best time. Caleb Jones had a personal record in the 3200 Meter Run. Aidan Manemann ran a PR in the 400 meters, and Owen Smith impressed in a loaded 1600 meter run field, earning a PR in the process.
“This was a great meet for us to experience some state caliber level competition,” said Havens.
Lion Relays
Other placements:
100: Kerr, 2nd, 11.72
110 hurdles: Gage Larson, 4th, 18.0
200: Schmitt, 2nd, 23.61
400: Jack Englin, 6th, 55.85
400 hurdles: Gage Larson, 4th, 1:03.05
800: Marcus Skidmore, 3rd, 2:06.12; Aidan Manemann, 5th, 2:12.04
1600: Owen Smith, 6th, 5:01.23
3200: Smith, 2nd, 10:53.48
High jump: Dylan Litzel, 2nd, 6’
Long jump: Dodge, 4th, 19’2”
Shot put: Aaron Richtsmeier, 5th, 41’7.25”
4×200: 3rd, Tate Garman, Hartl, Dodge, Enke, 1:35.04
4×400: 2nd, Englin, Manemann, Skidmore, Nelson, 3:38.45
Junior Varsity
100: Max Larson, 4th, 12.88; Dontrel Johnson, 5th, 12.92
110 hurdles: Cooke, 1st, 17.17; Larson, 3rd, 18.82
200: Lincoln Allsbrook, 4th, 27.27400 (JV) Aiden Hippen, 2nd, 59.04; Exra Zickefoose, 6th, 1:13.71
400 hurdles: Hayden bergman, 5th, 1:11.58; Cooke, 6th, 1:12.17
800: Isaiah Marschke, 5th, 2:29.40; Cody Hua, 6th, 2:33.92
Discus: Mitchil Smith, 3rd, 97’3”
Sprint Medley: 1st, Stephany, Allsbrook, Cavett, Smith, 1:46.93
4×100: 2nd, Erpelding, LeFevre, Cavett, Stephany, 48.46
4×200: 2nd, Erpelding, LeFevre, Cavett, Stpehany, 1:41.60
4×800: 3rd, Hippen, Hua, Marche, Zickefoose, 10:10.24
Jim Ahrens Relays
Other Placements
100: Cavett, 6th, 12.47
200: Hartl, 3rd, 24.20; Cavett, 5th, 25,13
400: Stephany, 5th, 59.26
800: Englin, 3rd, 2:18.60; Hippen, 5th, 2:24.25
1600: Zickefoose, 5th, 6:39.35; CJ Varner, 6th, 6:57.68
3200: Varner, 3rd, 14:29.59; Clark, 4th, 14:52.48
110 hurdles: Cooke, 2nd, 16.82; Erpelding, 3rd, 17.97; Bergman, 4th, 19.45
400 hurdles: G. Larson, 4th, 1:04.23; M. Larson, 5th, 1:07.64
4×100: 3rd, Stephany, Skidmore, M. Larson, Genzler, 48.39; Erpelding, G. Larson, Allsbrook, Johnson, 4th, 49.11; Max Orchard, Jake Trenary, Peyton Schenker, Richtsmeier, 6th, 55.45
4×200: 4th, Manemann, Englin, Skidmore, Marschke, 1:46.43; 5th, Fausnaugh, Allsbrook, Johnson, Orchard, 1:51.62
4×400: 3rd, Englin, Hippen, Smith, Manemann, 3:51.93
4×800: 2nd, Hippen, Hua, Jones, Zickefoose, 9:44.92
Sprint Medley: 4th, Stephany, Fausnaugh, DeMaggio, Hua, 1:55.94
Distance Medley: 3rd, DeMaggio, Genzler, Fausnaugh, Jones, 4:31.75
Shot put: Richtsmeier, 4th, 41’05”; Trenary, 5th, 40’8.50”; Landyn Lewerke, 6th, 39’6”
Discus: M. Larson, 3rd, 107’10”; Richtsmeier, 5th, 102’3”
High jump: Litzel, 2nd, 5’8”; G. Larson, 4th, 5’2”
