Local track and field athletes put their skills to the test and a trip to the state championships on the line yesterday at WACO High School in Wayland during the Class 1A District 8 meet.
The Columbus Wildcats would have another productive day in the boys’ field, thanks largely to Alexander Rees. The junior punched a ticket to state by winning the open 200-meter dash in 22.56 seconds and the 110-meter hurdles run in 14.72, edging out sophomore teammate Lamar Ceant by tenths of a second in both races.
Rees and Ceant would help Columbus earn a spot at state by winning the shuttle hurdles relay, running with seniors Riley Kaalberg and Johnathan Miranda to post a time of just over one minute flat.
In addition to Ceant finishing second in the 110 hurdles and the open 200, Kaalberg will be a contender to receive an at-large berth at state after taking runner-up honors in the 100, as will senior Ty Muniz in the 3,200-meter run and the Wildcats’ 4-by-100 and 4-by-800-meter relays. Junior Angel Venzor was also third in the 400 hurdles.
Senior Kohlby Newsom secured an automatic bid to state with his two victories for Winfield-Mount Union at Roth Track and Field, winning the 400 meters in 50.27 seconds and the 800 in just under 1:58. Newsom was also second in the 1,600, while fellow senior Cooper Buffington took third in the shot put toss for the Wolves.
Owen Scott is going back to the state meet in the long jump after a school-record leap of 22 feet seven-and-three-quarter inches made him district champion for Hillcrest Academy. The junior was also second in the 400 for the Ravens.
On their home track, WACO did not wrap up any auto bids to Des Moines, but the Warriors were second in the distance medley relay and third in the sprint medley to make strong pushes for at-large selections.
WACO junior Jude Dykstra was also third in both the full mile and half-mile. Sophomore Ayden Galindo was second in the high jump for the Keota Eagles, while junior Jayden Thompson took third in the discus throw for the Sigourney Savages.
In the girls’ competition, Winfield-Mount Union punched two tickets to state thanks to wins by Josie Nelson and Kynlee Buffington. The senior Nelson was the champion of the 100 hurdles in 16.25 seconds, while the freshman Buffington leaped 17 feet eight inches to claim the crown in the long jump. The Wolves were also third in the shuttle hurdles relay.
Lone Tree has two spots at state already secured thanks to the relay team of sophomore Addison McCullough, junior Ava Christofferson and seniors Rylee Shield and Vivian Zaruba. The quartet won the 4-by-100 in 51.38 seconds and the 4-by-200 in just under 1:49. Shield was second in the 400, was Christofferson in the long jump and the Lions’ sprint medley.
Josie Dykstra would come close to an auto-bid to state by taking second in the 400 hurdles for WACO, with fellow freshman Bren Graber finishing third in that same race.
The Warriors would also be runners-up in the shuttle hurdles and the distance medley, while Graber was third in the high jump, as was sophomore Carlee Lunsford in the 800.
Junior Rya Scott has a very strong chance of returning to state in the 100-meter dash for Hillcrest Academy after finishing second in Wayland. Sophomore Marie Yoder was also a runner-up for the Ravens in both the 1,500 and 3,000.
Highland came away with a silver medal in the girls’ 4-by-100 and bronze in the 4-by-200, while freshman Kamryn Fink added to her medal count from those relays by taking third in the open 100 for the Huskies.
Sophomore Bella Forbes will have a chance for an at-large bid to state for the Columbus Wildcats after taking third at districts in the shot put.