The at-large berths in this year’s Class 1A state championships for track and field were announced Friday afternoon, and a number of local athletes are headed to Des Moines after their performance at qualifying meets.
That includes Columbus Wildcats sophomore Lamar Ceant, who finished second place to junior teammate Alexander Rees in both the 200-meter dash and the 110-meter hurdles run at the Class 1A District 8 championships but still had top-10 times across all of Class 1A in state qualifying.
Ty Muniz earns at-large bids to state in both the 1,600 and 3,200 meters for Columbus, while fellow senior Riley Kaalberg makes the cut in the 100 after a runner-up finish at districts.
Kaalberg, Ceant, Rees and senior Juan Chairez combine to run a state-qualifying time for the Wildcats in the 4-by-100-meter relay, as does Kaalberg, Chairez and juniors Dakota Aney and Tyson Kaalberg in the 4-by-200-meters and Muniz, freshman Victor Tovar and sophomores Ryan Villa and Cade Storm in the 4-by-800.
Sophomore Bella Forbes also moves on to state for the Columbus girls in the shot put. Meanwhile, Winfield-Mount Union senior Kohlby Newsom adds to his District 8 titles in the boys’ 400 and 800 by grabbing a wild-card berth in the 1,600.
The WACO Warriors made up for coming just short of any district wins with eight at-large bids to the state track meet. On the boys’ side, junior Jude Dykstra makes it in the mile, as does senior Louden Huisenga in the high jump, while sophomore Hayden Shelman earns the last spot in the Class 1A field for the long jump.
The team of Dykstra, Huisenga, Shelman and senior Gage Samo runs a qualifying time for WACO in the boys’ distance medley, while sophomores Carlee Lunsford and Natalie Wagler and freshmen Josie Dykstra and Taelyn Egli earn a bid for the Warrior girls in the same race.
Dykstra nabs an at-large berth in the 400 hurdles for WACO, as does Lunsford in the open 800, while freshman Bren Graber makes the cut in the high jump.
In addition to his district championship in the long jump, Owen Scott grabs a spot in the state field in the 400 meters for Hillcrest Academy, as does sophomore teammate Kale Bailey in the high jump.
Ravens sophomore Marie Yoder gets a Class 1A at-large bid after a top-10 time in the 3,000, while junior Rya Scott also earns her place at Drake Stadium in the 100. Scott, senior Delaney Shaw, junior Stavia Miller and freshman Karina Bourha add a place for Hillcrest in the 4-by-200 after a fast-enough time.
After district titles in two other relays, the Lone Tree team of sophomore Addison McCullough, junior Ava Christofferson and seniors Rylee Shield and Vivian Zaruba also qualify for state in the sprint medley. Zaruba also moves on to state in the 200 for the Lions, as does Shield in the 400 and Christofferson in the long jump.
The Highland Huskies will also be represented at state in the sprint events after they secure at-large berths for freshman Kamryn Fink in the girls’ 100 and their 4-by-100 and 4-by-200 relay teams of Fink, senior Lilly Barre, sophomore Alexa Hahn and freshman Maiya Singbeil.
Keota Eagles sophomore Ayden Galindo advances to state in the boys’ high jump, as his runner-up finish in District 8 was still good enough for the third-best height in the state.
Ellie Yates will represent the Sigourney Savages in the girls’ 3,000 after earning an at-large bid, while fellow junior Troy Klett qualifies in both the boys’ mile and two-mile. Catch all the results from this year’s Class 1A state track meet Thursday through Saturday by listening to KCII and checking online at KCIIradio.com.