Photo Courtesy of Columbus Cross Country and Track Social Media
Following a sensational spring on the oval for the Columbus Wildcat boys track and field team, coaches Scott Dennler and Steve Riley were named Class 1A At-Large Coaches of the Year by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. Columbus finished fifth in Class 1A at the IATC Indoor championships in Ames, anchored by an individual title for Alexander Rees in the 60m hurdles. The Wildcats won the team title at each of their outdoor meets this year, running their streak to 29-in-a-row, dating back to 2022. Those championships included wins at home twice, Washington, WACO, Lone Tree, Central City, L-M, and Sigourney. The ‘Cats had three events qualify for the Drake Relays, doubling up in the 110 hurdles with Rees and Lamar Ceant and the team of Ceant, Rees, Riley Kaalberg and Juan Chairez making the blue oval in the 4×100.
The ‘Cats claimed their third consecutive Southeast Iowa Superconference North Division team championship with 179 points. Ceant won the 100, 200 and 110 hurdles, breaking the conference record in the hurdle event. The team of Ceant, Rees, Kaalberg and Johnathan Miranda won the north in the shuttle hurdle in a new record time, while the 4×100 team of Chairez, Miranda, Kaalberg and Rees won as did Ty Muniz in the two-mile.
At the District meet in Wayland, the Wildcats would continue their team title streak with event championships from Rees in the 200 and 110 hurdles. He and Ceant teamed up with Kaalberg and Miranda to win the shuttle hurdles. At state, Columbus finished fifth in the 1A field with 30 points. Medal events at Drake Stadium included runner-up for the shuttle hurdle of Kaalberg, Miranda, Rees and Ceant, second for Ceant in the 110 hurdles and fourth for Rees in the same event, fourth for the 4×100 of Chairez, Rees, Ceant and Kaalberg, seventh for Ceant in the 200 and eighth for Rees in the same event along with eighth for Muniz in the two-mile. The Wildcats had finished 14th as a team in 2024.