Previewing the Iowa State T&F Championships, Individual & Relay Events; Girls
4A
Sprints (100, 200, 400) - It will be close between Erin Hawkins (Des Moines Roosevelt), Agnes Sayeh (Des Moines North), and McKennan Cronbaugh (Iowa City West) in the 100 and 200, with Hawkins a slight favorite. In the 400, Sayeh and long-sprinters Mahnee Watts (Bettendorf) & Alisha Jones (Davenport North) will lead through the 300, but middle distance runner Shelby Houlihan (Sioux City East) will run them down at the finish.
Distance (800, 1500, 3000) - Houlihan will be racing for State records in the 800 and 1500. As at Drake, the rest will running for second. The best of the rest are long sprinters Watts & Briana King (Cedar Falls), and distance ace Karissa Schweizer (Dowling Catholic), in the 800; Schweizer, Megan Nickles (Bettenforf) and Hannah Savage (Cedar Falls) in the 1500. Finally void of Houlihan in the 3200, the favorite Schweizer will be challenged by Iowa City High’s Rebecca Rethwisch & Megan Richardson, Pleasant Valley’s Maddie Reynolds, and Linn-Mar’s Carolyn Newhouse.
Hurdles (100H, 400H) - Maddie Anderson (Ames) and Khanishah Williams (Burlington) will battle in the 100H, with a slight edge to Williams. Likewise, Brooke Foreman (Cedar Rapids Washington) will nip Natalie Olberding (Lewis Central) in the 400H.
High Jump - Khanishah Williams will have won her first of two events here (see Hurdles), with her only serious challenger being the 6’ barrier and moving higher among the nationally elite.
Long Jump - Take Allanah McCorkle (Davenport Central) by a couple inches over Sarah Ryan (Ottumwa) and McKennan Cronbaugh (Iowa City West).
Shot Put - Only centimeters will separate the top three (or more), with Jadyn Spencer (Waterloo West) given an edge over Valerie Verioch (WDM Valley) and Cara Jansen (Iowa City West).
Discus - Amanda Piche (Linn-Mar) will spin it slightly farther than Veriock and Kayla Hernandez (Clinton).
Relays - Erin Hawkins will anchor Des Moines Roosevelt to close wins over McKinnon Cronbaugh anchored Iowa City West in the 4X100 and 4X200. Dependent on where coaches put their long sprint horses, Iowa City West, Roosevelt, Cedar Falls, SE Polk, Dubuque Senior, Dowling Catholic, Bettendorf, Indianola, WDM Valley, Urbandale, Davenport North and Sioux City East could each pull out wins in the 4X400, 4X800, 800 Medley, and/or 1600 Medley relays. Cedar Rapids Washington will hold off the strong anchors of Burlington (with Williams) and Ames (with Anderson) to win the Shuttle Hurdle Relay.
3A
Sprints (100, 200, 400) - Sydney Howard (Fairfield) will edge Rachel Peth (Waverly-Shell Rock) in the 100. Peth, along with Rose Riplinger (Davenport Assumption) will turn the tide on Howard in the 200. Riplinger will win the 400, with Jessica Janecke (Dubuque Wahlert) close.
Distance (800, 1500, 3000) - True middle distance runner Alex Wilson (Mount Vernon/Lisbon) will be too much for distance aces Madison Waymire (Dallas Center-Grimes) and Lauren Benzing (Solon) in the 800. Waymire and Benzing will come back to challenge Alana Enabit (Clear Lake), the heavy favorite, in both the 1600 and 3200. Benton-Van Horne’s Madison Weekly will also be a factor in the 8 and 15.
Hurdles (100H, 400H) - Rachel Peth’s speed will dominate the field in the 100H. Pick Holly Salzbrenner (Mt Vernon/Lisbon) in the 400H, but expect competition from Mt Pleasant’s Kaitlin Jones.
High Jump - It’s close here between Alexis Conaway (MOC-Floyd Valley) and Jenna Seuferer (Clariton), with Conaway winning at 5’6” on fewer misses.
Long Jump - Creston’s Brianna Maitlin will out-jump Emily Bransky (Solon) for the gold.
Shot Put - Amanda Houston (Fort Madison) will edge Anamosa’s Helena McNamara.
Discus - This will be close between Cloe Schmidt (Benton-Van Horne), Katelyn Weimerskirch (Dubuque Wahlert), and Dakota Goodell (Williamsburg), with the nod to the senior Schmidt.
Relays - Davenport Assumption should win the 4X100 and 4X200; but will be pushed by Dubuque Wahlert, Solon, and Bishop Heelan. Wahlert will shine in the long sprint relays (4X400, 4X800, 800 Medley, 1600 Medley). Depending on the placement of their top individuals, challenges will come from Mt Vernon/Lisbon, Benton-Van Horne, Decorah, Pella, Atlantic, Harlan, Solon, Dallas Center-Grimes, and Waverly-Shell Rock. Waverly-Shell Rock will edge Mount Pleasant in the Shuttle Hurdle Relay.
2A
Logan-Magnolia’s Alex Gochenour’s best event is many events (i.e., pentathlon, heptathlon). Those events are not available; and by rules, she’s allowed to participate in & win only four. She probably will; the 100, 200, 100H, and 400H.
Sprints (100, 200, 400) - Gochenour in the 100 and 200; with competition from teammate Karen Hutson, Western Christian’s Brooke Wolterstorff and Columbus Junction’s Heather Chandler. Marisa Evers (Hudson) and Chelsey Henkenius (South Central Calhoun) will be factors in the 200, and favorites in the 400 along with Maddie Beeler (Interstate 35).
Distance (800, 1500, 3000) - It will be much the same cast in each of the distance events - Gabby Stearns (Gilbert), Leah Seivert (Sibley-Ocheydan), Jodi Miller (Sumner-Fredricksburg), Emily Franks & Mariah Casey (Northeast, Goose Lake), Kelsey Kirckoff (Denver), Sadie Timms (Gilbert), and Mariah Kauder (Cascade, W Dubuque). Holly Halstead (Hudson) will join Stearns as the favorites in the 800. Seivert will be slightly better than the rest in the 15 and 3.
Hurdles (100H, 400H) - Gochenour again in the 100 and 400 hurdles; pushed by Hutson in both, Taylor Twedt (West Fork) in the 100H, and Tasha Alexander (Eddyville-Blakesburg) in the 400H.
High Jump - Twedt, along with 4A Burlington’s Khanishah Williams, are Iowa’s two true national class high jumpers. Twedt will be alone in 2A jumping for higher honors.
Long Jump - With Gochenour not in the LJ, teammate Hutson is the favorite, with competition from Caylee Ott (Denver).
Shot Put/Discus - Lauren Smith(North Fayette) should win the double, dominating the discus but getting a challenge from Sarah Pate (Osceola) in the shot.
Relays - Mid-Prairie, Western Christian, and North Fayette should finish 1-2-3 in the 4X100; Hudson and Cascade 1-2 in the 4X200, 4X400, & 800 Medley; New Hampton, Western Christian, and Bellevue/Marquette in the 4X800; with New Hampton extending to a double in the 1600 Medley. West Fork, anchored by Twedt, will hurdle away with the SHR title.
1A
Sprints (100, 200, 400) - Take Caitlyn Stroud (Corning) by a lean over Haley Krull (Lake Mills) and Emily Toennies (Belle Plaine) in the 100 and 200; and Toennies over Griswold’s Lauren Moore in the 400.
Distance (800, 1600, 3200) - Andrea Toppin (Ventura) could win the triple. But she’ll get plenty of competition from Leah Courtney (Guthrie Center), Leah Manning (Woodward-Granger), and Kristin Schissel (Postville) in the 800; Schissel, Cassie Stufflick (Danville), Audrey Griffin (Prince of Peace), and Arden Betzer (Central City) in the 1600; and Grace Moore (Newman Catholic) and Kristen Carmichael (Corning) in the 3200.
Hurdles (100H, 400H) - Dani Coover (Belle Plaine) and Emily Ruhser (Central, Elkader) will vie in the 100H, with a slight edge to Coover. Griswold teammates Lauren Moore and Rachel Northrup should go 1-2 in the 400H
High Jump – Kasey Reuter (Hinton) will go an inch or two higher than Chaley Rath (Treynor) and Heather Hook (Grundy Center.
Long Jump – Wapello’s Erika Massner should barely win the LJ, against many who will be close including Jenna Altenhofen (Keota).
Shot Put/Discus – Kayla Hemann (St Ansgar) could get double gold here; but will get serious challenges from Calsey Schwamman (Turkey Valley) in both, and Amy Wright (Earlham) in the discus.
Relays - Villisca and Manson-NW Webster will out-sprint the rest in the 4X100 and 4X 200. Griswold, with stars Lauren Moore and Rachel Northrup, will win easily in the 4X400. In the 800 Medley, 1600 Medley, and 4X800 Griswold will get severe competition from Grundy Center, Wapsie Valley, Prince of Peace, Ventura, Treynor, and St Albert. Treynor will best Central Elkader and Gehlen Catholic in the shuttle hurdles.