Rethwisch Makes Strong Solo Debut in Third Drake Relays Appearance
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – Prior to Friday all the only Drake Relays experience for JP Rethwisch had come as a member of a City High relay team.
Rethwisch ran in three different relays spread out over three seasons in his first three trips to the Drake Relays.
The senior demonstrated on Friday he can perform just fine on his own.
Rethwisch placed eighth in the 800 in 2:00.73 in the first individual Drake Relays race of his career on Friday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
“It’s a great experience learning how to compete with all the fastest guys,” Rethwisch said. “With the weather this season everything has been pretty slow and now this weekend it’s nice and everyone is competing. I just wanted to stay with them and not drop off.”
Rethwisch made his Drake Relays debut in the 4×800 as a sophomore and ran on the City High 4×800 and 4×400 teams at the Drake Relays last season.
He started out Friday by running a career-best 800 split of 1:57.9 on the anchor leg of the City High distance medley relay team that finished sixth before being disqualified.
“This morning it was good, I got a pr on my split,” Rethwisch said. “It was a learning experience just to run with all the fastest people so I was happy I got to run it.”
Rethwisch followed up his morning personal best relay split with a new experience, an individual Drake Relays race.
He spent much of the first 600 meters towards the front of the lead pack before finishing eighth.
Muscatine senior Tyler Olson won the even in 1:56.55 while Quentin Linnan of Indianola was second in 1:56.87.
“I got a good start, I got out to a good spot in the race but I went through a little slow stretch so the sec
ond lap everybody was pushing it,” Rethwisch said. “I was doing my best, it was a good race and I felt stronger than I have all season so I felt good about that.”City High junior Daniel Brown placed 14th in 2:08.13 while West High senior Jeff Garbutt was 15th in 2:14.51.
Drake Relays
At Drake Stadium in Des Moines
Friday’s Individual Results
(Top 5 Finishers; Area Athletes)
Boys Results
Shot put – 1. Nick Phelps (Kingsley-Pierson/Woodbury Central) 65-3 ½; 2. Dominick Etherington (Algona) 59-7; 3. Tyler Linderbaum (Solon) 57-1 ½; 4. Zach Stacy (West Des Moines Dowling) 56-3 ¾; 5. Justin Ridout (East Marshall) 54-4 ½; 7. Landon Green (West High) 54-1; 11. Luke Stein (Regina) 52-7 ¼.
100 – 1. Tanner Iske (West Liberty) 10.77; 2. Bernard Bell Jr. (Ames) 10.79; 3. Gavin Williams (Southeast Polk) 10.81; 4. Gage Clay (AHSTW) 10.84; 5. Harrison Waylee (Urbandale) 10.94; 15. Gabe Caruthers (West High) 11.41
800 – 1. Tyler Olson (Muscatin) 1:56.55; 2. Quentin Linnan (Indianola) 1:56.87; 3. Chase Mullenix (Atlantic) 1:57.8; 4. Riley Bauer (North Union) 1:58.47; 5. Joe Schaefer (Johnston) 1:58.52; 8. JP Rethwisch (City High) 2:00.73; 14. Daniel Brown (City High) 2:08.13; 15. Jeff Garbutt (West High) 2:14.51.
110 Hurdles – 1. Riley Moss (Ankeny Centennial) 14.04; 2. Terrell Jordan Jr. (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) 14.44; 3. Trent Davis (Linn-Mar) 14.52; 4. Gratt Reed (Atlantic) 14.76; 5. Jack Garber (BCLUW) 14.79; 7. Luke Ira (Solon) 15.12; 20. Seb Johanson (Clear Creek Amana) 15.51; 23. Cole Mabry (West High) 15.62
Distance medley relay – 1. Urbandale 3:20.25; 2. Pekin 3:30.99; 3. Dubuque Senior 3:32.34; 4. Atlantic 3:32.48; 5. West Des Moines Dowling 3:34.2; West High DQ; City High DQ.
4×200 – 1. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 1:27.14; 2. Ankeny Centennial 1:28.24; 3. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 1:28.44; 4. West Des Moines Dowling; 5. West Des Moines Valley 1:28.7; West High DNF