Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Austin West got the perfect finish to his final Drake Relays.

Or at least almost perfect.

West won his first Drake Relays title in his final race at the event on Saturday claiming the 400 hurdle title in a time of 51.96 but missing the 23-year old meet record by two one hundredths of a second.

“I wasn’t thinking about the time at all but once I heard the crowd ohhh and ahh I looked up and I was a little off,” West said. “I was a little mad about that but I was happy with the run. I”

West became the second prep to break 52 seconds in the event at the Drake Relays and the first since Ames’ Dustin Avey ran his meet-record 51.94 in 1995.  

There was a brief moment as West crossed the finish line that the West High senior along with most of those in attendance at Drake Stadium in Des Moines believed he broke the record.

As the scoreboard flashed his score there was a collective gasp showing he was just shy of Avey’s time.

“It was a little tough but I am happy with the time,” West said. “I was hoping it would correct to a little bit faster than that 51.94 but I will take it.”

Just as he has been throughout much of the season West proved to be the class of the 400 hurdle field.

He entered with the best time in the state by more than 1.5 seconds and finished better than a second in front of runner-up Nolan Rothler of Waukee.

 “My step pattern was really good through hurdle eight,” West said. “I got a little tired and my form went a little awry at the end but overall I can’t complain too much.” 

The time of 51.96 for West was just more than four tenths of a second faster than his previous best time, set at the Forwald/Coleman Relays last Thursday in Iowa City.

The win capped a strong weekend for West that also featured a runner-up finish in the long jump on Friday.

“It’s really special,” West said. “I love the Drake Relays you have full stands on the front stretch screaming and yelling.

With the Drake Relays in the rearview mirror West will turn his attention to the postseason and the all-time state record.

West High opens the postseason with the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Divisional meet on Thursday at Kingston Stadium.

The Trojans host a state qualifying meet on May 10 and will return to Drake Stadium for the state meet from May 17-19.

That could give West, who has run back-to-back career-best times, three more cracks at the all-time state record of 50.96 set by Avey in 1996.

“I hope I have another second (of improvement) that would be the all-time record but we will see,” West said. “We have conference on Thursday that will be a good test to see how recovered I am and where I am at and we will go after the big one in three weeks.”

Drake Relays

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Saturday Boys Results

400 Hurdles – 1. Austin West (West High) 51.96; 2. Nolan Roethler (Waukee) 53.41; 3. Tyson Vander Linden (Lynnville-Sully) 53.79; 4. Will Reemtsma (Davenport Central) 53.83; 5. Will Krapfl (Ames) 54.24; 14. Zach Jones (City High) 56.25

1,600 – 1. Gable Sieperda (Central Lyon) 4:15.48; 2. Camden Cox (Ankeny Centennial) 4:16.88; 3. Konnor Sommer (Pleasant Valley) 4:18.47; 4. Tom Altier (Johnston) 4:19.36; 5. Andrew Kephart (Decorah) 4:20.88; 18. Kolby Greiner (Wet High) 4:32.92

Shuttle Hurdle Relay – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 57.24; 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 57.56; 3. Waukee 57.7; 4. Pella 59.37

4×100 Relay – 1. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 42.31; 2. Urbandale 42.69; 3. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 42.7; 4. Southeast Polk 43.03; 5. Ames 43.07; 43. Solon (Kendrick Harris, Adam Bock, Spencer Wegmann, Luke Ira) 44.73; 46. West High (Jackson Steburg, Keyshawn Trice, Dante Eldridge, Andre White) 44.85; 55. City High (Malik Kimber, Bryce Hunger, Max DePrenger, Cole Milder) 45.25; 64. Clear Creek Amana (Matt Brimeyer, Seb Johanson, Trever Stockman, Alex Figueroa) 45.55 

4×400 Reay – 1. Waukee 3:18.77; 2. Bettendorf 3:19.01; 3. Des Moines Roosevelt 3:21.36; 4. West Des Moines Valley 3:23.14; 5. Dubuque Senior 3:23.33; 12. City High (Daniel Brown, JP Rethwisch, Lucas Firmstone, Zach Jones) 3:24.45; 15. West High (Ethan McAreavy, Cole Mabry, Seybian Sims, Austin West) 3:24.8.

4×800 Relay – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 7:56.84; 2. Ames 7:58.42; 3. Pekin 7:59.05; 4. Johnston 7:59.71; 5. Urbandale 8:00.26; 12. City High (Daniel Brown, James Momberg, Caden Turnbough, JP Rethwisch) 8:11.5; 15. West High (Ethan McAreavy, Raymond Yang, Ian Prescott, Jeff Garbutt) 8:21.8.