Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

MVC Mississippi Divisional

When: Friday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids  

Teams: West High, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Linn-Mar, Dubuque Wahlert, Waterloo East, Waterloo West, Cedar Rapids Xavier

Team Title Chase: West High won its first title since 2014 a year ago in impressive fashion, finishing 60 points clear of runner-up Linn-Mar and is a heavy favorite to add a second straight title on Friday.

The Trojans are top seeded in nine events and have two athletes with top four qualifying marks in half of the 12 individual events.

Linn-Mar headline a group of contenders that will battle for the runner-up spot.

Athlete to Watch: Fresh off an impressive Drake Relays weekend that included a 400 hurdles title and a runner-up finish in the long jump West High senior Austin West turns his attention to his final MVC meet. West has the top marks in both the long jump and the 400 hurdles in the state this season and is a member of the West High 4×400 relay team that enters Friday with the top time.

Event to Watch: West has just missed meet records while running career-best times in each of his last two cracks at the 400 hurdles. After clocking a 51.96 at the Drake Relays, another personal best on Friday would put West close to the state all-time best time of 50.96 set by Dustin Avey of Ames in 1996.

Don’t Miss This: The Cedar Rapids Jefferson 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams could go down as one of the best groups in state history. The J-Hawk foursomes set meet records while winning Drake Relays titles in both events last week. The 4×200 time of 1:27.14 is .74 off the all-time best while the J-Hawks’ 4×100 time of 42.02 is .69 off the state record.

Breakdown: West High should roll for the second consecutive season behind West, junior Gabe Caruthers and the one-two throwing punch of Landon Green and Jonathan Gannon.

The Trojans have the top-end talent and across the board depth to compete for much more than a MVC divisional title and Friday’s meet will just be the warmup for what should be a big postseason for the Trojans.

MVC Valley Divisional

When: Friday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Dalzell Field in Dubuque

Teams: City High, Cedar Falls, Dubuque Hempstead, Dubuque Senior, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Cedar Rapids Washington

Team Title Chase: There are five teams with a legitimate shot at emerging from a tight pack to claim the Valley Division title. Cedar Rapids Kennedy pulled away to finish 46 points in front of runner-up Cedar Rapids Prairie a year ago.

Those two teams will be in the title mix once again along with Dubuque Senior, Cedar Falls and City High.

Cedar Falls is the top seed in five events and has the depth to hold the favorite tag going in but this one should come down to the wire.

Athlete to Watch: City High senior Zach Jones had a big night at the divisional meet last season winning the 400 and helping the City High 4×400 relay team to a title.

For City High to improve on its fourth-place finish from a year ago Jones will need to be ever better this season.

His biggest impact could be in the relays. City High is the top seed in the sprint medley and has the second-best time in the distance medley and third fastest in the 4×100.

Event to Watch: This meet is loaded with what should be tight races but among the most exciting is the 800.

Four of the top 16 times in the state this season have been posted by runners that are expected to compete in Friday’s 800 led by Cedar Rapids Washington Max Locher who ranks third with a time of 1:57.3.

City High has three players to run sub 2:00 this season with Daniel Brown (1:58.63) and JP Rethwisch (1:58.64) leading the way.

Don’t Miss This: After battling for a Drake Relays title last week Cedar Rapids Prairie and Cedar Rapids Kennedy will square off in a shuttle hurdle rematch.

Prairie edged Kennedy to win the Drake Relays as the two teams record the second and third fastest times in the state this season. 

Breakdown: The theme of this meet is balance with nearly every event expected to be hotly contested. The team race will likely come down to the final few events with several teams still in play.

City High has a solid chance to improve on its fourth-place finish from a year ago with strong days from its 400, 800 and relay groups.

WAMAC East Divisional

When: Monday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Solon

Teams: Solon, Anamosa, Dyersville Beckman, Central DeWitt, Maquoketa, Mount Vernon, West Delaware, Western Dubuque

Team Title Chase: Defending Super Meet champ Western Dubuque will attempt to add a divisional crown in its final year before departing for the MVC.

The Bobcats have the lineup to repeat with five relays entering with the top qualifying time.

Defending 3A runner-up Mount Vernon will attempt to push its way into the title conversation after finishing runner-up at the Super Meet last season.

Athlete to Watch: Solon senior Tyler Linderbaum posted a career-best mark in the shot put at the Drake Relays and enters with the fifth best throw in the state and top throw among WAMAC competitors at 57-1 ½. 

Event to Watch: Solon senior Luke Ira finished seventh at the Drake Relays in the 110 hurdles last week and brings the fastest time into Monday’s divisional meet at 14.9.

Ira is the lone runner in the WAMAC to crack 15 seconds this season.

Don’t Miss This: The discus could turn into one of the more competitive events of the evening with the top four competitors separated by less than 15 feet.

Mount Vernon junior Matt Vislisel is the top seed with a toss of 166-11 ½ followed by West Delaware senior Harrison Goebel (166-3) and the Solon duo of Coal Flansburg (158-7) and Linderbaum (153-11).

Breakdown: After Weather concerns forced the postponement of the scheduled co-ed Super Meet set for Thursday thee conference elected to go to divisional formats on Monday.

Solon was 11th at the Super Meet a year ago and with a strong performance on Monday could push for a top three finish.

Western Dubuque and Mount Vernon will be tough to catch but the Spartans have the opportunity to gain ground in the throws and hurdles.

WAMAC West Divisional

When: Monday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Benton Community High School in Van Horne  

Teams: Clear Creek Amana, Benton Community, Center Point-Urbana, Independence, Marion, Vinton-Shellsburg, Williamsburg, South Tama

Team Title Chase: Defending Class 3A state champion Marion was third at the Super Meet last season but moves to the front of the favorite list in the divisional format.

The Indians have a star in senior Blair Brooks, a distance ace in Jeremy Fopma and more than enough talent across the board to pull away from the field.

Athlete to Watch: Clear Creek Amana Seb Johanson has already put together a breakthrough season of sorts but can really take off with a big performance on Monday.

Johanson has the fastest qualifying time in the 110 hurdles (15.04) and is a part of the Clippers’ shuttle hurdle relay team that enters as the top seed.

Event to Watch: Clear Creek Amana enters with the top time in the shuttle hurdle relay at 1:00.73.  
The Clipper foursome of Matt Brimeyer, Trever Stockman, Seb Johanson and Andrew Swails clocked a 1:00 .73 its last time out and will look to break the 60 second barrier on Monday.

Don’t Miss This: The two top distance runners in 3A are expected to dual in both the 1,600 and 3,200 as former Marion teammates Jeremy Fopma and Myles Bach battle.

The two are separated by less than a second in both events with Fopma holding the top time in the 1,600 in 4:24.14 and Center Point Urbana senior Bach entering with the best 3,200 time at 9:29.29. 

Breakdown: After Weather concerns forced the postponement of the scheduled co-ed Super Meet set for Thursday thee conference elected to go to divisional formats on Monday.

Clear Creek Amana was 11th at the Super Meet last year and was one of the top contenders from biggest jump in the standings if all 16-teams would have met on Thursday.

The Clippers have a chance to start the postseason strong and can push for a top three finish at the divisional meet.

River Valley Conference

When: Friday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: West Liberty

Teams: Regina, West Branch, Bellevue, Camanche, Cascade, Durant, Mid-Prairie, Monticello, North Cedar, Northeast, Tipton, West Liberty, Wilton

Team Title Chase: Mid-Prairie missed a conference title by 14 points last season as Cascade took the team crown.

On the strength of its distance running the Golden Hawks will attempt to bump up to the top spot this year.

Mid-Prairie has the top qualifier in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 and boasts the best qualifying time in the 4×400, 4×800, sprint medley and distance medley relays.

Keep an eye on West Liberty which was sixth last year with 63 points but has the firepower in Drake Relays 100 champion Tanner Iske to push itself into the title conversation.

Athlete to Watch: Regina junior Luke Stein will try to use his Drake Relays experience from a week ago to jumpstart his postseason run.

Stein enters with the top qualifying mark in both the shot put (53-2) and discus (153) and will try to give the Regals a sweep of the throwing events for a second straight season and Jared Brinkman accomplished the feat last season.

Event to Watch: Led by North Cedar senior Seamus Raney (52.41) the top four qualifying times in the 400 are separated by less than half a second.

Don’t Miss This: Iske earned the title of state’s fastest man after smoking to a Drake Relays title in 10.77. The West Liberty senior has the fastest qualifying time in the 200 by more than half a second and has helped the Comets 4×100 relay team to a top seed with a time of 44.07.

Breakdown: Regina will be hard pressed to match its fourth-place finish or 70 points from a season ago but has a possible two-event champion in Stein and several athletes capable of picking up points.

West Branch was 12th with 20 points last season and will attempt to improve on both of those numbers this year.