Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

After a few weeks of cold and snowy weather to open the season the first week of track and field meets looks to bring sunshine and warming temperatures for area teams.

The track season is set to officially open this week with the opening meets of the season scheduled for several area teams.

With the opening day of the state track and field meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines less than two months away we take a look at five area athletes to keep an eye on this spring leading up to the opening day of the state meet on May 16.

Daniel Brown

Senior, City High

Brown is primed for a big senior season after closing his junior year by helping City High post a pair of impressive relay performances at the state meet.

Last season Brown was a member of the City High state champion 4×800 relay team and the Little Hawks’ fourth-place finishing 4×400 team both of which posted the second fastest times in program history.

Brown ran a leg on the City High 4×800 team that clocked a 7:49.41 in winning the 4A title and closed his junior season as a member of the Little Hawks 4×400 team that posted a 3:32.4, the eighth best time in state history.

Landon Green

Senior, West High

A three-sport standout, Green jumped into the conversation of elite throwers in the state last season by winning the Class 4A shot put title.

Green finished 16th at the state meet as a sophomore but added more than 10 feet to his best throw at state that season with a winning mark of 58-5 last year.

The 4A winning throw by Green was the fifth best in the state a year ago and broke the West High school record.

Green will attempt to build on his breakthrough performance from a year ago as West High attempts to replicate its team success from last season when it finished runner-up in 4A.

Coal Flansburg

Senior, Solon

In two trips to the state meet Flansburg has earned a medal in the shot put and the discus.

This season the Iowa State football signee will attempt to end his career with strong performances in both.

Flansburg placed seventh in the 3A shot put as a sophomore but surgery for a broken wrist stopped Flansburg from adding a second consecutive shot put medal last year.

Instead he placed fourth in the discus with a toss of 162-11.

Kolby Greiner

Senior, West High

After earning state medals in both the 1,600 and 3,200 each of the past two seasons Greiner will look to put the finishing touches on an impressive prep career with a strong senior season.

Greiner was third in the 3,200 and seventh in the 1,600 as a sophomore and finished eighth in both events last season as a junior.

West High will look for a big finale from its senior distance leader as it attempts to match its runner-up team finish from a year ago.

Nick O’Connor

Junior, Clear Creek Amana

Coming off a cross country season that ended with a Class 3A runner-up finish O’Connor headlines a strong Clipper distance crew that will try to carry that success over to the track this spring.

A two-time state qualifier, O’Connor has reached the state meet in both the 3,200 and the 1,600 the past two seasons finishing 14th in the 1,600 a year ago.

He joins cross country teammates in Kaden McAreavy, Jack Sexton and Brandon Barker to form a strong distance to middle distance crew for the Clippers.

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