Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Throughout the regular season Colton Hoffman was a steady source of consistency during a resurgent spring for Solon.

On Thursday Hoffman helped the Spartans get off to a strong start at the Class 3A state track and field meet.

Hoffman earned the first state medal of his career on Thursday with a sixth-place finish in the high jump and set himself up for another medal by qualifying for the finals of the 100.

The do-it-all senior cleared 5-11 in the high jump on Thursday morning before clocking the seventh fastest time in the 3A 100 prelims at 11.38.

Jensen Represents Regina

Regina had just one qualifier at the Class 2A boys meet this week but junior Carson Jensen made sure that the Regals would leave Drake Stadium with a medal.

Jensen secured a medal in his state meet debut with a seventh-place finish in the 400 on Thursday.

Jensen entered with the 13^th fastest time in 2A this season but took more than half a second of his season-best time finishing in 50.81.

City High Adds to 4×800 Legacy

Another year, another state meet medal in the 4×800 relay for City High.

The 4A champions in the event in 2018, City High was fifth in 2019 before placing fourth on Thursday in its return to Drake Stadium.

City High’s foursome of Ammon Smith, Truman Thompson, Soren Ostby and Ford Washburn clocked a season-best time of 7:56.3 to finish behind Liberty High, Ames and Cedar Falls in the 4A race.

McKane Shines in the Rain

Rain soaked Drake Stadium on and off for much of the opening day on Thursday.

Some of the hardest rain of the day came during the running of the Class 4A boys 3,200.

A little, or even a lot of rain didn’t stop West High junior Alex McKane.

McKane ran through the rain to a fifth-place finish in the 3,200 in a time of 9:37.8.

Jackson Heidesch of West Des Moines Dowling won the 3,200 in 9:18.32 followed by William Lohr of Sioux City North, Will Ryan of West Des Moines Dowling and Kole Sommer of Pleasant Valley.

City High Doubles Up in High Jump

City High picked up a pair of medals in the high jump on Thursday with sophomore Matt Schaeckenbach and senior Alia Vanderhoef each finishing seventh in Class 4A.

Schaeckenbach cleared 6-1 to place seventh in his debut appearance at the state meet while Vanderhoef cleared 5-0 in her seventh-place finish.

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