From 13th to First: Clear Creek Amana Wins Shuttle Hurdle Relay Title
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – Kayla Jiras, Cileigh Smiddy and Emma Mathis were all underclassmen when Clear Creek Amana finished 13th in the shuttle hurdle relay at the state track and field meet in 2019.
All three pictured making return trips to the state meet over the next few season.
None of three imagined back then doing what the Clippers accomplished on Saturday.
Clear Creek Amana claimed the second relay title in program history winning the Class 3A shuttle hurdle relay by more than a second on an overcast morning at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
“It’s unbelievable, two years ago we came in 13th and now we’re first,” Mathis said. “It just feels like it’s a whole new world that we are experiencing right now. It feels so good.”
Sophomore Silvana Kabolo joined Jiras, Smiddy and Mathis on Saturday as Clear Creek Amana posted a season-best time of 1:05.39 while winning its first relay title since winning the shuttle hurdle in 2015.
“I am speechless, I am just so happy,” Jiras said. “I love this team, we worked so hard, I’m just so happy.”
The previous season-best for the Clippers was 1:05.78 which the Clippers ran in the rain during the prelims on Thursday morning.
In its final race of the season the Clippers took .39 off their prelim time while pulling away from Spencer which finished runner-up in 1:06.86.
“We’ve worked really hard for this, we’ve practiced hard every day in any type of weather,” Smiddy said. “It just feels amazing.”
Seniors Jiras and Smiddy and Mathis, a junior, were all part of the Clippers’ squad that clocked a 1:09.1 in state prelims two years ago.
After last season was cancelled by the coronavirus pandemic the Clippers returned the most experienced shuttle hurdle team in Class 3A this spring.
It didn’t take long for Clear Creek Amana to show it was a state title caliber squad.
“Our first few meets we started getting it down after not having a year last year but we worked super hard just to get to where we are today,” Smiddy said. “We couldn’t do it without being the team we are and we couldn’t do it without our coaches.”
Jiras, Smiddy and Mathis were all improved from two seasons ago.
Adding Kabolo this season helped put the Clippers over the top.
The sophomore helped Clear Creek Amana pull away from the field over the final 100 meters on Saturday anchoring the Clippers to the title.
“I just think I need to clear all these hurdles and just run smooth,” Kabolo said. “I wanted to bring us to first. That’s all that is going through my mind is don’t screw it up we’ve got this. I just wanted to do it for my teammates.”
Mathis opened up for Clear Creek Amana with a strong leg and Smiddy gave the Clippers some cushion before Jiras and Kabolo took care of the rest.
As Kabolo crossed the finish line Mathis and Smiddy led the celebration.
“It’s really indescribable,” Mathis said. “It was hard watching down here so we watched on the video board and a whole bunch of emotion just went through it was a great feeling.”
Less than an hour after earning shuttle hurdle gold Kabolo and Mathis earned individual medals in the 100 hurdles.
Kabolo was fifth in 3A in 15.84 while Mathis finished eighth clocking a time of 16.36 in the 100 hurdle finals.
“I was sad that my freshman year I didn’t get to run with them and I was really excited for my sophomore year,” Kabolo said. “I am really happy to be able to run with all these girls and I’m really happy they are on my team.”
Class 3A Girls State Track and Field Meet
At Drake Stadium in Des Moines
Team scores – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 59; 2. Solon 51; 3. Carlisle 46; 4. Western Dubuque 42; 5. Davenport Assumption 41; 6. Charles City 34; 6. Keokuk 34; 8. Bondurant-Farrar 32; 9. Ballard 31; 9. Pella 31; 19. Clear Creek Amana 15
Individual results (event winners; area competitors)
100 – 1. Audrey Biermann (Western Dubuque) 12.37
200 – 1. Audrey Biermann (Western Dubuque) 25.48
800 – 1. Ainsley Erzen (Carlisle) 2:09.79; 3. Emma Bock (Solon) 2:14.91; 6. Kaia Holtkamp (Solon) 2:17.23;
1,500 – 1. Ainsley Erzen (Carlisle) 4:42.21; 20. Kiersten Conway (Solon) 5:08.64
100 hurdles – 1. Kendall Anderson (Bondurant-Farrar) 15.1; 5. Silvana Kabolo (Clear Creek Amana) 15.84; 8. Emma Mathis (Clear Creek Amana) 16.36
Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Clear Creek Amana (Emma Mathis, Cileigh Smiddy, Kayla Jiras, Silvana Kabolo) 1:05.39; 7. Solon (Jada Buffington, Mia Stahle, Calla Foster, Sophia Stahle) 1:08.18
Sprint medley relay – 1. Western Dubuque 1:47.58; 5. Solon (Mia Stahle, Ellie Wolff, Callie Levin, Gracie Federspiel) 1:51.46
4×100 relay – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 48.79; 7. Solon (Mia Stahle, Callie Levin, Mia Duckett, Addie McQuinn) 50.84.
4×400 relay – 1. Davenport Assumption 3:56.77; 2. Solon (Kaia Holtkamp, Makinley Levin, Gracie Federspiel, Emma Bock) 3:56.92
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