Your Prep Sports Area Girls Track and Field Athletes to Watch This Season
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The official start of the high school girls track season is right around the corner.
Over the past several weeks teams from around the state have been warming up for competition at indoor meets.
As early as this weekend area teams are scheduled to hit the track for the first outdoor competitions of the season.
Before the season gets underway we take a look at some area athletes to keep an eye on this spring.
Ashlyn Keeney
Senior, Liberty High
One of the top runners in the state Keeney will look to add to what has already been a decorated prep career with a strong senior season.
Keeney has collected eight state medals including four state titles in her first two appearances at the state track and field meet to go with a pair of Drake Relays championships.
An Iowa State recruit, Keeney won the 3,000 and 1,500 as a freshman in 2019 and claimed 4A titles in the 1,500 and 800 last season as a junior.
Emma Bock
Senior, Solon
Another athlete looking to put the finishing touches on an already stellar career, Bock is the centerpiece for a Spartan squad that expects to contend for a Class 3A team title.
In two state meet appearances Bock has earned eight medals, including four golds and six top-three finishes.
A Texas Tech recruit, Bock anchored Solon’s winning distance medley and 4×800 relay teams last season, helped the Spartans to a runner-up finish in the 4×400 and was third in the 800 in 2:14.91.
Erinn Varga
Sophomore, West High
Varga made an impressive debut during a strong freshman season that concluded with a pair of top-11 individual performances at the state meet.
A three-event state qualifier, Varga was 11th in the 400 in a time of 1:01.52 and placed 10th in the 400 hurdles in 1:08.68.
Varga was also a member of the West High state qualifying 4×400 relay team.
Silvana Kabolo
Sophomore, Clear Creek Amana
Kabolo burst onto the scene last spring with an impressive freshman season that concluded with a pair of medals at the Class 3A state meet.
A three-event state qualifier, Kabolo finished fifth in the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.84 and anchored the Clear Creek Amana shuttle hurdle relay team to a 3A state title in a time of 1:05.39.
Kabolo was also a member of the Clippers state-qualifying 4×100 relay team.
Peyton Naeve
Senior, Regina
Naeve gained valuable state meet experience a year ago competing at Drake Stadium in a pair of relays and will look to take another step forward this season as a leader for the Regals.
Last season Naeve was a member of the Regals’ shuttle hurdle relay team that posted the third-fastest preliminary time at the state meet and was also a part of the Regina 4×400 relay team that finished 19th at the 2A state meet.
JaLynn Falco
Sophomore, West Branch
Part of a strong group of returners for the West Branch, Falco is at the center of what should be a solid sprinting corps for the Bears.
Falco was part of the West Branch 4×200 relay team that qualified for state last season and joins junior Iva Senio as returners with state meet experience.
Sierra Pruessner
Sophomore, City High
Pruessner will look to build on a stellar freshman season that ended with the first state medal of her career.
A four-event state qualifier, Pruessner helped the City High shuttle hurdle relay team to a third-place finish in a time of 1:05.47.
Pruessner finished 16th in the 100 hurdles and was a member of the City High state meet qualifying 4×200 and sprint medley relay teams.
Kaia Holtkamp
Senior, Solon
Another standout senior that will be a key piece of a potential state title run for the Solon the versatile Holtkamp provides the Spartans with flexibility with the ability to compete in a number of events.
Holtkamp earned four medals at the state meet last season including three top-two finishes as Solon finished runner-up in 3A.
An Iowa State commit, Holtkamp finished sixth in the 800 and ran on Solons’ state title winning 4×800 and distance medley relay teams and the Spartans runner-up 4×400 squad.
Iris Wedemeyer
Junior, City High
Coming off a strong cross country campaign in the fall Wedemeyer is looking for a breakthrough track season after a big-time finish to her sophomore season last spring.
Wedemeyer helped the City High 4×400 relay team to a runner-up finish at the 4A state meet last season in a time of 3:56.76.
The 4×400 performance was part of a strong state meet showing for Wedemeyer in which she placed 10th in the 400 in a time of 1:01.5.
Emma Mathis
Senior, Clear Creek Amana
A three-event state qualifier last season as a junior Mathis is one of the senior leaders on a Clear Creek Amana squad poised to take a big step forward this spring.
Mathis was eighth in the 100 hurdles in a time of 16.25 at the state meet last season and was a member of the Clippers’ state title winning shuttle hurdle relay team.
She was also on the Clear Creek Amana 4×100 team that qualified for state.
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