Boulter, Wedemeyer Win Individual Titles to Lead City High at Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – One of the main objectives for many of the participants at the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival on Saturday was securing spots at the Drake Relays.
A pair of City High athletes made the most of the opportunity putting themselves in positions to qualify for Drake with strong showings on Saturday.
Senior Rowan Boulter and freshman Ani Wedemeyer each won individual events with personal best times on Saturday on a sunny and chilly afternoon at West High.
Boulter won the 1,500 in a time of 4:55.94 while Wedemeyer won the 800 in 2:19.57.
“I think our kids competed well,” City High coach Jeremy Mims said. “The kids ran really well. Ani was really impressive in the open 800 and Rowan ran awesome in the 1,500.”
While Wedemeyer and Boulter both shared strong performances on Saturday the path to qualifying for Drake couldn’t be more different.
A stalwart for the Little Hawks the past several seasons Boulter is a distance veteran chasing a shot to compete at the Drake Relays in her final prep season.
Boulter took more than three seconds off her previous personal best time of 4:59.17 on Saturday while finishing nearly four seconds in front of North Scott senior Faith Nead who was runner-up.
Nead currently has the 21st fastest time in the state this season, the 4:55.94 clocked by Boulter on Saturday ranks 22nd.
The top 21 times qualify for the Drake Relays.
“Our first few meets the competition was kind of lacking and it was hard to get out strong and run by yourself,” Boulter said. “Having people around you really pushes you and I felt better today because of the people I had in front of me and behind me.”
If Boulter is the veteran, Wedemeyer is the rookie, though a talented one.
The freshman entered the season focused on sprints, specifically the 400.
Wedemeyer ran the first 800 meter race of her career on Tuesday, running the leadoff leg of the 4×800 relay.
On Saturday she ripped off what is currently the 10th fastest 800 time in the state this season in her first ever attempt at the open 800.
“I was focusing on sprints this year, mainly 400s is my race,” Wedemeyer said. “I was not going to focus on 800s, my race is mainly the 400 but the 800 has been fun. It’s a lot different.”
Wedemeyer finished nearly three seconds in front of runner-up Jolee Mesz from Lawton-Bronson who ran a 2:22.31.
“It’s a different kind of pain than the 400,” Wedemeyer said of the 800. “It lasts longer, it takes more endurance. It definitely tests you.”
West High had an individual champ as Ella Woods won the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.6.
Woods also helped the West High shuttle hurdle relay team to a runner-up finish in a time of 1:09.51.
West High sophomore Erinn Varga was runner-up in the 400 hurdles in 1:06.91.
City High was third in the sprint medley relay and West High was third in the 4×800.
Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival
At West High
Individual event winners; area placewinners
Shot put – 1. Breanna Hackman (Nashua-Plainfield) 39-3
Discus – 1. Mackenzy Grady (South Hamilton) 124-7;
Long jump – 1. Reese Brownlee (Clear Lake) 18-6 ¼; 8. Lindsey McKane (West High) 15-4 ½
High jump – 1. Keely Collins (Charles City) 5-2;
100 – 1. Jillian Dodds (Madrid) 13.01
200 – 1. Meredith Street (Osage) 27.05;
400 – 1. Mitzi Evans (Mid-Prairie) 57.8; 4. Annie Schwartz (West High) 1:01.33
800 – 1. Ani Wedemeyer (City High) 2:19.57;
1,500 – 1. Rowan Boulter (City High) 4:55.94
3,000 – 1. Danielle Hostetler (Mid-Prairie) 10:40.02
100 hurdles – 1. Ella Woods (West High) 15.6; 7. Mia DePrenger (City High) 17.02
400 hurdles – 1. JoJo Tyynismaa (South Tama) 1:06.16; 2. Erinn Varga (West High) 1:06.91; 5. Lily McConnell (West High) 1:10.17
Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Fairfield 1:07.72; 2. West High (Hebah War, Erinah Carter, Sophia Olivo, Ella Woods) 1:09.51
Sprint medley relay – 1. Denver 1:54.99; 3. City High (Claire Brown, Ava Bell, Aoife Boulter, Mia DePrenger) 1:57.64
Distance medley relay – 1. Mount Vernon 4:45.15; 4. West High (Stephanie Nuro-Gyina, Marie Stier, Sara Alaya, Cindy Wang) 4:53.44;
4×100 – 1. Williamsburg 50.76
4×200 – 1. North Scott 1:48.77
4×400 – 1. Mount Vernon 4:09.19; 5. West High (Annie Schwartz, Lindsey McKane, Lily McConnell, Erinn Varga) 4:14.48; 7. City High (Ava Bell, Claire Brown, Aoife Boulter, Mia DePrenger) 4:18.81
4×800 – 1. Cedar Falls 10:12.44; 3. West High (Gabby Moniza, Annie Dickens, Sara Alaya, Cindy Wang) 10:37.83
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