Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – For years the Forwald/Coleman Relays have provided a final chance for athletes to secure a spot at the Drake Relays.

For City High freshman Ani Wedemeyer the 49^th edition of the meet offered an opportunity to prove she is prepared for the state’s biggest stage.

After her performance on Thursday it is safe to say Wedemeyer is ready for what lies ahead.

Wedemeyer won all four events she competed in on Thursday helping the Little Hawks win the team title at the Forwald/Coleman Relays at Raffensperger Track at City High.

“She was as impressive as you can be,” City High coach Jeremy Mims said of Wedemeyer. “She was four-for-four tonight. I think she was a little nervous about the workload but we are going to have to do it at districts and that kid is strong.”

Wedemeyer won a pair of individual titles and helped City High to a pair of relay wins as the Little Hawks racked up 123 points to finish 10.5 in front of runner-up Liberty High.

West Des Moines Valley was third with 107 points followed by Pleasant Valley with 105.

Senior Mia DePrenger added a win in the 200 and Iris Wedemeyer was runner-up in the 400 as City High went from fourth last season at its home meet to team champs.

“In the past years we haven’t won it so we came into tonight knowing we had the best lineup we could have,” DePrenger said. “Everyone performed to what they were supposed to and even more. We had a lot of girls were not seeded to place and they placed. I’m so proud of our team.”

Ani Wedemeyer led the way for City High on Thursday showing off an impressive range of events in her Forwald/Coleman debut on Thursday.

Wedemeyer won the 100 in 12.79 and captured the 800 title in 2:16.87 which sits as the third fastest time in the state this season.

“I did gymnastics for six years very competitively and I feel like that really gave me a base for the sprints and then I did cross country starting in seventh grade and that has helped me with the longer events,” Wedemeyer said. “I’ve been working hard and doing everything I can.”

Wedemeyer anchored the City High sprint medley relay team to a win in 1:48.83 and joined DePrenger, Sierra Pruessner and sister Iris Wedemeyer on the City High 4×400 relay team that won in a state-leading time of 3:58.82.

“We talked about the 4×4 before the meet and I told those ladies we are ready to go sub-four and we made it a goal,” Mims said. “They decided they wanted to do it and they went for it and they did it.”

Liberty High got individual titles from Isabelle Woody in the high jump, Darya Acas in the discus and Ashlyn Keeney in the 1,500 on its way to a second consecutive runner-up finish at the Forwald/Coleman relays.

Woody cleared 5-3 ½ to win the high jump and Acas won the discus with a toss of 128-9.

Keeney clocked a 4:43.31 which is the second fastest time in the state this season to win the 1,500.

“I can’t even begin to describe how  much a difference the weather made,” Keeney said. “We had so much bad weather so to have a day like today it’s amazing. I think we were all really lucky.”

West High swept the hurdling events on its way to a seventh-place team finish.

Ella Woods won the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.32 and Erinn Varga won the 400 hurdles in 1:05.51 which sits as the second fastest time in the state.

The West High foursome of Hebah War, Erinah Carter, Sophia Olivo and Woods won the shuttle hurdle relay in 1:07.14.

Forward/Coleman Relays

At City High

Team scores – 1. City High 123; 2. Liberty High 112.5; 3. West Des Moines Valley 107; 4. Pleasant Valley 105; 5. Waukee 90; 6. Linn-Mar 82; 7. West High 64; 8. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 54.5

Individual event winners; area placewinners

Shot put – 1. Kennedy Evans (L-M) 39-4; 5. Darya Acas (ICL) 36-7 ¼; 8. Helen Penning (ICW) 33-5 ½

Discus – 1. Darya Acas (ICL) 128-9; 6. Jolie Nordell (ICL) 96-1; 8. Anna Prouty (ICW) 95-7

Long jump – 1. Kaylee Bunn (L-M) 16-8; 2. Jasmine Barney (ICL) 16-7 ¼; 5. Emily Arling (ICH) 16-2; 6. Evelyn Asay (ICW) 15-8 ¼; 7. Mackenzie Dvorsky (ICH) 15-8

High jump – 1. Isabelle Woody (ICL) 5-3 ½; 4. Waad Ibrahim (ICW) 4-9; 5. Ava Bruxvoort (ICW) 4-9; 6. Elizabeth Jaeger (ICL) 4-7

100 – 1. Ani Wedemeyer (ICL) 12.79; 2. Amira Coleman (ICL) 12.8

200 – 1. Mia DePrenger (ICH) 26.35; 2. Hannah Ramsey (ICL) 26.81; 5. Brityn Gryp (ICL) 27.87; 6. Ruth Cloyd (ICH) 28.14

400 – 1. Addison Swartzendruber (CRK) 57.16; 2. Iris Wedemeyer (ICH) 1:00.59; 3. Eva Reynolds (ICH) 1:03.25

800 – 1. Ani Wedemeyer (ICH) 2:16.87; 6. Cori Mac (ICL) 2:25.01; 8. Tatum Frazier (ICH) 2:30.72

1,500 – 1. Ashlyn Keeney (ICL) 4:43.31; 4. Rowan Boulter (ICH) 5:00.27

3,000 – 1. Addison Dorenkamp (WDV) 10:08.08; 4. Rowan Boulter (ICH) 10:44.08; 8. Cindy Wang (ICW) 11:25.49

100 hurdles – 1. Ella Woods (ICW) 15.32; 3. Sierra Pruessner (ICH) 15.9; 5. Brie Klein (ICL) 16.16; 8. Hebah War (ICW) 16.78

400 hurdles – 1. Erinn Varga (ICW) 1:05.51; 3. Martha Hamilton (ICH) 1:08.58; 4. Eva Reynolds (ICH) 1:11.32

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. West High (Hebah War, Erinah Carter, Sophia Olivo, Ella Woods) 1:07.14; 2. City High (Sierra Pruessner, Mia DePrenger, Martha Hamilton, Te’Nia Ansley) 1:07.57; 4. Liberty High (Asta Hildrebrand, Brityn Gryp, Elizabeth Jaeger, Brie Klein) 1:09.55

Sprint medley relay – 1. City High (Ruth Cloyd, Claire Brown, Mia DePrenger, Ani Wedemeyer) 1:48.83; 5. Liberty High (Jimmya Coleman, Jenna Uden, Brynlee Slockett, Hannah Ramsey) 1:55.2; 6. West High (Lindsey McKane, Annie Schwartz, Lily McConnell, Evelyn Asay) 1:57.73

Distance medley relay – 1. West Des Moines Valley 4:26.83; 3. City High (Ruby McDonough, Emmy McComas, Ava Bell, Erin Anderson) 4:29.38; 4. Liberty High (Cassidy Hartman, Nessa Hardaway, Carlie Schroeder, Malia Taylor) 4:35.97; 8. West High (Natalie Steva, Ava Bruxvoort, Yaya Orszula, Helen Orszula) 4:58.01

4×100 – 1. Linn-Mar 50.48; 3. Liberty High (Amira Coleman, Brityn Gryp, Brie Klein, Brynlee Slockett) 51.63; 7. City High (Safia Almabrazi, Bella Skay, Jasmine Phonphiboun, Ruth Cloyd) 52.86; 8. West High (Ella Woods, Erinah Carter, Sophia Olivio, Hebah War) 52.88

4×200 – 1. Linn-Mar 1:45.72; 2. Liberty High (Amira Coleman, Brynlee Slockett, Jasmine Barney, Hannah Ramsey) 1:46.34; 5. West High (Stephanie Nuro-Gyina, Ivy Nuro-Gyina, Brynne Nock, Avery Vest) 1:50.92

4×400 – 1. City High (Iris Wedemeyer, Mia DePrenger, Sierra Pruessner, Ani Wedemeyer) 3:58.82; 3. West High (Annie Schwartz, Lindsey McKane, Lily McConnell, Erinn Varga) 4:09.96; 6. Liberty High (Hannah Ramsey, Malia Taylor, Hailey Noel, Cori Mac) 4:22.04

4×800 – 1. Pleasant 9:36.65; 2. Liberty High (Cori Mac, Clara Welch, Hailey Noel, Ashlyn Keeney) 9:49.44; 3. City High (Tatum Frazier, Lucy Corbin, Nina Peterson, Iris Wedemeyer) 10:05.92; 6. West High (Sara Alaya, Annie Dickens, Minou Emmad, Gabby Moniza) 10:42.04

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