Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Under the bright lights of the Drake Relays is one of the most inopportune times for a less than stellar performance.

Doing it beneath cloudy skies and steady rain didn’t exactly make a rough race at the Relays any easier for Eric Lucas to swallow on Friday.

Fortunately for Lucas his rough Drake Relays start came with a second chance and the Liberty High junior took advantage.

Lucas bounced back from a disappointing prelim performance to finish third in the 110 hurdles on Friday at the 112 running of the Drake Relays at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

“I had my worst run of the season in prelims,” Lucas said. “Those conditions were terrible. I was just glad I got another chance.”

Lucas entered with the third fastest time at 14.43 but clocked a 15.09 in the prelims on Friday morning, seventh best among the 32 qualifiers.

The time got Lucas into the finals but definitely left him looking for more.

“I took a little time off and then I came back and made sure I warmed up better than I have ever warmed up,” Lucas said. “I went over some hurdles and just made sure I got ready to go.”
Lucas responded with a 14.71 in the finals to place third behind Lisbon senior Kole Becker and Spirit Lake senior Jack Latham.

Latham won in 13.99 while Becker was runner-up in 14.60.

“It was fun, I’m not too happy with the result I felt like I could have pushed for second but I still have next year,” Lucas said. “I felt like I could have gotten top two, I’m not beating Jack but I wanted to get top two and I was a little off my pr but I still have another year to come back.”

Clear Creek Amana senior Harrison Rosenberg entered with the 12^th fastest time but clocked a 15.04 in the prelims to reach the finals and finished fifth in a time of 14.86.

Rosenberg edged Cedar Rapids Xavier junior Grayson Hartman who was sixth in 14.95.

“This was a blessing,” Rosenberg said. “I came in with the goal just to make the finals and then made a new goal to get the top six and get that medal and I’m just glad to get that accomplishment.”

Liberty High also got a fourth-place finish from senior Luke Meyers in the 100 on Friday.

Meyers had the fourth-fastest qualifying time on Friday morning and stayed in that same spot on Friday after placing fourth in a time of 11.08.

Tyrese Miller of Ankeny won the 100 in 10.88 while Cedar Rapids Washington junior Miles Thompson was runner-up in 10.95 and Latham was third in 10.99.

The Liberty High 4×200 relay team of Carter Meyers, Ben O’Connor, Lucas Meyer and Luke Meyers was ninth in 1:30.49.

Drake Relays

At Drake Stadium

Individual champions; area participants

High jump – 1. Jacob Kieler (Cedar Falls) 6-9; 8. Matt Schaeckenbach (City High) 6-5

Shot put – 1. Austin Busch (South Hamilton) 60-5 ¾; 13. TaeShon McDaniels (City High) 49-6 ½

110 hurdles – 1. Jack Lathan (Spirit Lake) 13.99; 3. Eric Lucas (Liberty High) 14.71; 5. Harrison Rosenberg (Clear Creek Amana) 14.86;

100 – 1. Tyrese Miller (Ankeny) 10.88; 2. Miles Thompson (Cedar Rapids Washington) 10.95; 4. Luke Meyers (Liberty High) 11.08

400 – 1. Tyrese Miller (Ankeny) 47.91

800 – 1. Jackson Mace-Maynard (Newton) 1:54.25; 17. Ammon Smith (City High) 2:00.36

Distance medley relay – 1. City High (Sam Rew, Ronnie Major, Jovan Harris, Ammon Smith) 3:28.7; 21. Clear Creek Amana (Ben Swails, Gage Freeman, Keyan Gisleson, Gavin Zillyette) 3:38.38

4×200 – 1. Southeast Polk 1:28.43; 7. West High (Todd Rent, Izaiah Loveless, Nate Gudenkauf, Christian Janis) 1:30.06; 9. Liberty High (Carter Meyers, Ben O’Connor, Lucas Meyer, Luke Meyers) 1:30.49; 20. Clear Creek Amana (Ben Swails, Jackson Schmidt, Nick Johnson, Gage Freeman) 1:33.07; 23. City High (Sam Rew, Mike Rew, Isaiah Svoboda, Drew Larson) 1:34.1

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