Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CEDAR RAPIDS – Before the season even got rolling Luke Meyers knew half of his state qualifying meet schedule.

“I knew all along I wanted to do the 100 and the 200 for sure,” Meyers explained Thursday evening.

It was the final two events that were up for grabs and it was a performance at the Mississippi Valley Conference divisional last week that helped Meyers make his decision.

After clocking a 50.09 on his way to a title in the 400 at the MVC divisional last week at Kingston Stadium Meyers knew he had no choice but to add the 400 to his personal lineup.

“I wasn’t sure about the 400 but last week I almost went under 50 and I looked at my time and I was top eight (in Class 4A),” Meyers said. “I had to go for it.”

It turned out to be a wise move for Meyers.

The senior won the 400 at the Class 4A state qualifying meet at Kingston Stadium and also earned an automatic qualifying spot to next week’s state track and field meet with a runner-up finish in the 100 on a sunny and warm afternoon in Cedar Rapids.

Meyers won the 400 in 50.79, more than a full second faster than Mason Farrington of Ottumwa who was runner-up in 52.22.

“The 400, I wouldn’t say anybody really likes it but I don’t hate it as much as some sprinters,” Meyers said. “I don’t mind it, it’s a good challenge. It’s hard but it’s fun.”

Meyers joined Eric Lucas who won the 110 hurdles as individual champions for the Lightning on Thursday as Liberty High automatically qualified six event entries for the 4A state meet with top-two finishes on Thursday.

Gavin Keeney anchored the Liberty High sprint medley team to a title and also finished runner-up in the 800 while the Lightning 4×800 team added a runner-up finish.

“It’s just survive and advance,” Keeney said. “We qualified about every relay and individual we thought we would. The boys all really pulled through and I’m just really happy with that.”

A state medalist in the 200 last season Meyers was a big part of a strong showing for Liberty High on Thursday.

He was runner-up to Cedar Rapids Washington standout Miles Thompson in the 100 in a time of 11.4 and was third in the 200 in 22.33.

Thompson won the 200 in 22.22 while teammate Michael Blank was runner-up in 22.31.

The time of 22.33 for Meyers should easily get the senior to the state meet as one of 12 additional qualifiers.

“I look forward to (running against Thompson) but I also don’t because I know he’s fast,” Meyers said. “I like have someone to race. That’s what I really enjoy and I’m going against one of the best in the state every meet the past couple of weeks so I feel like it’s helping me. I may not always be winning but it’s helping me.”

Lucas won the 110 hurdles in a time of 15.14 and Jalen Wieck, Jeremiah Madlock, Carter Meyers and Keeney teamed up to win the distance medley in 3:38.73

“The main goal today was just to qualify all four events and I think we did that,” Keeney said. “I can’t be mad about anything today. I wish the splits would have been a little better but it’s hot and I’m tired.”

Keeney was runner-up in the 800 in 1:59.5 while Jordan Robinson, Christian Montover, Ethan Keeney and Aidan Decker were second in the 4×800 in 8:19.26.

Class 4A State Qualifier

At Kingston Stadium    

Team scores – 1. Linn-Mar 188; 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 124; 3. Liberty High 119; 4. Cedar Rapids Prairie 89; 5. Cedar Rapids Washington 84; 6. Marshalltown 54; 7. Ottumwa 36; 8. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 34

Automatic state qualifiers; area placewinners

Long jump – 1. Malachi Holmes (MAR) 22-4 ½; 2. Isaac Guerrero (L-M) 22-0 ¾

High jump – 1. TJ Jackson (L-M) 6-5; 2. Brenden Linde (CRK) 6-4; 3. Jeremiah Madlock (ICL) 6-2; 4. Cael Schramm (ICL) 5-10

Shot put – 1. Sam Watts (L-M) 54-9 ¾; 2. McKade Jelinek (L-M) 51-2 ¾

Discus – 1. McKade Jelinek (L-M) 171-9; 2. Keaton Roskop (L-M) 161-1

100 – 1. Miles Thompson (CRW) 11.07; 2. Luke Meyers (ICL) 11.4; 5. Ben O’Connor (ICL) 12.0

200 – 1. Miles Thompson (CRW) 22.22; 2. Michael Blank (CRW) 22.31; 3. Luke Meyers (ICL) 22.33; 6. Lucas Meyer (ICL) 23.64

400 – 1. Luke Meyers (ICL) 50.79; 2. Mason Farrington (OTT) 52.22

800 – 1. Brady Cortez (CRP) 1:59.26; 2. Gavin Keeney (ICL) 1:59.5; 8. Jon Kamba-Kaleka (ICL) 2:10.53

1,600 – 1. Hayden Kuhn (L-M) 4:26.08; 2. Miles Wilson (CRK) 4:29.66; 4. Aidan Decker (ICL) 4:36.64; 7. Christian Montover (ICL) 4:38.47

3,200 – 1. Hayden Kuhn (L-M) 10:18.03; 2. Miles Wilson (CRK) 10:22.08; 7. Nathan Kinzer (ICL) 11:04.02;

110 hurdles – 1. Eric Lucas (ICL) 15.14; 2. Nicholas Gorsich (L-M) 15.64; 5. Griffin Kraft (ICL) 15.94

400 hurdles – 1. William Grant (L-M) 56.09; 2. Nicholas Gorsich (L-M) 57.05; 4. Maxwell Thompson (ICL) 57.42

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Linn-Mar 1:00.12; 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1:01.03; 3. Liberty High (Maxwell Thompson, Griffin Kraft, Henry Maassen, Eric Lucas) 1:01.22

Sprint medley relay – 1. Cedar Rapids Washington 1:36.09; 2. Ottumwa 1:36.32; 8. Liberty High (Wyatt Williams, Ben O’Connor, Cody Nichols, Tyson Baker) 1:40.43

Distance medley relay – 1. Liberty High (Jalen Wieck, Jeremiah Madlock, Carter Meyers, Gavin Keeney) 3:38.73; 2. Linn-Mar 3:40.62

4×100 – 1. Cedar Rapids Washington 42.13; 2. Linn-Mar 42.83; 5. Liberty High (Wyatt Williams, Ben O’Connor, Jalen Wieck, Luke Meyers) 43.13

4×200 – 1. Cedar Rapids Washington 1:28.06; 2. Linn-Mar 1:30.07; 4. Liberty High (Wyatt Williams, Ben O’Connor, Evan Chandler, Lucas Meyer) 1:30.99

4×400 – 1. Linn-Mar 3:27.32; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 3:29.4; 3. Liberty High (Carter Meyers, Jordan Robinson, Lucas Meyer, Gavin Keeney) 3:29.45

4×800 – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 8:18; 2. Liberty High (Jordan Robinson, Christian Montover, Ethan Keeney, Aidan Decker) 8:19.26

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