Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Aidan Jacobsen emerged as one of the rising stars in Class 4A track and field with a strong sophomore season.

The secret to the sophomore ascent for Jacobsen isn’t really a secret at all.

“Really it is just the work I have put in,” Jacobsen said. “We work hard at practice and I have the best coaches in the state and they push us every day and that helps a lot.”

Jacobsen continued his breakthrough season on Friday with a pair of top-three finishes at the Class 4A State Track and Field Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

Jacobsen finished third in the 400 hurdles in a career-best time and helped the Trojans to a runner-up finish the distance medley relay.

“I did a lot more in the preseason this year,” Jacobsen said. “That helped ad my teammates every day at practice push me.”
Jacobsen was part of the varsity program at West High last season primarily focusing on the long jump.

He just missed a medal in the long jump on Friday in his busy day at state placing ninth.

Jacobsen got his medal count started finishing third in the 400 hurdles in a time of 53.81.

It was his performance last month at West High home Hollingsworth Relays that showed Jacobsen what he could accomplish.

He clocked a then career best 55.84 at the April 9^th home meet and a few weeks later finished sixth at the Drake Relays in 55.12.

“My third time running this event I dropped a five-second PR on my home track,” Jacobsen said. “That’s when I knew I could do something this year.”

Over the last month Jacobsen has been tested in the 400 hurdles by the best in the state in Dubuque Senior standout Matthew Kruse.

Kruse won the 400 hurdle title on Friday in 52.8 marking the third consecutive meet he has edged Jacobsen for the title.

Kruse edged Jacobsen by .53 at the Mississippi Valley Conference Divisional meet and by .49 at the state qualifying meet last week.

“I’ve raced Kruse now three races in a row,” Jacobsen said. “I wanted to beat him to hurdle five, that was the goal and it didn’t quite pan out that. I know he has a strong close so I knew when he had me at five it was going to be an uphill battle but I worked hard.”

The time of 53.81 was nearly a full second than the previous career-best of 54.63 that Jacobsen ran at the state qualifying meet.

“I am happy,” Jacobsen said. “I wanted to come here and get the win but I can’t be mad with a pr.”

Jacobsen also added a medal as the part of Trojans’ runner-up distance medley team joining Todd Rent, Izaiah Loveless and Alex McKane.

West High won the final heat of the distance medley relay in 3:30.55 behind a 1:53.7 anchor leg from McKane to finish second to City High which won in 3:28.69.

Class 4A State Track and Field Meet

At Drake Stadium

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. City High 43.5; 2. Linn-Mar 32; 3. West Des Moines Dowling 29; 4. Cedar Falls 22; 5. North Scott 20; 5. Indianola 20; 7. West High 18; 7. Ankeny 18; 9. Southeast Polk 17.5; 10. Dubuque Senior 16; 10. Sioux City North 16; 10. Pleasant Valley 16; 15. Liberty High 10

State champions; area participants

400 hurdles – 1. Matthew Kruse (Dubuque Senior) 52.8; 3. Aidan Jacobsen (West High) 53.81; 4. Matt Schaeckenbach (City High) 54.33; 14. Clayton Bopp (West High) 57.32; 15. Maxwell Thompson (Liberty High) 57.36

Distance medley relay – 1. City High (Sam Rew, Ronnie Major, Jovan Harris, Ammon Smith) 3:28.69; 2. West High (Todd Rent, Izaiah Loveless, Aidan Jacobsen, Alex McKane) 3:30.55; 10. Liberty High (Jalen Wieck, Carter Meyers, Jeremiah Madlock, Gavin Keeney) 3:35.58

4×200 – 1. West Des Moines Dowling 1:27.5; 10. West High (Nate Gudenkauf, Izaiah Loveless, Todd Rent, Christian Janis) 1:30.12; 11. Liberty High (Wyatt Williams, Ben O’Connor, Lucas Meyer, Luke Meyers) 1:30.44; 19. City High (Sam Rew, Mike Rew, Deon Brown, Drew Larson) 1:33.09

Long jump – 1. Abu Sama (Southeast Polk) 24-2 ¾; 9. Aidan Jacobsen (West High) 20-9 ½; 21. Kylin Crittenden (West High) 19-6 ½

Shot put – 1. Nolan Recker (Muscatine) 59-9 ¾; 6. TaeShon McDaniels (City High) 52-0;

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