Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Ani Wedemeyer recorded her second consecutive top-three finish in the Class 4A 800 on Saturday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

Moments after her third place finish the City High sophomore was already thinking about more.

A year after winning the 800 as a freshman Wedemeyer finished third on Saturday in a season-best time of 2:13.08.

“I think I executed to the best of my ability and it wasn’t what I wanted but it’s fine,” Wedemeyer said. “Now that the season is over I am going to wipe the slate and start over for next year.”

It was the second state medal of the week for Wedemeyer who anchored City High to a fourth-place finish in the distance medley on Friday.

Wedemeyer pushed toward the front of the pack in the 800 as she attempted to defend her title from a year ago.

Dubuque Hempstead junior Keelee Leitzen surged past Wedemeyer and Pleasant Valley’s Grace Boleyn in the final 100 meters to win the 800 title in 2:11.46.

Boleyn was runner-up in 2:12.73.

“It was obviously not what I wanted but I didn’t even know what to expect coming into that 800,” Wedemeyer said. “I’m kind of experiencing a sophomore slump this year, that’s what my coach calls it so going into this race I was trying not to put pressure on myself and trying to just go out and do what I know I can do.”

Clear Creek Amana Shuttle Hurdle Success Continues

After helping Clear Creek Amana win back-to-back shuttle hurdle relay crowns in 2021 and 2022 senior Silvana Kabolo wasn’t sure what to expect for 2023 with three seniors graduating from the Clippers state championship team from a year ago.

It appears Kabolo is leaving the hurdle legacy at Clear Creek Amana in good hands.

Joined on the shuttle hurdle relay team by a trio of freshman, Kabolo anchored the Clippers to a third-place effort in the shuttle hurdle on Saturday in a time of 1:06.69.

“I don’t know what I was thinking at the start of the year but I wasn’t thinking third,” Kabolo said. “It’s a nice feeling to get third. I knew that they had it in them, all season they’ve been working really hard and that hard work has really paid off.”

Freshmen Jaylin Herring, Sydney Pfeiffer and Averie Lower joined Kabolo on the shuttle hurdle relay team that was less than a second off the 3A-winning time of 1:05.9 Clear Creek Amana posted last season.

“I think our time the first time we ran this year was like a 1:09 so from that to a 1:06 and almost running our time from last year even with three new runners that’s really impressive,” Kabolo said. “I am really happy with that.”

Herring, who earned a medal in the 400 hurdles on Friday, led off while Pfeiffer and Lower covered the second and third legs giving Kabolo a chance to try to win another title.

That trio will return next year seeking to add to the shuttle hurdle legacy that Kabolo helped to build.

“We didn’t really know what to expect but there is a standard and I think we did our best to meet it,” Herring said. “I think as we get older and as new girls come in hopefully we will continue to do well.

Kabolo concluded a brilliant prep career with a pair of third-place finishes adding a third-place finish in the 100 hurdles in 14.97.

Regina’s Naeve, West High’s Carter Earn Hurdle Hardware

Regina freshman Reese Naeve and West High junior Erinah Carter each earned their first state meet medals in the 100 hurdles on Saturday.

Naeve finished eighth in the 1A 100 hurdles in a time of 16.07 in her first appearance at the state meet.

Carter claimed a pair of hurdle medals on Saturday.

The junior was eighth in the 4A 100 hurdles in 16.28 and anchored West High to a fourth-place finish in the 4A shuttle hurdle relay.

Carter joined Sophia Olivo, Lily McConell and Hebah war to finish fourth in the 4A shuttle hurdle in a time of 1:04.91.

Solon Boys Close Big Week With Relay Medals

A season of growth for the Solon boys track program that included conference and district titles ended with a bang at the state meet.

The Spartans tacked on two more top-eight performances on Saturday in the sprint medley and 4×400 relays and finished ninth in 3A with 25 points.

The Solon sprint medley relay team of Brayden Moore, Austin Knight, Blake Timmons and Jeremy Bachus was eighth in 1:34.41.

Solon’s 4×400 squad of Bachus, Rhett Mesch, Blake Timmons and Michael Yeomans was sixth in 3:23.62

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