Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Alyssa Pierce has been doing big things in the shot put ring since bursting onto the scene as a freshman.

Even bigger than the numerous career accomplishments Pierce has racked up are the remaining goals for the West Branch junior.

Pierce crossed one of the major goals off her list on Saturday setting a school record while winning the shot put title at the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival at West High.

“It’s a great accomplishment,” Pierce said. “The last meet I was a half inch off and I really wanted it so today it feels really good to get it.”

Pierce was just shy of the previous school record of 38-11 held by Shannon Laing in her previous meet.

In her final attempt on Saturday Pierce shattered the mark with a toss of 39-5 ¾.

“Coming into the meet I knew I could do better because I’ve gotten it out there further in practice throws,” Pierce said. “I was trying to stay focused and not worried if every throw is good or bad.”

Pierce had a strong throw nullified by a scratch early on Saturday and scratched again on her second to last attempt.

Before her final attempt Pierce said she cleared her mind and relied on her technique.

“I was thinking to myself if it’s bad it’s bad and if it’s good it’s good,” Pierce said. “I was just trying to not over think it.”

The final throw from Pierce was easily enough to outdistance runner-up Leah Stewart of Charles City (37-10).

Helen Penning of West High was fifth with a mark of 36-9 ¾ and City High sophomore Rachel Haack was sixth with a mark of 35-10 ¼.

“The competition today helped push me,” Pierce said. “I haven’t had much competition so today with the great competition gave me a lot of motivation.”

The winning throw by Pierce on Saturday currently ranks 12^th in the state and will hopefully get Pierce to the Drake Relays.

“I am really hoping this throw will push me up for Drake and I’m hoping to hit 40 feet,” Pierce said. “That’s been my goal for a long time.”

West Branch had a strong day at the event that featured entries from 49 teams across the state.

Freshman Grace Hamann was fourth in the 1,500 in 5:06.84 and finished sixth in the 800 in 2:25.28.

West High had a strong day highlighted by the shuttle hurdle relay team of Erinn Varga, Jaylin Herring, Eriniah Carter and Sophia Olivo winning in 1:06.05.

The West High foursome of Sophia Austen, Kate Van Waning, Varga and Herring was runner-up in the 4×400 in 4:08.7.
Varga added a runner-up finish in the 400 hurdles and Olivo was runner-up in the 100 hurdles.

Sierra Pruessner won the 100 hurdles in 15.62 to lead City High and Haack was runner-up in the discus with a toss of 138-2.

Boys Results 

Individual results (Event winner; area placers)

Shot put – 1. Ben Kampman (Solon) 52-9; 4. Marcus Richard (Solon) 50-0 ½; 5. Brady Cannon (Liberty High) 49-8

Discus – 1. Ben Kampman (Solon) 188-4 ½; 3. Colin Whitters (West High) 149-10 ½; 4. Cael Schramm (Liberty High) 148-6 ½; 5. Brady Cannon (Liberty High) 144-7

Long jump – 1. Daylin Schaefer (Lisbon) 21-11; 2. Isaac Washpun (City High) 21-9; 6. Damari Lacy (West High) 20-10

High jump – 1. Kaden Hoeper (Solon) 6-4 ½; 3. Daniel Robinson (West High) 6-0; 6. Mason Middleton (West High) 5-8; 6. Victor Nakihinga (Liberty High) 5-8

100 – 1. Izaiah Loveless (West High) 10.95; 3. AJ Wright (City High) 11.11; 6. Mason Woods (West High) 11.26; 6. Miles Parlet (City High) 11.26

200 – 1. Edwin Gangba (Regina) 23.07; 2. Harel Gameti (West High) 23.08; 3. Brayden Bell (Liberty High) 23.38; 4. Eddie Johnson (Solon) 23.6; 8. Oliver Kniss (City High) 24.16

400 – 1. Jordan Townsend (Cedar Falls) 48.3; 5. Carter Meyers (Liberty High) 49.99; 7. Rhett Mesch (Solon) 50.96; 8. Cale Baldwin (Liberty High) 52.83

800 – 1. Tommy Tyynismaa (South Tama) 1:54.12; 6. Sam Showers (West High) 2:02.68; 7. Michael Yeomans (Solon) 2:04.65

1,600 – 1. Jaden Merrick (Cedar Falls) 4:16.07; 3. Aidan Decker (Liberty High) 4:24.13; 4. Keegan Decker (Liberty High) 4:24.43; 5. Brick Kabela (Solon) 4:27.25

3,200 – 1. Ahmed Aldamak (Cedar Falls) 9:30.75; 4. Linus McRoberts (City High) 9:54.19; 5. Michael Lee (West High) 9:58.2

110 hurdles – 1. Isaac Washpun (City High) 15.44; 2. Waleed Ibrahim (West High) 15.51; 5. Dominic Roe (City High) 16.0; 6. Cole Carney (Solon) 16.3

400 hurdles – 1. Aidan Jacobsen (West High) 52.52; 5. Ely Smock (West High) 58.03; 6. Waleed Ibrahim (West High) 58.07

4×100 – 1. Cedar Falls 41.98; 2. West High (Todd Rent, Mason Woods, Julian Manson, Izaiah Loveless) 42.34; 5. Regina (Jackson Naeve, Edwin Gangba, Alex Jensen, Savion Miller) 44.31; 6. Solon (Milo Ashbacker, Brayden Moore, Eli Kampman, Austin Knight) 44.32; 7. Liberty High (Brayden Bell, Jackson Burnes, Brody Beaver, Brady Cannon) 44.5

4×200 – 1. West High (Todd Rent, Mason Woods, Julian Manson, Izaiah Loveless) 1:28.1; 2. City High (Jeremiah Madlock, Phillip Kaplan, AJ Wright, Miles Parlet) 1:28.8; 5. Solon (Milo Ashbacker, Grant Knipper, Brayden Moore, Austin Knight) 1:32.28;

4×400 – 1. Dubuque Senior 3:24.5; 3. West High (Moustafa Tiea, Julian Manson, Sam Showers, Dara Olaleye) 3:26.41; 4. Solon (Rhett Mesch, Grant Knipper, Grant Bumsted, Michael Yeomans) 3:27.22; 6. Liberty High (Cale Baldwin, Cody Nichols, Sutton Koller, Carter Meyers) 3:28.5; 8. City High (Jeremiah Madlock, Phillip Kaplan, Isaac Washpun, Miles Parlet) 3:34.6

4×800 – 1. West High (Sam Showers, Brice Wahe, Maxwell Bruss, Moustafa Tiea) 7:57.73; 3. Liberty High (Noah Gregoire, Jacob Madsen, Keegan Decker, Aidan Decker) 8:01.13; 4. City High (Emmett Palmberg, David Randall, George Karr, Maxwell McDowell) 8:09.2; 5. Solon (Grant Bumsted, Brick Kabela, Spencer Michels, Michael Yeomans) 8:09.3

Distance medley – 1. Lisbon 3:34.15; 5. West Branch (Conner Capper, Connor Rios, Lincoln Naber, Joe Hamann) 3:46.52; 6. City High (Deon Brown, Rickey Long Jr., Connor Cross, Linus McRoberts) 3:51.33; 7. West High (Karston Pietrzak, Damari Lacy, Kellen Craig, Colin Wehrle) 3:53.57

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Solon (Charlie Brandt, Cole Carney, Ben Duckett, Nash Kotar) 1:00.9; 2. City High (Phillip Kaplan, Dominic Roe, Adams Kane, Isaac Washpun) 1:01.48; 3. West High (Jackson Seering, Quinn Abbott, Ely Smock, Waleed Ibrahim) 1:02.22; 7. Liberty High (Victor Nakihinga, Lincoln Gravel, James Eckhardt, Gavin Benton) 1:11.6

Girls Results

Individual results (Event winner; area placers)

Shot put – 1. Alyssa Pierce (West Branch) 39-5 ¾; 5. Helen Penning (West High) 36-9 ¾; 6. Rachel Haack (City High) 35-10 ¾;

Discus – 1. Libby Dix (Mount Vernon) 140-11; 2. Rachel Haack (City High) 138-2; 3. Hannah Braun (City High) 122-2

Long jump – 1. Kenna Furnald (Danville) 17-5; 6. Eva Willis (West High) 16-3; 7. Ava Bruxvoort (West High) 16-1 ½; 8. Lindsey McKane (West High) 15-11

High jump – 1. Cambel Drapeau (Dubuque Senior) 5-5; 3. Reese Naeve (Regina) 5-2; 7. Sophia Austen (West High) 4-10; 7. Evelyn Cornish (West High) 4-10; 7. Ava Bruxvoort (West High) 4-10

100 – 1. Caliana Whitaker (Mount Vernon) 12.6; 7. Natalie Steva (West High) 13.43

200 – 1. Kloe Nissen (Don Bosco) 25.88; 4. Avery Recker (Regina) 27.54; 5. Ellie Fraga (City High) 27.92; 8. Anna Dickens (West High) 28.66

400 – 1. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield) 56.79; 5. Ruth Cloyd (City High) 1:01.16; 7. Josephine LeClair (City High) 1:03.63

800 – 1. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield) 2:18.2; 6. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 2:25.28; 7. Kate Van Waning (West High) 2:26.3; 8. Ruby Greving (Regina) 2:29.54

1,500 – 1. Noelle Steines (Tipton) 4:46.83; 4. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 5:06.84; 6. Naomi Downing-Sherer (City High) 5:08.15; 8. Claire Locher (City High) 5:10

3,000 – 1. Leah Klapatauskas (Dubuque Senior) 10:27.93; 4. Abigail Burns (City High) 11:02.42; 5. Nicole Peterson (City High) 11:06.21; 8. Nina Peterson (City High) 11:15.19

100 hurdles – 1. Sierra Pruessner (City High) 15.62; 2. Sophia Olivo (West High) 16.09; 3. Reese Naeve (Regina) 16.1; 4. Eriniah Carter (West High) 16.47; 7. Alli Clark (Regina) 16.9

400 hurdles – 1. Cortney Knutson (Wayne) 1:07.33; 2. Erinn Varga (West High) 1:07.87; 4. Josephine LeClair (City High) 1:10.48; 7. Willow Schultz (City High) 1:12.83

4×100 – 1. Williamsburg 49.97; 3. West High (Natalie Steva, Miracle Stewart, Evelyn Cornish, Eriniah Carter) 51.39; 4. Regina (Avery Kies, Reese Naeve, Alli Clark, Avery Recker) 51.82

4×200 – 1. Waterloo West 1:49.14

4×400 – 1. Mount Vernon 4:04.68; 2. West High (Sophia Austen, Kate Van Waning) 4:08.7; 3. Erinn Varga, Jaylin Herring) 4:08.7; 5. City High (Sierra Pruessner, Ruth Cloyd, Abigail Burns, Josephine LeClair) 4:28.09

4×800 – 1. Tipton 9:37.61; 5. West High (Gabby Moniza, Lydia Evans, Helen Orszula, Cindy Wang) 10:31.4; 6. Regina (Harper Erwin, Caitlyn Bell, Ellie Johnson, Ruby Greving) 10:40.22;

Sprint medley – 1. Nashua-Plainfield 1:51.78

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. West High (Erinn Varga, Jaylin Herring, Eriniah Carter, Sophia Olivo) 1:06.05; 4. City High (Willow Schultz, Gloria Konu, Mary Hamilton, Angelica Hamilton) 1:13.17

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