Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Alexi Thigpen was happy with her performance at the state track and field meet.

The Liberty High sophomore finished fourth in the 4A long jump with a leap of 17-7 ¼ on Friday on a sunny afternoon at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

Thigpen was pleased with the fourth-place finish.

She was far from satisfied.

“It felt good, I congratulate all of the first, second and third girls,” Thigpen said. “I feel good about my performance and hopefully next year I come back even stronger.”

It was the second straight top-four performance from Thigpen who finished third in her state meet debut last season.

Thigpen improved her performance on Friday, jumping one and a half inches further than she did last season at state, yet her finish slipped a spot this season.

It lead to a bittersweet day for Thigpen.

“I am happy that I did jump further but it’s disappointed that I went down a place,” Thigpen said. “I’m happy with how it went.”

The final round of jumping was a wild swing.

Thigpen climbed to second on her final attempt when she posted her best jump at 17-7 ¼.

Each of the next two competitors, Urbandale senior Lainey Drown and Linn-Mar sophomore Abby Mecklenburg surpassed Thigpen on their final attempt.

Mecklenburg won the title with leap of 18-2 ¼ followed by Johnston junior Jaida Bell (18-0) and Drown (17-9).

“There was a lot of emotions going,” Thigpen said.

Thigpen now turns her focus to next season, with two seasons remaining she has goals of not just four medals but a state title.

“Hopefully next year it will be the same run, the same battle,” Thigpen said. “That’s something I’m looking forward to.”

Liberty High senior Jolie Nordell had a near perfect end to her prep career.

Nordell had a career-best toss of 37-6 to finish seventh in the 4A shot put.

 

Boys Results

Class 4A State Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. West Des Moines Dowling 52; 1. Ankeny 52; 3. Cedar Falls 37; 4. West High 36; 5. North Scott 18; 5. Cedar Rapids Prairie 18; 5. Davenport West 18; 8. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 15; 9. Johnston 14; 10. Ankeny Centennial 12; 29. Liberty High 1

Individual results (Event winner; area participants)

Distance medley – 1. Ankeny 3:24.56; 5. West High (Todd Rent, Mason Woods, Sam Showers, Moustafa Tiea) 3:28.54; 11. Liberty High (Brayden Bell, Cale Baldwin, Carter Meyers, Aidan Decker) 3:32.29

400 hurdles – 1. Aidan Jacobsen (West High) 52.85; 14. Phillip Kaplan (City High) 56.4; 19. Waleed Ibrahim (West High) 57.24

4×200 – 1. Ankeny Centennial 1:26.2; 3. West High (Todd Rent, Mason Woods, Julian Manson, Izaiah Loveless) 1:27.17; 21. City High (Jermaine Holmes, Deon Brown, Phillip Kaplan, Jeremiah Madlock) 1:31.18

Long jump – 1. T.Y. Pour (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 23-4 ½; 2. Aidan Jacobsen (West High) 22-11 ¾; 12. Isaac Washpun (City High) 21-1 ½; 18. Damari Lacy (West High) 20-6 ½

Shot put – 1. Nathan Rotherham (West Des Moines Dowling) 59-0 ½; 7. Colin Whitters (West High) 51-3 ¾; 8. Brady Cannon (Liberty High) 51-4 1/2; 11. Kendall Woodson (West High) 48-7 ¾ 19. Jalyn Ford (City High) 47-7 ¼

Girls Results

Class 4A State Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Waukee Northwest 47; 2. Pleasant Valley 43; 3. Johnston 36; 4. Dubuque Hempstead 23; 5. Linn-Mar 22; 6. Ankeny 19; 6. West Des Moines Valley 19; 8. Ames 17; 9. Ottumwa 16; 9. Waukee 16; 15. Liberty High 9; 24. City High 4; 26. West High 2

Individual results (Event winner; area participants)

Distance medley – 1. Dubuque Hempstead 4:00.21; 20. West High (Natalie Steva, Erinn Varga, Jaylin Herring, Kate Van Waning) 4:24.23; 22. Liberty High (Haley Schroeder, Olivia Meyer, Marissa Becker, Averie Bilskemper) 4:27.99

400 hurdles – 1. Avery Winter (Waukee Northwest) 1:02.11; 7. Erinn Varga (West High) 1:06.21; 19. Ivy Nuro Gyina (Liberty High) 1:08.07

4×200 – 1. Waukee Northwest 1:39.15

Long jump – 1. Abby Mecklenburg (Linn-Mar) 18-2 ¼; 4. Alexi Thigpen (Liberty High) 17-7 ¼; 10. Ruth Cloyd (City High) 16-9

Shot put – 1. Kylee Hill (Burlington) 45-2 ½; 7. Jolie Nordell (Liberty High) 37-6; 9. Helen Penning (West High) 37-5; 10. Rachel Haack (City High) 37-4 ¼

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