Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Regina had a strong day at the state track and field meet on Friday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

If you ask the Regals Friday was only the start.

Sure, Regina has more coming on the final day of the three-day state meet on Saturday as several Regals pushed through prelims Friday.

However, that’s not what Regina athletes were talking about when they said there was more to come.

They were talking about the future of the program after continuing what has been a season of major growth with a strong effort on the state’s biggest stage.

“I definitely do think this is just to start,” Regina senior Jackson Naeve said. “This program is only going to go up.”

The Naeve family was part of the big day on Friday for a surging Regina program.

Sophomore Reese Naeve highlighted the day with a runner-up finish in the high jump by clearing a career-best 5-4.

“I feel really good,” Reese Naeve said. “Every single other prior meet I’ve cleared 5-2 and then always missed at 5-4 so getting this 5-4 is a big accomplishment.”

Senior Jackson Naeve was a part of the Regina 4×200 relay team that secured the first state medal for the Regals since 2022.

“We’ve trusted our coaches and mostly importantly we’ve stayed healthy which was a big obstacle last year,” Jackson Naeve said. “We’ve stayed consistent with our training and trusted our coaches.”

South Hamilton won the 4×200 with a time of 1:28.02

The Regina team of Naeve, Edwin Gangba, Alex Jensen and Michael Martin finished fifth in a season best time of 1:30.06.

“We wanted to do our best,” Gangba said. “We weren’t the fastest team coming in, we weren’t the best but we are always going to do our best.”
Gangba, a sophomore, has qualified for the finals of the 200 on Saturday and was part of the Regina 4×100 relay team along with Naeve, Jensen and freshman Savion Miller that qualified for Saturday’s final.

“We’ve gotten up to full speed and when we are feeling good we run like this,” Gangba said. “When we feel good, good things happen.”

The Regina boys scored five points at the state meet over the past three seasons combined.

Baring something stunning the Regals should surpass that total on Saturday to complete a season that has already featured a ninth-place finish at the River Valley Conference meet and a fifth-place effort at the state qualifying meet – both significant jumps for a year ago.

The Regina girls have enjoyed a similar resurgence under first-year head coach Joe Fedoris.

Regina scored one point last season and four at the 2021 state meet.

“It’s been great this season with the new coaches,” Jackson Naeve said. “Having some success at state that we haven’t had the last few years it’s a really good start for our program.”

Boys Results

Class 2A State Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Underwood 26; 2. South Hamilton 24; 2. Mediapolis 24; 4. Des Moines Christian 21; 5. Pella Christian 18; 5. Okoboji 18; 7. Shenandoah 16; 8. PCM 13; 9. Northeast 12; 9. South Hardin 12; 9. Spirit Lake 12; 32. Regina 4

Individual results (Event winner; area participants)

Distance medley – 1. Des Moines Christian 3:31.05; 18. West Branch (Conner Capper, Brandon Pedersen, Lincoln Naber, Joe Hamann) 3:38.49

4×200 – 1. South Hamilton 1:28.02; 5. Regina (Jackson Naeve, Edwin Gangba, Alex Jensen, Michael Martin) 1:30.06

400 hurdles – 1. Jaden Damiano (Iowa Falls) 52.03

High jump – 1. Ryan Little (Albia) 6-9

Discus – 1. Maxwell Tiarks (Underwood) 181-4; 11. Drew Streb (Regina) 148-4

Girls Results

Class 2A State Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Van Meter 34; 2. Spirit Lake 32; 3. Tipton 31; 4. Pella Christian 20; 5. Emmetsburg 19; 6. Forest City 16; 7. Hinton 15; 7. West Lyon 15; 7. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 15; 10. Estherville-Lincoln Central 14; 10. Albia 14; 19. Regina 8; 25. West Branch 5

Individual results (Event winner; area participants)

Distance medley – 1. Tipton 4:06.37; 15. West Branch (Addi Schultes, Kennedy Simpson, Lexi Skay, Grace Hamann) 4:22.83

4×200 – 1. Pella Christian 1:39.72; 20. Regina (Avery Kies, Betsy Wolfe, Caitlin Martin, Avery Recker) 1:49.47

400 hurdles – 1. Eden Moore (Van Meter) 1:03.13

High jump – 1. Rachel Schany (Emmetsburg) 5-4; 2. Reese Naeve (Regina) 5-4

Discus – 1. Fran Travis (Spirit Lake) 140-5

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.