West Branch Freshman Claims Medal In First Trip to State Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – Grace Hamann will leave her first career trip to the state track and field meet with some hardware.
The West Branch freshman standout earned her first career medal on Saturday finishing eighth in the Class 2A 800 on a warm and sunny day at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
“I really wanted to place,” Hamann said. “Coming into it I was ranked pretty high up so I wanted to place so it feels good.
Hamann entered with the third fastest time in 2A this season at 2:21.33.
She took more than a second off that time running a career-best 2:19.93 on Saturday morning to capture her first career state medal.
Hamann won the first of two heats in the 2A 800 and watched as Tipton junior Noelle Steines won the 800 title in a time of 2:14.21 out of the second heat.
The time of 2:19.93 Hamann posted in the opening heat was good enough to secure a medal.
“District night I didn’t really have a great race so I got into the first heat and I knew what I had to do to get into the top eight,” Hamann said. “Everybody was really, really fast so it was good to see even being in the first heat I could rank up with them.”
The career-best effort for Hamann was satisfied and also motivated the freshman for the future.
“It was a small improvement but I will take what I can get, it’s hot out, I’m exhausted,” Hamann said. “Hopefully next year I will know what to expect coming into it.”
Hamann capped her debut trip to state, that also included an appearance in the distance medley relay on Friday, with a 10th place finish in the 1,500.
Hamann ran a career-best time of 4:56.97 in the 1,500 which was also won by Steines in a time of 4:38.46.
“I hit like a 4:57 in eighth grade so I’ve been chasing to get back under 5 minutes all year,” Hamann said. “Luckily I had Noelle to race with, I really like competing with her, she really pushes me even though I’m not really up by her most of the time.”
Boys Results
Class 2A State Meet
At Drake Stadium in Des Moines
Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Mediapolis 47; 2. Spirit Lake 43; 3. South Hamilton 41; 4. Shenandoah 41; 5. Des Moines Christian 39; 6. Underwood 36; 7. Okoboji 35; 8. Iowa Falls 30; 8. Treynor 30; 8. Treynor 30; 10. Grundy Center 28; 18. Regina 13
Individual results (Event winner; area participants)
100 – 1. Jaden Damiano (Iowa Falls) 11.06
200 – 1. Cameron Decker (Dike-New Hartford) 22.38; 4. Edwin Gangba (Regina) 22.72
800 – 1. Noelle Steines (Tipton) 2:14.21; 8. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 2:19.93
1,600 – 1. Caleb Ten Pas (Des Moines Christian) 4:19.93
110 hurdles – 1. Ethan Stecker (Spirit Lake) 14.3
Sprint medley relay – 1. Shenandoah 1:32.08; 9. Regina (Alex Jensen, Savion Miller, Edwing Gangba, Jackson Naeve) 1:35.57
Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Iowa Falls 58.7
4×100 – 1. Shenandoah 42.75; 5. Regina (Jackson Naeve, Edwin Gangba, Alex Jensen, Savion Miller) 43.19
4×400 – 1. South Hamilton 3:16.35
Girls Results
Class 2A State Meet
At Drake Stadium in Des Moines
Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Van Meter 63; 2. Pella Christian 60; 3. Tipton 57; 4. Spirit Lake 43; 5. Aplington-Parkersburg 29; 6. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 27; 6. Estherville-Lincoln Central 27; 8. Forest City 24; 9. Mid-Prairie 23; 9. Unity Christian 23; 20. Regina 13; 31. West Branch 6
Individual results (Event winner; area participants)
100 – 1. Rachel Kacmarynski (Pella Christian) 12.61
200 – 1. Meredith Van Wyk (Pella Christian) 25.24
800 – 1. Carson Van Sickle (Ogden) 1:55.58
1,500 – 1. Noelle Steines (Tipton) 4:38.46; 10. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 4:56.97
110 hurdles – 1. Morgan Karr (PCM) 15.01; 4. Reese Naeve (Regina) 15.55
Sprint medley relay – 1. Pella Christian 1:46.05
Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Aplington-Parkersburg 1:05.39
4×100 – 1. Okoboji 48.97
4×400 – 1. Pella Christian 3:56.61
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