Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – When TJ Craig first hatched the idea for the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival the West High head coach envisioned an opportunity for some of the best athletes in the state to go head-to-head.

On Saturday Craig watched from the turf on Trojan Field as that vision played out in front of him with one of his athletes playing a starring role.

Senior Moustafa Tiea blazed to the fastest time in the state in the 800 to put an exclamation point on a stellar day for West High on a sunny afternoon at the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival.

“There is a reason that we call it a festival,” Craig said. “We want track and field to be highlighted in the state of Iowa and we want to give everyone a chance to run against some really good competition and have a good time with it and today that happens.”

West High had three different individuals win titles on Saturday and won a pair of relay titles as the Trojans posted nine total top-two finishes.

However, it was Tiea that stole the show.

The senior surged past Des Moines Christian junior Caleb Ten Pas over the final 100 meters to win the 800 in a career-best time of 1:50.4.

“Since I am a low milage guy I didn’t have the aerobic engine as some of the other guys in this race so I wanted to use that as an advantage rather than a disadvantage,” Tiea said. “I just wanted to go along for the ride and then show what a 48 second (400) guy can do.”

Ten Pas finished runner-up in 1:51.51 which is the second fastest time run in the state this season behind the winning 1:50.4 for Tiea.
The winning time for Tiea was nearly four seconds faster than the 1:54.24 he ran while winning the Class 4A state title last May.

“It means a lot knowing that I was able to do that on my home turf with all my family and friends watching,” Tiea said. “I was able to show that it’s our thing rather than just my thing.”

Tiea capped his impressive day and the strong day for West High by helping the Trojans to a runner-up finish in the 4×400 relay in a time of 3:24.75.

“It’s fun to watch a kid like that progress throughout his career, through the ups and the downs and he’s just a joy to coach,” Craig said. “We are blessed to have a kid like him on our team that will just do anything that you ask of him.”

Tiea joined senior Mason Woods and freshman James Barnett as individual champs for West High.

Woods won the long jump with a leap of 22-2 ½ while Barnett won shot put with a toss of 55-3.

The West High 4×200 team of Woods, Julian Manson, Neil James and Harel Gameti won in 1:29.44 and the shuttle hurdle relay team of Ely Smock, Waleed Ibrahim, Cade Towler and Ryder Gorsh won in 59.95.

“Our 4×200 won and 4×100 got second in a really good time and we had three discus throwers 150 and above. All of our throwers have been solid, Mason Woods jumped well today,” Craig said. “Sam Showers ran his best race of the year, Harel Gameti had good races, we just had a lot of good all-around efforts from old folks but also some new folks as well.”

Liberty High had a pair of titles as Keegan Decker won the 1,600 in 4:14.37 and joined Noah Gregoire, Jacob Madsen and Cale Baldwin on the Lightning 4×800 team that won in 7:58.91.

The 4:14.37 by Decker is the ninth fastest time in the state this spring.

Three area girls athletes won titles on Saturday.

City High junior Rachel Haack won the shot put with a toss of 42-3 ½ which ranks seventh in the state this season.

Liberty High’s Alexi Thigpen won the long jump with a mark of 17-8 and West High’s Sophia Olivo won the 100 hurdles in a time of 15.27.

Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival 

At West High 

Boys Results 

Individual results (event winners; area placewinners)

High jump – 1. Peyton Webb (Decorah) 6-4; 2. Bernard Grant (City High) 6-2; 4. Mason Woods (West High) 6-0; 5. Kaden Hoeper (Solon) 6-0; 6. Gabe Schuessler (Regina) 6-0;

Long jump – 1. Mason Woods (West High) 22-2 ½; 2. Bernoli Luvandu (West High) 21-7 ½; 3. Damari Lacy (City High) 21-0 ¾; 6. Caleb Bock (Solon) 20-3 ½; 8. Maddox Kelley (Solon) 19-9 ¼

Shot put – 1. James Barnett (West High) 55-3; 2. Colin Whitters (West High) 54-7; 6. Raph Etuma (City High) 50-10 ¼

Discus – 1. Byron Christianson (Vinton-Shellsburg) 168-11; 2. Colin Whitters (West High) 167-9; 4. Elite Mbulekoya (West High) 160-7; 5. James Barnett (West High) 158-7; 7. Tyler Rindels (City High) 151-8

100 – 1. Jimelle Forkpa (Muscatine) 10.94; 7. Harel Gameti (West High) 11.17; 8. Dawson Kahl (City High) 11.18

200 – 1. Jimelle Forkpa (Muscatine) 22.35; 4. Edwin Gangba (Regina) 22.78; 5. Keshawn Wyldon (Liberty High) 22.87; 8. Jermaine Holmes (City High) 23.31

400 – 1. Jordan Townsend (Cedar Falls) 48.93; 4. Cale Baldwin (Liberty High) 50.09

800 – 1. Moustafa Tiea (West High) 1:50.4; 7. Sam Showers (West High) 1:58.47

1,600 – 1. Keegan Decker (Liberty High) 4:14.37; 6. Noah Gregoire (Liberty High) 4:36.12; 8. Maxwell McDowell (City High) 4:39.02

3,200 – 1. Alex Torres (Vinton-Shellsburg) 9:39.31; 8. Michael Hanna (West High) 9:59.5

110 hurdles – 1. Lamar Ceant (Columbus) 14.9; 6. Dominic Roe (City High) 15.84

400 hurdles – 1. Caden Klein (Newton) 54.18; 4. Ely Smock (West High) 55.29; 6. Will Brandt (Solon) 57.78; 7. Quinton Logan (Liberty High) 58.17; 8. Waleed Ibrahim (West High) 58.24

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. West High (Ely Smock, Waleed Ibrahim, Cade Towler, Ryder Gorsh) 59.95; 2. City High (Adan Carbajal, Adams Kane, Bernard Grant, Dominic Roe) 1:00.87

Sprint medley relay – 1. Muscatine 1:34.49; 3. Regina (Aaron Honore, Savion Miller, Edwin Gangba, Brendan Olney) 1:37.44; 7. West High (Carver Grifhorst, Logan Jacobsen, Abdul Hodge, Dara Olaleye) 1:38.88;

Distance medley relay – 1. PCM 3:35.27; 6. Liberty High (Brody Beaver, Keshawn Wyldon, Jordan Idowu, Lars Hildebrand) 3:51.88; 8. West High (Corey Davis, Lex Schneiter, Mason Middleton, Colin Wehrle) 3:53.41

4×100 – 1. Cedar Falls 42.49; 2. West High (Mason Woods, Julian Manson, Neil James, Harel Gameti) 42.87; 4. City High (Jermaine Holmes, Peter Pufall, Davion Luckett, Marshall Sheldon) 43.7; 7. Regina (Aaron Honore, Savion Miller, Gabriel Hegelheimer, Edwin Gangba) 44.06; 8. Liberty High (Charles Roberts, Victor Nakihinga, Jackson Burnes, Brody Beaver) 44.19

4×200 – 1. West High (Mason Woods, Julian Manson, Neil James, Harel Gameti) 1:29.44; 6. City High (Jermaine Holmes, Gavin Wedemeyer, Adan Carbajal, Marshall Sheldon) 1:32.61

4×400 – 1. Denver 3:23.78; 2. West High (KingSton Swayzer, Moustafa Tiea, Brice Wahe, Atari Brown) 3:24.75; 4. Liberty High (Keshawn Wyldon, Jordan Idowu, Sutton Koller, Cale Baldwin) 3:28.63; 5. Solon (Owen Gange, Evan Burg, Kaden Hoeper, Eli Kampman) 3:32.54; 7. City High (Adan Carbajal, Marshall Sheldon, Carter Turnbough, Emmett Palmberg) 3:33.58

4×800 – 1. Liberty High (Noah Gregoire, Jacob Madsen, Cale Baldwin, Keegan Decker) 7:58.91; 2. City High (Linus McRoberts, Emmett Palmberg, George Karr, Maxwell McDowell) 8:00.96; 8. West High (Mohamed Musa, Cael Dunham, Lars Pressler, Casandro Chan) 8:22.38

Girls Results

Individual results (event winners; area placewinners)

High jump – 1. Cambel Drapeau (Dubuque Senior) 5-2; 2. Evelyn Cornish (West High) 5-0; 5. Asta Hildebrand (Liberty High) 4-10; 8. Ava Bruxvoort (West High) 4-8

Long jump – 1. Alexi Thigpen (Liberty High) 17-8; 6. Amara MacLagan (West High) 16-1 ½; 8. Ellie Fraga (City High) 15-4 ½

Shot put – 1. Rachel Haack (City High) 42-3 ½; 4. Alyssa Pierce (West Branch) 38-1

Discus – 1. Libby Dix (MV) 144-9; 2. Rachel Haack (City High) 141-6;

100 – 1. Caliana Whitaker (Mount Vernon) 12.56; 5. Avery Recker (Regina) 12.95; 7. Ellie Fraga (City High) 13.04; 8. Natalie Steva (West High) 13.1

200 – 1. Taylor Wing (Maquoketa) 26.14; 3. Avery Recker (Regina) 26.84; 7. Addi Schultes (West Branch) 28.11

400 – 1. Abby George (Albia) 58.59; 6. Averie Bilskemper (ICL) 1:03.42

800 – 1. Emma Chesterman (Dubuque Senior) 2:18.49; 4. Abigail Burns (City High) 2:20.69

1,500 – 1. Charlee Gall (Cedar Falls) 4:39.34

3,000 – 1. Izzy Hardin (Maquoketa) 10:18.36; 7. Kalli Titus (West High) 12:37.88

100 hurdles – 1. Sophia Olivo (West High) 15.27; 5. Ivy Nuro Gyina (Liberty High) 16.19

400 hurdles – 1. Addison Winters (Kee) 1:07.02; 4. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 1:08.81; 7. Eva Willis (West High) 1:09.61

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Cedar Falls 1:05.27; 2. West High (Lily McConnell, Amara MacLagan, Savannah Graham, Sophia Olivo) 1:10.74; 5. City High (Gloria Konu, Mary Hamilton, Bernadette Hamilton, Willow Schultz) 1:13.19;

Sprint medley relay – 1. Cedar Falls 1:48.93; 4. Liberty High (Ivy Nuro Gyina, Alex Thigpen, Lilly McManus, Natalie Ramsey) 1:52.87; 6. Regina (Margaret White, Ella Keune, Avery Recker, Leah Sickels) 1:59.37

Distance medley relay – 1. Saint Ansgar 4:23.18; 2. West High (Anna Dickens, Ava Sieren, Jena Frank, Kate Van Waning) 4:28.37

4×100 – 1. Lake Mills 50.66; 4. West High (Savannah Mathias, Amara MacLagan, Evelyn Cornish, Natalie Steva) 51.09; 5. Liberty High (Ivy Nuro Gyina, Marissa Becker, Lilly McManus, Alexi Thigpen) 51.1

4×200 – 1. Cedar Falls 1:44.18; 2. Liberty High (Alexi Thigpen, Marissa Becker, Lilly McManus, Natalie Ramsey) 1:47.69; 4. West High (Natalie Steva, Amara MacLagan, Adriana Vargas, Savannah Mathias) 1:49.11; 7. Regina (Ella Keune, Lily Nibaur, Margaret White, Leah Sickels) 1:56.69

4×400 – 1. Saint Ansgar 4:09.01; 2. West High (Avery Nepple, Kate Van Waning, Eva Willis, Savannah Mathias) 4:11.27

4×800 – 1. Dubuque Senior 9:28.43; 2. City High (Calissa Fruin, Eliza Doster, Claire Locher, Abigail Burns) 9:42.44; 5. Regina (Harper Erwin, Caitlyn Bell, Ruby Eastman, Ruby Greving) 10:51.01

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