What to watch On the Opening Day of the State Track and Field Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The 2025 state track and field meet opens Thursday morning at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Once again the Your Prep Sports area will feature some of the top individual performers and teams in the state.
The three-day meet concludes on Saturday afternoon with the crowning of boys and girls state championship teams in all four classes.
Before the action gets rolling on Thursday morning with the opening session featuring Class 2A and Class 3A teams Your Prep Sports takes a look at five things to watch on the first day of the state meet.
Prince’s Opening Act
In his last appearance at Drake Stadium last month Landon Prince was putting the finishing touches on a historic Drake Relays performance.
Prince became just the sixth prep in state history to sweep the Drake Relays throwing events when he won the shot put and discus titles in dominating fashion.
In his return to Drake Stadium on Thursday Prince will be attempting to take the first step in putting an exclamation point on what has already been an incredible breakthrough final prep season.
Prince has emerged as the top thrower in the state this season and enters the 3A state meet with the top throw in the state this season in both the discus (194-4) and the shot put (64-1 ½).
Up first for Prince in his quest for a 3A throwing sweep is the discus on Thursday.
An Iowa recruit, Prince enters with the best throw in 3A this season by nearly 20 feet.
Prince was fourth in the discus last season with a throw of 167-11.
West High’s Early Statement
West High has been close to claiming some team hardware the past two seasons finishing fifth in the 4A team standings in 2023 and fourth last season.
If the Trojans are to climb into the top three for the first time since 2018 they will likely need a strong showing in Thursday’s opening session.
West High has four entries with top-eight qualifying marks in events on Thursday as it attempts to get off to a quick start in the 4A team race.
Just as it has all season West High will look to get an early boost from its field events.
Junior Colin Whitters enters with the top discus mark in 4A this season at 186-9, which is more than eight feet better than Daxon Kiesau of Urbandale (178-2).
Junior Elite Mbulekoya has the 10th best discus throw in 4A this season at 167-0 which ranks as the fourth best effort from state qualifying meets last week.
On the track senior Moustafa Tiea has the eighth fastest time in the 400 (49.02) and the Trojan 4×800 team has the fifth fastest time at 7:52.64.
Pierce Looking to Continue Shot Put Climb
Alyssa Pierce has spent the past three seasons climbing the Class 2A shot put standings.
A four-time state qualifier, Pierce has improved her place and throw in each of her first three appearances at the state meet.
The steady climb has taken Pierce from 21st place with a toss of 32-8 ¾ as a freshman in 2022 to fourth place with a mark of 40-9 ½ last season.
On Thursday Pierce will seek one final state meet jump.
Pierce enters the state meet with the seventh best throw in Class 2A this season and fourth best throw from state qualifying meets at 40-10.
The senior is coming off shot put titles at the River Valley Conference and Class 2A state qualifying meets in her previous two performances.
City High’s Discus Duo
If City High discus throwers Rachel Haack and Raphael Etuma were not already on the short list of potential state champs this week they certainly are after their performances at the Class 4A state qualifying meet last week.
Haack and Etuma both come to Drake Stadium with the second best marks from state qualifying meets last week and should both be in the thick of what are expected to be extremely competitive Class 4A discus competition.
Etuma finished 22nd in his debut at the 4A state meet last season but showed his massive potential at the state qualifier last week with a throw of 173-2.
Etuma enters with the fifth best throw in the state this season at 174-6 as the top five throwers in 5A are separated by a little more than 10 feet.
A three-time state qualifier, Haack has the second best throw from state qualifying meets at 139-1.
Haack trails only Pleasant Valley senior and defending 4A runner-up Gabrielle Ragins who enters with the top throw from last week’s qualifying meets at 139-7.
Expect Haack to be right in the mix in a 4A field that features four of the top five placers from last season.
Ragains has the best throw in 4A this season at 157-10 while defending state champion Deliah Subsin of Ottumwa has thrown 156-9, Burlington sophomore Kylee Hill has thrown 149-5 and Haack has a season-best toss of 141-6.
Decker Eye’s 3,200 Medal
Keegan Decker narrowly missed a state meet medal in his first individual race at the state meet last season as a freshman.
Decker returns to Drake Stadium this week, a two-event individual qualifier intent on leaving with some hardware.
Last season Decker finished 10th in the Class 4A 3,200 in a time of 9:24.22.
Decker enters Thursday’s 3,200 with the third fastest 3,200 time in 4A this season at 9:05.11.
Ankeny senior and defending 4A champion Ethan Zuber has the fastest time coming in at 8:59.6 and Cedar Falls junior Jaden Merrick has run 9:02.74.
Decker, who will also competed in the 1,600 on Saturday will look to continue a breakthrough season with a strong 3,200 showing on the opening day.
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