Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – During her middle school running days Grace Hamann considered herself a 1,500 specialist.

Last season Hamann was a state qualifier in the 400 hurdles and the West Branch senior helped the Bears 4×400 relay team reach the state meet this season.

Ultimately Hamann settled on the race between the 1,500 and the 400 as her favorite.

“I feel like a 400 gets to short but a 1,500 is kind of dragging it,” Hamann said. “The 800 is kind of that perfect medium so it’s been my favorite.”

On Saturday Hamann became a state champion in that event.

Hamann used a late surge over the final 100 meters to win the Class 2A 800 title in a career-best time of 2:12.64 at the Class 2A state track and field meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

“I was just trying to be confident in my kick,” Hamann said. “My coach (Tony Senio) had a really nice quote the other day that I wrote down at our last practice before coming to state. He said, ‘at this point in the season belief will get you further than your training’. Going into this race I was thinking it was all about my mindset.”

Hamann trailed Grundy Center senior Grace Storjohann and Van Meter junior Laura Streck by a stride with a little more than 100 meters remaining in the race.

That’s when Hamann dug into her belief.

Hamann raced past Storjohann and Streck on the back stretch to win the title by nearly a second.

Storjohann was runner-up in 2:13.5 and Streck was third in 2:14.34.

“I knew I had to stay calm and when the time was right just go,” Hamann said. “I just went for it and I knew my body would be fine.”

The state title by Hamann was the fifth individual title in West Branch history and the first ever in the 800.

It was also the third consecutive medal in the event for Hamann who finished eighth as a freshman in 2:19.93 and was seventh last season as a sophomore in a time of 2:17.52.

Hamann’s winning time of Saturday was nearly two seconds faster than her previous career best time of 2:14.62.

“It’s kind of been a huge jump this year,” Hamann said. “It’s been really special to be improving every year and just to be able to come out here and be able to get it was really crazy.”

An 11-event state qualifier in her three-year career, Hamann has competed in the 1,500, 800 and distance medley at the state meet each of her three seasons.

She has also run the 400 hurdles and the 4×400 at the state meet.

Hamann has found a favorite and success in the 800.

“I would say the 800 has definitely been at the top of my charts ever since my freshman year,” Hamann said. “In middle school, I always said I was a miler, the 1,500 was my event but as I got older I kind of appreciate the shorter distance. Having that sprint at the end that really shows what you actually have in you and what’s actually left and I kind of like that feeling of just crossing the line and just being done.”

The state title was the highlight of an impressive state meet for Hamann who posted three top-four finishes.

Hamann anchored the West Branch distance medley relay to a runner-up finish on Friday and added a fourth-place finish in the 1,500 on Saturday.

The fourth-place finish for Hamann in the 1,500 came in a career-best time of 4:44.71.

Class 2A State Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Girls Results

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Pella Christian 78; 2. Mid-Prairie 68; 3. Spirit Lake 53; 4. Van Meter 50; 5. Grundy Center 48; 6. Treynor 38; 7. Northeast 29; 7. Tipton 29; 9. Dike-New Hartford 23.5; 10. West Branch 23; 39. Regina 3

Individual results (Event winner; area competitors)

100 – 1. Rachel Kacmarynski (Pella Christian) 11.7

200 – 1. Rachel Kacmarynski (Pella Christian) 24.08

800 – 1. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 2:12.64

1,500 – 1. Laura Streck (Van Meter) 4:34.28; 4. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 4:44.71

100 hurdles – 1. Rylee Hemmingsen (Treynor) 14.63; 6. Reese Naeve (Regina) 15.32

Sprint medley – 1. Pella Christian 1:46.04

Shuttle hurdle – 1. Roland-Story 1:05.88

4×100 – 1. Pella Christian 47.83

4×400 – 1. Pella Christian 3:53.5

Boys Results

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Alburnett 66; 2. Grundy Center 56; 3. Treynor 39; 4. Spirit Lake 37; 5. Denver 35; 6. Columbus 30; 6. Okoboji 30; 8. Aplington-Parkersburg 27; 9. Southeast Valley 24; 10. Mediapolis 22; 19. Regina 12; 21. West Branch 10

Individual results (Event winner; area competitors)

100 – 1. Landry Haberichter (West Burlington/Notre Dame) 10.72; 7. Edwin Gangba (Regina) 11.1

200 – 1. Cauy Konz (Treynor) 21.55; 6. Edwin Gangba (Regina) 22.08

800 – 1. Caiden Bueckers (Alburnett) 1:51.86

1,600 – 1. Emerson Vokes (Grundy Center) 4:15.96

110 hurdles – 1. Lamar Ceant (Columbus) 14.19

Sprint medley – 1. Grundy Center 1:31.47; 9. West Branch (Jayden Harris, Garrison Gross, Julian Weckmann, Lincoln Naber) 1:35.29

Shuttle hurdle – 1. Treynor 58.48

4×100 – 1. Treynor 42.06; 8. Regina (Philip Swen, Gabriel Hegelheimer, Gabe Schuessler, Edwin Gangba) 43.77

4×400 – 1. Alburnett 3:19.66

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