What to Watch Saturday on the Final Day of The State Track and Field Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – The final day of the 2026 state track and field meet is here.
After two days of split sessions on Thursday and Friday all four classes compete together on Saturday as the action shifts entirely to the blue oval inside Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
By Saturday afternoon nine more event champions will be crowned across all four classes on both the boys and girls side and team champions will be determined in all four classes.
Before the action gets rolling on Saturday morning here are a few things to watch Saturday featuring Your Prep Sports area athletes.
Hamann Looks For More
Grace Hamann added to her medal count on Friday anchoring the West Branch distance medley relay team to a runner-up finish.
The West Branch junior standout will have two more opportunities to pick up hardware on Saturday.
Hamann enters with top-three times in both the 800 and 1,500 this season as she attempts to grab the first individual medal of the weekend.
Hamann will be seeking a medal in the 800 for the third consecutive season after placing eighth as a freshman and seventh last season.
She has the second fastest time in 2A this season at 2:15.62 trailing on Grundy Center senior Grace Storhohann who has the fastest time in 2A at 2:12.94.
Hamann will be looking for her first career medal in the 1,500 after placing 10th and 11th the past two seasons.
She has the third fastest 1,500 time in 2A at 4:45.86 trailing Laura Streck of Van Meter (4:33.93) and Mckenna Montgomery of Albia (4:42.13).
Seals After Hurdle Title Number Two
Tay Seals burst onto the scene last year at the state meet blazing to the 3A 110 hurdle title in a meet record time of 13.58.
Seals is back and poised to defend that title on Saturday.
The Clear Creek Amana junior clocked the fastest time in Friday’s prelims at 13.67 which was a season-best time and .64 seconds faster than the 14.32 run by Pella junior Logan VanDenBroek.
Seals will also compete in the 100 on Saturday and enters with the sixth fastest time from prelims at 10.97.
Naeve Keeps Climbing in 2A Hurdles
It’s been a steady climb for Regina senior Reese Naeve in the 100 hurdles.
A four-time state qualifier, Naeve has earned state medals in the 100 hurdles in each of her first trip state meet appearances.
Naeve has consistently moved up the 2A standings while dropping her time over the past several seasons.
She was eighth as a freshman in 16.07 moved up to fourth as a sophomore in a time of 15.55 before finishing third last season in 15.09.
Naeve will be after one final move up and time drop on Saturday as she enters with the fourth fastest prelim time in the 2A 100 hurdle field at 15.17.
Rylee Hemmingsen of Treynor had the fastest prelim time at 14.62.
West High Seeking Shuttle Hurdle Gold
There may not be a more exciting or more anticipated race on the 4A schedule for Saturday than the shuttle hurdle relay.
West High is one of three teams that have pulled above the pack in the event this season setting up what should be a fantastic final race for shuttle hurdle relay gold.
The Trojan foursome of Ely Smock, Waleed Ibrahim, Cade Towler and Ryder Gorsh own the best time in the state this season at 55.82.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy (56.02) and Waukee Northwest (56.45) are right on the Trojans’ tail.
In Thursday’s prelims it was Cedar Rapids Kennedy that posted the fastest time at 56.35 while Waukee Northwest ran a season-best 56.45 and West High clocked a 56.53.
Double Dose of Decker
Keegan Decker opened his state meet with an impressive fourth-place finish in a historically fast 4A 3,200 on Thursday morning.
The Liberty High junior will look to close his busy state meet with a bang on Saturday as he competes in both the 800 and 1,600.
Decker has the seventh fastest 800 time in 4A this season at 1:54.44 and leads the 1,600 field with the best time in 4A this season at 4:04.33.
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