By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – City High coach Joe Graf knew his team had the ability and sophomore Emma Cooper believed the Little Hawks had right mindset.

The only thing City High needed for a strong showing at the Class 4A, Region 5 meet on Thursday was a spark.

City High got it early and it spread faster than Cooper or Graf imagined.  

A strong start in field events gave way to an even better performance on the track on Thursday as City High secured four automatic qualifiers for next week’s state track and field meet in Des Moines.

“What sparked us was our field events were great and when the other kids heard about it and it got them motivated,” Graf said. “It just kept spreading throughout the meet.”

City High won the 4×100 relay and was second in the 4×200 to go with runner-up finishes from Merryl Green in the 400 hurdles and Cyan Vanderhoef in the high jump.

The Little Hawks had top-three finishes in 10 events while rolling up 123 points to finish third in the team standings behind regional champion West High and runner-up Cedar Rapids Prairie.

“I wouldn’t say surprised because I knew we had it in us to definitely do it but proud I guess is the right word,” Cooper said. “We had really good performances from everyone and everyone really stepped up we had a lot of good things happen tonight.”

Seniors Luci Murphy and Vanderhoef ignited the spark early on with career-best efforts in the field events.

Vanderhoef secured a trip to state with a runner-up finish in the high jump by clearing 5-0.

Murphy didn’t earn one of the two automatic bids in the shot put but her toss of 40-9 makes her a lock for an addition berth and would have been the fifth best effort in 4A before regional meets  

“I thought the girls would give it their best effort but they definitely surprised us with some of their placements and times today,” Graf said. “We had seven prs and 11 seasons bests and we haven’t been doing that and to do it on a night like this is just awesome.”

That success quickly spread to the track.

Cooper, Emma Clark, Tiara Green and Azzura Sartini-Rideout finished third in the sprint medley in a time of 1:53.26.

That time puts City High in position for a possible additional qualifier spot at state but more importantly got the Little Hawk sprint relay teams rolling.

The same foursome clinched a state berth in the 4×200, cutting a second off their previous season-best time finishing in 1:46.33.

“The sprint medley that was my first event and we all ran really well in that we had a really solid time and so that took a lot of pressure off,” Cooper said. “Coming out in the 4×200 and getting second and getting a seasons best time that made us all more confident in the 4×100 that we could really do it.”  

The City High sprint relay group saved its best performance for the 4×100, winning in a season best time of 49.99.

City High dropped .77 off its previous best time to finish nearly half a second in front of Cedar Rapids Prairie.

“We all knew we were capable we just had to kid of piece it all together,” Cooper said. “We had to have it in our mind that we could do so coming in we all had the mindset that we could do it.”

The City High boys had their own strong showing on Thursday earning automatic qualifying performances in five events.

City High won the 4×800 and got runner-up finishes from its 4×400 and 4×100 relays in season best times.

Jim McMillan, Jimmy Momberg, Daniel Brown and JP Rethwisch edged Cedar Rapids Prairie by .03 of a second to win the 4×800 in 8:02.38.

The City High 4×100 team of Zach Jones, Jack Roggeveen, Rajay Rodney and Vance Dillon posted a season-best time of 42.97 while finishing behind champion Cedar Rapids Prairie who won in 42.95.

City High was just off the pace of West High in the 4×400 as Jones, Roggeveen, Lucas Firmstone and Daniel Brown clocked a season-best time of 3:21.67 as West High won in 3:20.75.  

“We ran a season best again in the 4×800, took a second off on our 4×400 and our 4×100 went .4 faster,” City High coach Mike Moore said. “We talked about it a couple of weeks ago we have a lot of work to do and we are still working on some things but that is one of the things that I think we do a good job as a staff is our focus is always on May. Sometimes we don’t show so well early in the season but I’m pretty pleased with tonight.”

McMillian was second in the 800 and Jones was runner-up in the 400 to secure state berths.

“I feel really good about the progress of our team and the seasons bests that are being posted at the right time,” Moore said. “I just want them to finish with a good taste in their mouth and I think next week have a good shot at continuing this progress that we are making.”

GIRLS

Class 4A, Region 5

At City High

Team scores – 1. West High 190; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 130; 3. City High 123; 4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 104; 5. Ottumwa 80; 6. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 44; 7. Newton 35; 8. Burlington 26.

Individual Results

(Automatic state qualifiers; Area place winners)

100 – 1. Raenice Hilderbrand (CRP) 12.47; 2. Cheyenne Mitchell (CRK) 12.86; 3. Brooke Bormann (ICH) 13.36; 5. Elizabeth Davis (ICW) 13.57; 6. Isabel Hansen (ICH) 13.8; 7. Mia Dillingham (ICW) 13.84.

200 – 1. Cheyenne Mitchell (CRK) 26.57; 2. Callie Anderson (BUR) 26.67; 5. Taylor Cannon (ICW) 28.04; 7. Elizabeth Davis (ICW) 28.41; 8. Sydney Fellows (ICH) 28.65.  

400 – 1. Kirstin Skriver (CRP) 1:01.14; 2. Kierra Bishop (OTT) 1:01.22; 6. Jordan DuBrava (ICH) 1:06.01; 8. Lindsey Parrott (ICH) 1:07.45.

800 – 1. Bailey Nock (ICW) 2:19.61; 2. Deniz Ince (ICW) 2:22.61; 3. Mary Arch (ICH) 2:25.63; 4. Gabriel McCormick (ICH) 2:27.75.

1,500 – 1. Bailey Nock (ICW) 4:49.35; 2. Gabby Skopec (ICW) 4:53.48; 5. Anna Lindower (ICH) 5:02.6; 6. Emily Bywater (ICH) 5:06.61.

3,000 – 1. Bailey Nock (ICW) 10:41.12; 2. Gabby Skopec (ICW) 10:43.2; 4. Emily Bywater (ICH) 10:54.94; 5. Bridget Brown (ICH) 11:37.02.

100 hurdles – 1. Valerie Welch (ICW) 14.69; 2. MiAsia Bergmann (CRJ) 15.04; 4. Peyton Steva (ICW) 15.89.

400 hurdles – 1. Valerie Welch (ICW) 1:07.52; 2. Merryl Green (ICH) 1:07.61; 3. Micaela Gravelin (ICW) 1:08.82; 8. Annie Rummelhart (ICH) 1:14.43.

Sprint medley – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 1:50.99; 2. Burlington 1:51.54; 3. City High (Emma Clark, Azzura Sartini-Rideout, Emma Cooper, Tiara Green) 1:53.26; 5. West High (Katie Severt, Ally Bauer, Elizabeth Davis, Simone Willis) 1:58.93.

Distance medley – 1. West High (Peyton Steva, Kitra Bell, Valerie Welch, Bailey Nock) 4:06.15; 2. Ottumwa 4:09.32; 4. City High (Azzura Sartini-Rideout, Cyan Vanderhoef, Sydney DePrenger, Kinsee Brands) 4:23.31.

Shuttle hurdle – 1. West High (Kitra Bell, Taylor Cannon, Kia Noibi, Peyton Steva) 1:03.96; 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1:07.16; 6. City High (Kate Swenning, Brooke Bormann, Merryl Green, Michelle Jennings) 1:12.6.

4×100 – 1. City High (Emma Clark, Azzura Sartini-Rideout, Tiara Green, Emma Cooper) 49.99; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 50.4; 4. West High (Kia Noibi, Peyton Steva, Katie Severt, Ally Bauer) 50.81.

4×200 – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 1:46.09; 2. City High (Emma Clark, Tiara Green, Azzura Sartini-Rideout, Emma Cooper) 1:46.33; 4. West High (Elizabeth Davis, Micaela Gravelin, Katie Severt, Kitra Bell) 1:48.0.

4×400 – 1. Ottumwa 4:01.34; 2. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 4:02.03; 4. West High (Deniz Ince, Claire Ronnebaum, Olivia Moore, Micaela Gravelin) 4:14.33; 6. City High (Sydney DePrenger, Izzy Jones, Emma Clark, Emma Cooper) 4:19.96.

4×800 – 1. Ottumwa 9:36.46; 2. West High (Deniz Ince, Olivia Moore, Claire Ronnebaum, Gabby Skopec) 9:46.34; 3. City High (Naomi Meurice, Anna Lindower, Mary Arch, Izzy Jones) 9:49.79.

High jump – 1. Katie Beer (CRK) 5-1; 2. Cyan Vanderhoef (ICH) 5-0; 7. Kate Swenning (ICH) 4-10.

Long jump – 1. Valerie Welch (ICW) 18-3 ¾; 2. Kitra Bell (ICW) 17-10 ½; 7. Isabel Hansel (ICH) 15-5 ¾; 8. Brooke Bormann (ICH) 15-0 ¾.

Shot put – 1. Chandler Haight (ICW) 44-7; 2. Haile Cook (CRJ) 41-2 ½; 3. Luci Murphy (ICH) 40-9; 5. Salima Omari (ICH) 36-2 ¼; 6. Leah Dusterhoft (ICW) 35-9.

Discus – 1. Leah Dusterhoft (ICW) 134-8; 2. Alicia Sill (CRP) 121-1; 3. Luci Murphy (ICH) 119-0; 4. Chandler Haight (ICW) 114-7; 6. Michelle Jennings (ICH) 104-8.

BOYS

Class 4A, District 5

At City High

Team scores – 1. West High 176; 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 160; 3. Cedar Rapids Prairie 126; 4. City High 93; 5. Ottumwa 67; 6. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 44; 7. Newton 32; 8. Burlington 25.

Individual Results

(Automatic state qualifiers; Area place winners)

100 – 1. Josue Bokoyo (CRJ) 11.1; 2. Tim Kelly (CRK) 11.21; 7. Trumell Roberts (ICW) 11.63; 8. Kimball Henstrom (ICW) 11.82.

200 – 1. Gabe Caruthers (ICW) 21.97; 2. Sam Yeaway (OTT) 22.41.

400 – 1. Sam Yeaway (OTT) 49.65; 2. Zach Jones (ICH) 50.0; 4. Lucas Firmstone (ICH) 51.2; 5. Ethan McAreavy (ICW) 51.65; 6. Nate Jelinek (ICW) 51.81.

800 – 1. Derek Nugent (ICW) 1:55.52; 2. Jim McMillan (ICH) 1:57.78; 4. JP Rethwisch (ICH) 2:00.38; 6. Kyle Sulwer (ICW) 2:03.43.

1,600 – 1. Kolby Greiner (ICW) 4:27.76; 2. Ali Ali (ICW) 4:28.39; 5. Michael Berg (ICH) 4:32.07; 7. Michael Taylor (ICH) 4:35.65.

3,200 – 1. Kolby Greiner (ICW) 9:28.71; 2. Ali Ali (ICW) 9:34.27; 3. Michael Berg (ICH) 9:43.11; 6. Ry Threlkeld-Wiegand (ICH) 9:54.55.

110 hurdles – 1. Joah Banks (CRP) 14.22; 2. Max Hill (ICW) 14.78; 4. Rex Thompson (ICH) 15.3; 7. Cole Mabry (ICW) 15.86.

400 hurdles – 1. Austin West (ICW) 54.69; 2. Mike Jasa (CRP) 56.09; 3. Max Hill (ICW) 56.11; 6. Max DePrenger (ICH) 59.39; 8. Noah Kabat (ICH) 59.84.

Sprint medley – 1. West High (Kimball Henstrom, Trumell Roberts, Gabe Caruthers, Austin West) 1:32.74; 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1:33.16; 3. City High (Vance Dillon, Rajay Rodney, Jack Roggeveen, Zach Jones) 1:34.08.

Distance medley – 1. West High (Austin West, Dillon Doyle, Gabe Caruthers, Derek Nugent) 3:32.96; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 3:35.99; 6. City High (Vance Dillon, Rajay Rodney, Jack Roggeveen, Daniel Brown) 3:44.32.

Shuttle hurdle – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 58.0; 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 58.63; 3. West High (Cole Mabry, Max Hill, Caden Fedeler, Javonte Williams) 59.28; 5. City High (Rex Thompson, Malik Kimber, Max DePrenger, Oisin Leopold) 59.95.

4×100 – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 42.95; 2. City High (Zach Jones, Jack Roggeveen, Rajay Rodney, Vance Dillon) 42.97; 6. West High (Kimball Henstrom, Trumell Roberts, Matthew Huff, Devlin Lockman) 44.27.

4×200 – 1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1:27.55; 2. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 1:30.8; 6. West High (Devlin Lockman, Dillon Doyle, Jackson Steburg, Jared Sams-Merriwether) 1:34.44; 8. City High (Vance Dillon, Rajay Rodney, Griffin Moore, Jimmy Momberg) 1:35.45.

4×400 – 1. West High (Derek Nugent, Chris Low, Austin West, Gabe Caruthers) 3:20.75; 2. City High (Daniel Brown, Zach Jones, Lucas Firmstone, Jack Roggeveen) 3:21.67.

4×800 – 1. City High (Jim McMillan, Jimmy Momberg, JP Rethwisch, Daniel Brown) 8:02.38; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 8:02.41; 4. West High (Kyle Sulwer, Ethan Goers, Ethan McAreavy, Nate Jelinek) 8:15.16.

High jump – 1. Malik Haynes (CRK) 6-5; 2. Jared Sams-Merriwether (ICW) 6-3; 4. Dillon Doyle (ICW) 6-0.

Long jump – 1. Marty Borseth (CRP) 23-1; 2. Terrell Jordan Jr. (CRK) 21-10 ½; 6. Ryan Gudenkauf (ICW) 19-10; 8. Cole Mabry (ICW) 19-7.

Shot put – 1. Jackson Coker (CRK) 60-2 ½; 2. Sam Pape (CRK) 51-0 ½; 3. Alex Kleinow (ICW) 49-10 ¼; 4. Landon Green (ICW) 49-6 ¾; 6. Quinton Runge (ICH) 46-8 ¼.

Discus – 1. Jackson Coker (CRK) 175-10; 2. Cam Jones (CRK) 154-11; 3. Jonathan Gannon (ICW) 154-4.