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Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – The attention turns entirely to the blue oval inside Drake Stadium on the final day of the three-day state track and field meet.

Nine running event titles across four classes are up for grabs on both the boys and girls side on Saturday on the only day that features all classes competing together in one session.

Along with the individual titles that are on the line on Saturday there are eight team champions to be crowned.

Here are five things to watch on the final day of the 2018 state track and field meet.

West High After Team Gold

Back-to-back strong days to open the state meet have put West High in the drivers’ seat in the Class 4A team race.

One more solid day would likely give the Trojans their first state title since 2012.

West High enters Saturday with 51 points, 19 more than second place West Des Moines Valley while Waukee is third with 31 and Ames is fourth with 28.

The Trojans have plenty of solid opportunities to add points on Saturday.

West High owns the second fastest qualifying time in the sprint medley and is in the finals of the 4×400.

Junior Kolby Greiner has the fifth best qualifying time in the 1,600.

Goodbye Bailey

One of the top runners in West High history will take her final trips around the Blue Oval inside Drake Stadium in Saturday.

Bailey Nock will wrap up a stellar prep career that has already featured 13 state medals including four titles and two more runner-up finishes.

Nock was fourth in the 800 at last year’s state meet and enters with the fifth fastest time in 4A this season.

A Colorado recruit, Nock is the favorite in her final high school event.

The defending 4A state champion in the 1,500, Nock enters with the fastest time in the event this season by more than five seconds at 4:38.32.

More Liberty High History?

Camille Mac made Liberty High history on Thursday becoming the first state medalist in program history with a fifth-place finish in the 3,000.

Taylor Cannon will have a shot to become the first Liberty High champion on Saturday.

Cannon blazed to the top qualifying time in the 100 hurdles on Friday with a career-best 14.79.

The sophomore took .70 off her previous best time and joins Benton Community junior Grace Martensen (14.81) and Carlise senior Aricka Lambson (14.97) as the only other finalists to break 15 seconds in the prelims.

Solon 4×400 Back for More

Solon set a school-record in the 4×400 at the state meet last season finishing runner-up in a time of 3:58.62.

The Spartans are back in the state meet finale this season and enter with the fourth fastest time qualifying time from Friday’s prelims at 4:01.94.

Three members of last year’s school-record setting team return as Erin Kerkhoff, Abby Smith and Cayley Annis join newcomer Khaylor Fleck.

Strong Finishes for City High

It has already been a strong state meet for both the City High boys and girls programs.

The Little Hawks can put the finishing touches on its season with strong finishes in the 4×400 relay.

City High was third in the boys 4×400 last season and the foursome of Daniel Brown, Lucas Firmstone, Max DePrenger and Zach Jones enter the finals with the sixth best time from prelims at 3:21.78.

Jones, Brown and Firmstone were all members of the Little Hawks third-place team from a year ago that clocked a 3:18.87 in the finals.

The City High girls surged into the top 10 of the 4A team standings with an impressive Friday and can get their own strong finish in the 4×400.

City High’s team of Ayana Lindsey, Tiara Green, Caroline Schaeckenbach and CeCe Kelly-Harvey has the seventh fastest time from qualifying at 4:00.73.