Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – It could be called simple good fortune that the first ideal weather day of the track season came on the final day to qualify for next week’s Drake Relays.

Those at City High had another way to describe the picturesque conditions for the 49^th annual Forwald/Coleman Relays.

“That’s what we call Forwald magic,” City High senior Jovan Harris said with a broad smile. “Nothing but a little Forwald magic.”

After a spring filled with less than ideal competition conditions mother nature finally cooperated on Thursday and the teams in the Forwald field put on a show at Raffensperger Track at City High on Thursday.

The stars of that show were the host Little Hawks.

City High seven individual titles and eight events total on its way to winning the Forwald Relays for the second consecutive season.

“It feels really good,” Harris said. “This is our only home meet of the year and to come out and dominate and win it feels really good.”

Harris and Ford Washburn each won a pair of individual titles as City High racked up 142 points to finish better than 16 points clear of runner-up Linn-Mar for the team title.

West High won the 4×100 and 4×200 relays and finished third with 109 points and Liberty High got individual titles from Luke Meyers in the 100 and Eric Lucas in the 110 hurdles while placing fifth with 80.33 points.

In a meet filled with stellar performances Thursday was all about the Little Hawks.

“There is something about this group, they know how to compete and they don’t back down from anything,” City High coach Mike Moore said. “Even during all that cold weather we had we were posting some pretty decent times, tonight they were impressive.”

Harris won the 200 and 400 and anchored City High to its only relay win of the meet in the sprint medley.

The winning time of 22.07 for Harris in the 200 is the second fastest in the state this season and edged West High junior Christian Janis who was second in 22.18.

The win in the sprint medley was the first of eight victories for City High.

“It started the momentum,” Harris said. “Once we got that momentum we just kept building and building.”

Washburn posted perhaps the most impressive day of any individual on Thursday sweeping the 1,600 and 3,200.

The junior pulled away from a stellar field to win the 3,200 in 9:15.9 which is the second fastest time in the state this season and second all-time at City High.

West High senior Alex McKane was runner-up in 9:21.65, the third fastest time in Iowa this spring.

“I knew I was capable of it but I went into that race I just wanted to win it,” Washburn said. “I was more focused on running a fast time in the 1,600 so I just wanted to win but I didn’t care what I ran. I went through in like 4:45 which is pretty slow and I felt totally fine so the last 800 I picked it up.”

Washburn capped the day with a win in the 1,600 in a school-record time of 4:13.24.

He pulled away from McKane and Linn-Mar senior Hayden Kuhn over the final 500 meters and broke the previous City High school record set by Randy Jackson in 1976.

“The school record is 4:14 so I was going for 4:13 and this is where I wanted to do it, this is where I wanted to beat that record,” Washburn said. “I am glad that I was able to do it here because I’ve been going for that for a while.”

Ronnie Major won the long jump with a leap of 22-0 and Matt Schaeckenbach cleared 6-6 ¼ to win the high jump.

Ammon Smith added an impressive win in the 800 clocking a 1:54.64, second fastest in the state this season.

“We got some good weather and our kids really showed what they are capable of,” Moore said. “We need to keep working smart and we have plenty of work to do but today was a good night for us.”

The West High foursome of Todd Rent, Izaiah Loveless, Nate Gudenkauf and Christian Janis won the 4×100 in 42.83 and the 4×200 in 1:29.49. The 4×200 time is the second fastest in the state this spring.

Liberty High had its own strong showing on Thursday led by Meyers and Lucas.

Meyers won the 100 in 10.8 and Lucas won the 110 hurdles in 14.43 which is the third fastest in the state.

The Liberty High 4×800 squad of Jordan Robinson, Aidan Decker, Christian Montover and Gavin Keeney won in 8:04.96.

Forward Relays

At City High

Team scores – 1. City High 142; 2. Linn-Mar 125.33; 3. West High 109; 4. West Des Moines Valley 101; 5. Liberty High 80.33; 6. Pleasant Valley 79.33; 7. Cedar Rapids Prairie 57; 8. Marion 47

Individual event winners; area placewinners

Shot put – 1. Ryan Saddler (PV) 52-7 ¼; 5. Ostyn Friday (ICH) 49-3 ¼; 8. Will Towler (ICW) 43-9 ¾

Discus – 1. McKade Jelinek (L-M) 178-1; 8. Ostyn Friday (ICH) 126-10

Long jump – 1. Ronnie Major (ICH) 22-0; 3. Aidan Jacobsen (ICW) 21-6; 8. Austin Rindels (ICH) 19-1 3/4

High jump – 1. Matt Schaeckenbach (ICH) 6-6 ¼; 4. Jeremiah Madlock (ICL) 6-1; 6. Daniel Robinson (ICW) 5-11; 8. Cael Schramm (ICL) 5-9

100 – 1. Luke Meyers (ICL) 10.8; 3. Izaiah Loveless (ICW) 11.19; 4. Todd Rent (ICW) 11.21

200 – 1. Jovan Harris (ICH) 22.07; 2. Christian Janis (ICW) 22.18; 3. Todd Rent (ICW) 22.45; 5. Lucas Meyer (ICL) 23.12; 7. Jeremiah Madlock (ICL) 23.77

400 – 1. Jovan Harris (ICH) 50.03; 6. Mason Van Waning (ICW) 53.14; 8. Tyson Baker (ICL) 54.07

800 – 1. Ammon Smith (ICH) 1:54.64; 3. Gavin Keeney (ICL) 2:00.4; 4. Moustafa Tiea (ICW) 2:00.95; 6. Caden Noeller (ICW) 2:02.89; 8. Truman Thompson (ICH) 2:05.32

1,600 – 1. Ford Washburn (ICH) 4:13.24; 3. Alex McKane (ICW) 4:19.94; 8. Seth Cheney (ICW) 4:33.7

3,200 – 1. Ford Washburn (ICH) 9:15.9; 2. Alex McKane (ICW) 9:21.65; 5. Truman Thompson (ICH) 9:28.87; 8. Seth Cheney (ICW) 10:16.39

110 hurdles – 1. Eric Lucas (ICL) 14.43; 4. Matt Schaeckenbach (ICH) 15.09; 6. Austin Rindels (ICH) 15.4; 8. Griffin Kraft (ICL) 15.75

400 hurdles – 1. Nicholas Gorsich (L-M) 55.06; 2. Matt Schaeckenbach (ICH) 56.04; 3. Aidan Jacobsen (ICW) 56.05; 5. Maxwell Thompson (ICL) 57.23; 6. Clayton Bopp (ICW) 59.02

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Pleasant Valley 59.48; 2. Liberty High (Maxwell Thompson, Griffin Kraft, Henry Maassen, Eric Lucas) 1:01.59; 4. City High (Matt Schaeckenbach, Austin Rindels, Ian Moore, Phillip Kaplan) 11:01.74; 6. West High (Clayton Bopp, Aidan Jacobsen, Jesus Marungo-Murillo, Anuj Jani) 1:03.99

Sprint medley relay – 1. City High (Sam Rew, Mike Rew, Isaiah Svoboda, Jovan Harris) 1:36.77; 5. West High (Aidan Wohlers, Barry Diallo, Nate Gudenkauf, Thayer Abu-Hiljeh) 1:38.65; 8. Liberty High (Carter Meyers, Ben O’Connor, Wyatt Williams, Tyson Baker) 1:39.66

Distance medley relay – 1. Linn-Mar 3:36.48; 3. City High (Carsen Newton, Drew Larson, Juma Amisi, Ammon Smith) 3:39.14; 4. West High (Aidan Wohlers, Barry Diallo, Thayer Abu-Hiljeh, Alex McKane) 3:39.9; 6. Liberty High (Eric Lucas, Bennett Tauke, Jeremiah Madlock, Jon Kamba Kaleka) 3:50.57

4×100 – 1. West High (Todd Rent, Izaiah Loveless, Nate Gudenkauf, Christian Janis) 42.83; 4. City High (Sam Rew, Mike Rew, Mengty Tan, Ronnie Major) 43.79; 5. Liberty High (Wyatt Williams, Ben O’Connor, Eric Lucas, Luke Meyers) 43.92

4×200 – 1. West High (Todd Rent, Izaiah Loveless, Nate Gudenkauf, Christian Janis) 1:29.49; 4. Liberty High (Carter Meyers, Wyatt Williams, Ben O’Connor, Luke Meyers) 1:31.63

4×400 – 1. West Des Moines Valley 3:25.16; 2. City High (Ammon Smith, Truman Thompon, Sam Scheafer, Jovan Harris) 3:26.66; 3. Liberty High (Luke Meyers, Carter Meyers, Jordan Robinson, Gavin Keeney) 3:28.54; 7. West High (Izaiah Loveless, Christian Janis, Moustafa Tiea, Aidan Jacobsen) 3:36.27

4×800 – 1. Liberty High (Jordan Robinson, Aidan Decker, Christian Montover, Gavin Keeney) 8:04.96; 3. City High (Patrick Sarsfield, Juma Amisi, Sam Scheafer, Ayman Noreldaim) 8:13.93; 5. West High (Moustafa Tiea, Mason Van Waning, Sam Showers, Asher Overholt) 8:20.25

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