Breaking Down the Your Prep Sports Area Teams at the Class 4A State Track and Field Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The 2023 State Track and Field Meet is here.
Action will officially get underway on Thursday at 9 a.m. at Drake Stadium in Des Moines as the three-day event kicks off.
Before things get rolling on and around the blue oval inside Drake Stadium we take a look at what to watch with Your Prep Sports area teams at the state meet this week.
BOYS
City High
Individual events qualified: Eight (800; 1,600; 3,200; 110 hurdles; 400 hurdles; high jump, long jump, discus)
Relays qualified: Six (4×100; 4×200; 4×400; 4×800; distance medley; shuttle hurdle)
Athlete to watch: Senior distance standout Ford Washburn will look to add an exclamation point to what has been a historic prep career with a strong showing in his final state meet.
The defending 4A champion in the 3,200, Washburn is the class of a deep two-mile field entering with the top time of 8:54.04 which ranks third all-time in state history.
Last year’s runner-up in the 1,600 Washburn has the fastest time this season in the event at 4:10.91 and should be in for another showdown with defending champion Jackson Heidesch of West Des Moines Dowling.
Relay team to watch: The Little Hawks have several relays teams capable of scoring points this week but the Little Hawk 4×800 squad is set up to not just score but to win.
The foursome of Truman Thompson, Ayman Noreldaim, Washburn and Ammon Smith own the best time in the state this season and 7:47.84 and won the Drake Relays 4×800 title last month.
A 10-point effort from the 4×800 team is an expected piece of the team title chances for City High and this group is more than capable of pulling that off.
Drake Relays runner-up Johnston has the second fastest time this season at 7:52.46 and has the top time from qualifying meets at 7:57.38.
Outlook: After finishing runner-up last season to West Des Moines Dowling in the 4A team race City High is geared up for another state title run this weekend.
The Little Hawks are led by an experienced and talented middle distance crew that features Drake Relays 800 meter champion Ammon Smith, Thompson and Washburn.
Smith and Thompson are both top-four seeds in the 800 and Smith is seeded seventh in the 1,600.
A big weekend from senior Matt Schaeckenbach would be a major boost for City High.
Schaeckenbach is seeded second in the high jump, third in the 110 hurdles and fifth in the 400 hurdles after the state qualifier.
The City High distance medley team has the top time from the state qualifier and the Little Hawks will look for a boost in the field events with points from Michael Etuma in the discus and Ronnie Major and Shamar Benton in the long jump.
West High
Individual events qualified: Seven (200; 400; 800; 110 hurdles, 400 hurdles; long jump; discus)
Relays qualified: Six (4×100; 4×200; 4×400; 4×800; distance medley; shuttle hurdle)
Athlete to watch: Junior Izaiah Loveless is quickly earning a reputation as one of the fastest athletes in the state.
Loveless has the second fastest 200 time in the state this season at 21.53, which was the fastest time clocked at a state qualifier, and has been a big part of the sprint relay success for the Trojans.
Loveless is a member of the West High 4×200 and 4×100 relay teams that enter with the first and second fastest times from state qualifiers and could be a big boost to another Trojan relay team this weekend.
Relay team to watch: The West High 4×200 squad will look to make history this weekend while picking up important team points.
The foursome of Todd Rent, Christian Janis, Aidan Jacobsen and Loveless clocked a 1:26.91 at the state qualifying meet last Thursday, the fastest time in the state this season and the third fastest in state history.
Look for that foursome to make a serious run at an even better time on Friday.
Outlook: West High finished 11th in the 4A team standings with 26 points a year ago but should be in the thick of a tight 4A championship race on Saturday.
Class 4A contenders Linn-Mar, City High and West High all have distinctly different team strengths and the Trojans’ is in the sprint events.
In addition to Loveless in the 200 West High has top-two seeds in its 4×100 and 4×200 relay teams and its shuttle hurdle relay team.
West High enters seeded third in the distance medley and 4×800 relay and Jacobsen is seeded second in the 400 hurdles.
Sophomore standout Moustafa Tiea is seeded eighth in the 800 but watch for Tiea to have a big impact on relays throughout the weekend.
Liberty High
Individual events qualified: Five (100; 400; 1,600; 400 hurdles; high jump)
Relays qualified: Four (4×100; 4×800; sprint medley; distance medley)
Athlete to watch: Senior Da’Shon Fisher has had a major impact in his first season of high school track and field.
Fisher enters the state meet with the fifth best high jump effort in 4A this season clearing 6-5 and has been a boost to the Lightning sprint relay teams.
Look for Fisher to contend for a top-eight finish in a strong high jump field and with a strong weekend Fisher can bring home some hardware from his first state meet.
Relay team to watch: Look for Liberty High to attempt to slip into medal contention in the distance medley relay after posting the seventh fastest time from state qualifying meets last week.
The foursome of Jalen Wieck, Fisher, Sutton Koller and Aidan Decker ran 3:36.2 at the qualifier last week and the Lightning have already run 3:33.68 in the event earlier this season good for eighth fastest in 4A this season.
Outlook: Among seven individual qualifiers across five events and its four state-bound relay teams the Lightning have several events capable of claiming state medals.
In addition to the distance medley relay team and Fisher in the high jump watch senior Maxwell Thompson in the 400 hurdles who enters with the 14th fastest time in 4A this season.
Carter Meyers has the 14th fastest time from state qualifiers in the 400 and Decker has the 14th fastest qualifying time in the 1,600.
GIRLS
City High
Individual events qualified: Seven (400; 800; 1,500; 3,000; 400 hurdles; long jump; discus)
Relays qualified: Five (4×200; 4×400; sprint medley; distance medley; shuttle hurdle)
Athlete to watch: City High sophomore Ani Wedemeyer will look to back up an incredible state meet debut last season that featured a pair of individual top-three finishes highlighted by a title in the 800.
An individual qualifier again in both the 400 and 800 Wedemeyer has the fourth fastest 800 time in 4A this season at 2:14.22 and ran the sixth fastest 400 time at a 4A state qualifier with a 58.18.
Wedemeyer also helped the City High 4×400 and sprint medley relay teams qualify with top-eight times.
Relay team to watch: If Wedemeyer is on the anchor of either the City High sprint or distance medley relay teams those are certainly worthy of watching but this has to be the 4×400.
City High is the defending 4A 4×400 champ and returns a pair of runners from last year’s title team in Wedemeyer and senior Eva Reynolds.
The Little Hawks ran the sixth fastest time at 4A qualifier clocking a 4:01.21 with Wedemeyer on the anchor and will look to make a run at another finals appearance this season.
Outlook: City High was third in the 4A team standings with 46 points a year ago and behind Wedemeyer, Reynolds and a solid group of relay entries the Little Hawks should be in for another strong state meet showing this week.
Reynolds enters as the second seed in the 400 hurdles after running a 1:05.11 at the state qualifier last week.
The City High 4×400 and sprint medley teams each have top-eight seeds from state qualifiers while the Little Hawks distance medley team is seeded 11th.
Keep an eye on the City High field events. The seeds aren’t high but senior Emily Arling was fourth in the long jump a year ago and freshman Rachel Haack and Hannah Braun have showed potential in the discus.
West High
Individual events qualified: Eight (100; 200; 400; 100 hurdles; 400 hurdles; high jump; long jump; shot put)
Relays qualified: Four (4×400; 4×800; sprint medley; shuttle hurdle)
Athlete to watch: In her first season of high school track and field Meena Tate has a chance to earn a state medal.
Tate enters the state meet with the fourth best high jump performance in 4A this season clearing 5-5 which is an inch off the second-best effort shared by Reagan Hanfelt of Ankeny and Lyla Canny of Cedar Rapids Prairie.
Tate will also participate in the long jump in her state meet debut where she has the 16th best jump in 4A this season at 17-2 ¼.
Relay team to watch: West High was fourth in the shuttle hurdle relay last season and with three runners from that team returning the Trojans will look to climb even higher this season.
The foursome of Sophia Olivo, Lily McConnell, Hebah War and Erinah Carter has the third fastest time in 4A this season at 1:05.44.
Defending state champion West Des Moines Dowling has the top time at 1:02.6 while Ames has run 1:02.8 and Waukee Northwest has matched the 1:05.44 run by West High this season.
Outlook: West High brings a solid group of qualifiers to the state meet with seven individuals across eight individual events to go with four relays.
Erinah Carter is a medal contender in the 100 hurdles, entering with the eighth fastest qualifying time at 15.45 while Erinn Varga has the 10th fastest qualifying time in the 400 hurdles at 1:07.79.
The West High 4×400 relay has the 12th fastest qualifying time.
Liberty High
Individual events qualified: Six (1,500; 3,000; high jump; long jump; discus; shot put)
Relays qualified: Six (4×100; 4×200; 4×400; sprint medley; distance medley; shuttle hurdle)
Athlete to watch: It has been a strong bounce back season for junior Cori Mac who qualified with top 11 times in both the 1,500 and 3,000.
Mac has the 13th fastest time in 4A in the 1,500 this season at 4:47.52 and the 10th fastest time in the 3,000 at10:25.96.
The 10:25.96 that Mac ran at the state qualifying meet last week is the sixth fastest in 4A from state qualifiers.
Relay team to watch: Five of the six Liberty High relays headed to state are seeded between 11th and 14th.
If you are looking for a Lightning squad that could push into medal contention keep an eye on the 4×400 team.
Hannah Ramsey, Natalie Ramsey, Jasmine Barney and Malia Taylor clocked a 4:05.27 at the state qualifying meet, good for 11th best from state qualifiers and 13th fastest in 4A this season.
That group should be fresh for prelims and could push for a spot in Saturday’s finals.
Outlook: Led by Mac in the distance events, its field events and six relays Liberty High has a solid group of qualifiers that is capable of putting up points.
Jolie Nordell is seeded 16th in both the discus and shot put while Liberty High has a pair of long jumpers in senior Jasmine Barney and freshman Alexi Thigpen capable of securing state medals.
Barney has the third best jump in 4A this season at 18-2 ¼ while Thigpen has the fourth best mark at 18-0 ½.
The Liberty High 4×100, 4×200, 4×400, sprint medley and distance medley relay teams all enter with top-15 qualifying times.
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