Hamann Picks Up State Medal After Two Close Calls on Friday
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
DES MOINES – Narrowly missing out on a pair of state medals on Friday gave Grace Hamann a little bit of extra motivation for her final two events on Saturday.
That was the push that Hamann needed to get the first medal of the weekend and second of her career.
Hamann finished seventh in the Class 2A 800 on Saturday morning at the state track and field meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
“That definitely motivated me for today,” Hamann said. “I was really upset with my races yesterday and I was looking to improve on it today.”
Hamann finished one spot out of earning medals in two events on Friday.
The West Branch sophomore was ninth in the 400 hurdles and ran the 800-meter anchor leg on the Bears’ distance medley relay team that placed ninth.
A day later Hamann didn’t waste any time making sure she left Des Moines with some hardware.
Hamann was seventh in the 800 in a career-best time of 2:17.52.
Tipton senior Noelle Steines won her second consecutive 2A 800 title in a state-meet record time of 2:11.49.
“My goal was just to stay in touch with that front pack and not let them break away,” Hamann said. “After seeing the times that came out of the first heat I knew that I really had to go. I think I did start a little too late but it still got me up there.”
Hamann finished eighth in the 800 last season as a freshman in a time of 2:19.93.
On Saturday Hamann ran more than two second faster while earning a medal in the event for the second consecutive season.
“I wanted to do better than last year and I was looking for a pr for my last race this season,” Hamann said. “I was happy with that.”
Hamann added an 11th place finish in the 1,500 in another career-best time of 4:56.44.
“I am always just looking for improvement,” Hamann said. “I’m not satisfied with anything yet and I don’t think I ever probably will be but I think that I need to look at it as I need to be happy with what I am doing right now so I don’t lose the joy and then improve on everything.”
On Friday Hamann ran a career-best time of 1:06.59 in the 400 hurdles.
“I was happy with the time but I don’t think I am satisfied,” Hamann said. “Learning that just this season a couple of meets ago and being able to do it at state was such a goal.”
Class 2A State Track Meet
Girls Results
Team scores (top 10/area teams) – 1. Pella Christian 80; 2. Van Meter 60; 3. Tipton 54; 4. Spirit Lake 46; 5. Mid-Prairie 33; 6. Emmetsburg 30; 7. Roland-Story 28; 8. Treynor 21; 9. Grundy Center 20.5; 10. Ogden 19.5; 34. West Branch 6; 34. Regina 6
Individual results (event winners; area competitors)
100 – 1. Rachel Kacmarynski (Pella Christian) 11.92
200 – 1. Meredith Van Wyk (Pella Christian) 24.87
800 – 1. Noelle Steines (Tipton) 2:11.49; 7. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 2:17.52
1,500 – 1. Noelle Steines (Tipton) 4:35.19; 11. Grace Hamann (West Branch) 4:56.44
100 hurdles – 1. Leah Bolluyt (Spirit Lake) 14.66; 3. Reese Naeve (Regina) 15.09
Sprint medley relay – 1. Pella Christian 1:46.68
Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Treynor 1:05.15
4×100 – 1. Pella Christian 48.22
4×400 – 1. Pella Christian 3:55.54
Boys Results
Team scores (top 10/area teams) – 1. Spirit Lake 65; 1. Okoboji 65; 3. Denver 48; 3. Treynor 48; 5. Grundy Center 40; 6. PCM 34; 7. Camanche 26; 7. Alburnett 26; 9. Oelwein 25; 9. Mid-Prairie 25; 11. West Branch 22
Individual results (event winners; area competitors)
100 – 1. Brandon Pedersen (West Branch) 10.73
200 – 1. Cauy Konz (Treynor) 21.7; 3. Brandon Pedersen (West Branch) 21.91
800 – 1. James Foreman (Unity Christian) 1:52.58
1,600 – 1. Alex Torres (Vinton-Shellsburg) 4:19.02
110 hurdles – 1. Brady Wallace (Treynor) 13.91
Sprint medley relay – 1. Grundy Center 1:31.84; 19. Regina (Gabriel Hegelheimer, Savion Miller, Edwin Gangba, Brendan Olney) 1:36.92
Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Iowa Falls 59.1
4×100 – 1. Treynor 42.09; 3. West Branch (Cooper Gates, Keaton Gates, Connor Rios, Brandon Pedersen) 43.05
4×400 – 1. Okoboji 3:16.41
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