Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Carson Meskimen had some pretty hefty goals for himself entering the state track and field meet.

The Clear Creek Amana sophomore distance standout blew right past those goals on Thursday.

In his first race of the week Meskimen finished sixth in the Class 3A 3,200 in a career-best time of 9:19.33 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

“That just completely exceeded everything I wanted to do,” Meskimen said. “I went into it hoping to medal, hoping to get some points for my team but I really did surprise myself with my time.”

The sixth-place finish gave Meskimen the first state meet medal of his career.

His time of 9:19.33 was more than 16 seconds faster than his previous career best time and broke his own school record set at the WAMAC Conference meet earlier this month.

“Really I was just aiming for that 9:29 range,” Meskimen said. “I just kind of stuck along with guys that have been before and they carried me right to it.”

It was the performance at the WAMAC Meet on May 7 that Meskimen said helped him on Thursday.

Meskimen led for most of the race at the WAMAC Meet at Benton Community before South Tama senior Cadel Conner surged past him in the final 400 meters to win the 3,200 title by more than a second.

On Thursday, Meskimen had that race in the back of his mind.

“The WAMAC meet really helped educate me,” Meskimen said. “(South Tama senior Cadel Conner) Cadel is a really strong runner and when it’s a guy like him I am probably better off letting him lead and going off of him.”

Meskimen settled into a pack for much of the race on Thursday.

This time it was his turn to pick it up late.

Meskimen finished nearly three seconds in front of Conner who was seventh in 9:22.17 while Vinton-Shellsburg senior Alex Torres was eighth in 9:30.74.

Western Dubuque senior Quentin Nauman, an Oregon recruit, won the title in 8:54 while Pella senior Canaan Dunham was runner-up in 8:59.18.

The duo of Gilbert juniors Logan Bleich and Jacob Tallman finished third and fourth and Knoxville senior Isaac Rankin was fifth in 9:16.75.

“I was looking at (Gilbert senior Jacob) Tallman’s time and (Knoxville senior Isaac) Rankin’s time before this and I knew that I could go and stick right with those guys,” Meskimen said. “They carried me right to the finish I wanted.”

A two-event state qualifier as a freshman, Meskimen ran a leg on the 4×800 relay and finished 21^st in the 1,600 in his state meet debut last season.

In addition to his performance in the 3,200 Meskimen anchored the Clippers 4×800 relay team to a fifth-place finish in a time of 7:58.95.

Jackson VanHorn, Caden Burkle and Nic Schieltz teamed with Meskimen to take more than six seconds off the Clippers’ previous best 4×800 time this season.

Meskimen will have a busy week this week as he will run the 1,600 on Saturday along with another relay leg.

“I’m feeling amazing right now, this was definitely a confidence booster for sure,” Meskimen said. “It’s a confidence booster for what I hopefully can go in and do in these next couple of races.”

Clear Creek Amana sophomore Quade Jensen capped a strong opening day for the Clippers with a third-place finish in the 400.

Jensen, who ran a then career-best time of 48.92 at the state qualifying meet, finished third in a new career-best time of 48.17.

Kolby Hodnefield of Clear Lake won the 400 in 47.48 and Storm Lake senior Garbieno Weno was runner-up in 47.79.

“I am so happy with that,” Jensen said. “I got third, that’s all I could have asked for and I am so happy right now. That’s awesome.”

Class 3A State Track and Field Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Girls Results

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Pella 38; 2. Mount Vernon 26; 3. Sioux Center 22; 4. MOC-Floyd Valley 15; 5. Williamsburg 10; 5. Burlington 10; 7. Des Moines Christian 9; 7. ADM 9; 7. North Polk 9; 10. Decorah 7.5; 22. Solon 1

Individual results (Event winner; area competitors)

400 – 1. CaliAna Whitaker (Mount Vernon) 55.51; 8. Jerzey Haluska (Solon) 58.47

3,000 – 1. Evelyn Moeller (Mount Vernon) 9:27.31; 10. Alison Seidl (Clear Creek Amana) 10:32.08

4×800 – 1. Sioux Center 9:14.43; 13. Solon (Falyn Svalstad, Addison Seamans, Mya Fordice, Ava Rolwes) 9:49.15

Discus – 1. Kylee Hill (Burlington) 151-3; 16. Nakia Tangang (Clear Creek Amana) 117-1; 22. Turner Patrick (Clear Creek Amana) 95-7

High jump – 1. Brielle Hoegh (MOC-Floyd Valley) 5-6 ½

Boys Results

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Pella 25; 2. Gilbert 19; 3. Benton Community 14; 3. Clear Lake 14; 3. Newton 14; 6. Clear Creek Amana 13; 7. Washington 12; 8. Western Dubuque 10; 8. Vinton-Shellsburg 10; 10. Algona 9; 13. Solon 6

Individual results (Event winner; area competitors)

400 – 1. Kolby Hodnefield (Clear Lake) 47.48; 3. Quade Jensen (Clear Creek Amana) 48.17; 6. Mac Svalstad (Solon) 49.44

3,200 – 1. Quentin Nauman (Western Dubuque) 8:54; 6. Carson Meskimen (Clear Creek Amana) 9:19.33

4×800 – 1. Pella 7:45.53; 5. Clear Creek Amana (Jackson VanHorn, Caden Burkle, Nic Schieltz, Carson Meskimen) 7:58.95; 20. Solon (Kaden Recker, Owen Young, Spencer Michels, Jaimyn Bevans) 8:18.02

Discus – 1. Greyson Hartman (Washington) 189-5; 21. Karl Westermann (Clear Creek Amana) 136-9

High jump – 1. Eli Patterson (Benton Community) 6-7; 6. Kaden Hoeper (Solon) 6-5; 10. Easton Shipley (Solon) 6-1

Class 2A State Track and Field Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Girls Results

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Spirit Lake 23; 2. Mid-Prairie 21; 3. Van Meter 18; 4. Tipton 13; 5. Pella Christian 10; 5. Grundy Center 10; 7. Treynor 9; 8. Albia 8; 8. Monticello 8; 8. Northeast 8; 8. Hinton 8

Individual results (Event winner; area competitors)

400 – 1. Bailey Vos (Pella Christian) 55.29

3,000 – 1. Laura Streck (Van Meter) 9:48.31

4×800 – 1. Grundy Center 9:17.35

Shot put – 1. Lauren Travis (Spirit Lake) 44-3 ¼

Long jump – 1. Jeorgia Evans (Mid-Prairie) 18-1

Boys Results

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Alburnett 23; 2. Grundy Center 20; 3. Pella Christian 15; 4. Cherokee 10; 5. Chariton 9; 6. Mediapolis 8; 6. Estherville Lincoln Central 8; 6. Panorama 8; 6. Van Meter 8; 6. Denver 8

Individual results (Event winner; area competitors)

400 – 1. Brayden Davie (Grundy Center) 47.96

3,200 – 1. Emerson Vokes (Grundy Center) 9:13.57

4×800 – 1. Alburnett 7:48.83

Shot put – 1. Blake Lovell (Cherokee) 57-7; 11. Michael Montgomery (West Branch) 50-6; 12. Tate Wallace (Regina) 49-7

Long jump – 1. Brecken Ritzert (Pella Christian) 22-3; 15. Jayden Harris (West Branch) 19-8 ¼

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating