Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – The West High shuttle hurdle relay team had already run the fastest time in state history prior to the state meet.

It wasn’t a time that the Trojan foursome was focused on entering the shuttle hurdle relay finals on Saturday.

“After prelims the only thing that we talked about was it doesn’t matter what time we run as long as we get to the finish line first because we want a state championship,” West High senior Waleed Ibrahim explained.

In order to reach that goal the Trojans needed to run faster than any team had ever run.

The West High foursome of Ely Smock, Ibrahim, Cade Towler and Ryder Gorsh set an all-time state best while winning the Class 4A shuttle hurdle relay title in a time of 55.39 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Waukee Northwest was runner-up in 55.52 and Cedar Rapids Kennedy was third in a time of 55.98.

“Today it just happened to take a state record to also get first,” Smock said. “All the credit to the other guys on the podium they also ran fast and it pushed us to run fast.”

The title was the third shuttle hurdle relay title in West High history and second in the last four seasons for the Trojans.

“It’s the best race in track and field if you ask me,” Smock said. “It’s just as fast as the 4×1 but it has so many variables, there are 10 hurdles times four guys plus exchanges and it makes for an exciting race.”

Saturday’s final was certainly exciting.

West High entered the state meet with the best time in state history at 55.82 and a Drake Relays title already under it’s belt.

The Trojans wanted to add a state title.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy ran the fastest time at Thursday’s prelims at 56.35 and Waukee Northwest was second at 56.45.

It was Wet High that came up big on Saturday morning taking .43 seconds off its previous all-time best time on its way to winning the 4A title.

“Speechless,” Towler said. “There are no words for it. The second Ryder crossed the finish line I was screaming but I have nothing to say. I’m speechless.”

For the Trojans the success came through hard work and dedication but also through chemistry.

“Teamwork,” Ibrahim said of the reason for succes. “We are not just teammates we are friends. We are pretty close friends. We room together, we hang out together, we talk to each other. We have that chemistry and in a sport that’s all the matters when it comes to team.”

West High senior Ely Smock added a seventh-place finish in the 4A 110 hurdles in a time of 14.46 to cap a strong hurdling week for the Trojans.

Class 4A State Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Girls Results

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Waukee Northwest 150.5; 2. Cedar Falls 76.5; 3. Ankeny 67; 4. Ames 48; 5. City High 45; 6. Southeast Polk 36; 7. Ankeny Centennial 35; 7. West Des Moines Valley 35; 9. Waukee 31; 10. Pleasant Valley 27

Individual results (Event winner; area competitors)

100 – 1. Kate Willits (Waukee Northwest) 11.66

200 – 1. Kate Willits (Waukee Northwest) 23.7

800 – 1. Makenna Madetzke (Ankeny) 2:09.5; 17. Calissa Fruin (City High) 2:17.91

1,500 – 1. Charlee Gall (Cedar Falls) 4:27.41; 4. Abigail Burns (City High) 4:35.24

100 hurdles – 1. Morgan Karr (West Des Moines Valley) 13.53

Sprint medley – 1. Ankeny 1:43.06; 8. City High (Dede Aboussa-Folly, Jaydah Kent, Ellie Fraga, Maeve Bowen-Burt) 1:46.51; 14. West High (Myriam Rahmouni, Savannah Graham, Amara MacLagan, Savannah Mathias) 1:49.33

Shuttle hurdle – 1. Waukee Northwest 58.61; 8. City High (Gloria Konu, Bernadette Hamilton, Madeline Fraga, Willow Schultz) 1:07.02

4×100 – 1. Waukee Northwest 46.93

4×400 – 1. Waukee Northwest 3:45

Boys Results

Team scores (Top 10; area teams) – 1. Cedar Falls 75; 2. Bettendorf 67; 3. Waukee Northwest 46; 4. Cedar Rapids Prairie 43; 5. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 42; 6. Norwalk 40; 7. Indianola 39; 8. West Des Moines Valley 35; 9. Ankeny 33; 10. Johnston 29; 10. West High 29; 23. Liberty High 10; 35. City High 1

Individual results (Event winner; area competitors)

100 – 1. Kaiden Kunze (Norwalk) 10.63

200 – 1. Kaiden Kunze (Norwalk) 21.46

800 – 1. Kuma Gutema (Sioux City North) 1:51.14; 8. Keegan Decker (Liberty High) 1:53.4; 21. Emmett Palmberg (City High) 1:57.67

1,600 – 1. Kuma Gutema (Sioux City North) 4:09.63; 6. Keegan Decker (Liberty High) 4:12.68

110 hurdles – 1. Hayden Carlson (Ankeny) 13.52; 7. Ely Smock (West High) 14.46

Sprint medley – 1. Linn-Mar 1:30.51; 15. West High (Bernoli Luvandu, Abdul Hodge Jr., Neil James, Cael Dunham) 1:34.04; 17. City High (Damari Lacy, Delonte Major, Zyaire Washpun, Marshall Sheldon) 1:34.41

Shuttle hurdle – 1. West High (Ely Smock, Waleed Ibrahim, Cade Towler, Ryder Gorsh) 55.39

4×100 – 1. West Des Moines Valley 40.84

4×400 – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 3:13.17

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