Prairie Boys Track

Prairie boys rule at Marshalltown

MARSHALLTOWN - Tysen VanDraska, Jake Moore and Keagan Pinter won individual events Thursday to help the Cedar Rapids Prairie track team take top honors at the Kenny Dean Bobcat Invitational in Marshalltown.

VanDraska captured the 800 meter run (2:01.20), Moore took the 1600 (4:35.80) and Pinter won the 110 hurdles (15.02).

Prairie edged Des Moines Lincoln for the title, 135 to 124, in the eight-team field.

The Hawks also claimed the 4x800 relay (8:12.09) and the shuttle hurdle relay (1:06.45).

Prairie received second-place finishes from Trevor Northrup in the 100 (11.27), Marty Borseth in the 400 (53.50), Matt Lorenz in the 800 (2:04.24), Chris Oehlert in the 3200 (10:14.72) and Pinter in the 400 hurdles (58.03).

The Hawks had third-place showings from Elijah Vlasek in the 1600 (4:44.38), Cam Steffens in the 3200 (10:28.21) and the sprint medley (3:55.34.).

Team Standings

1. Prairie 135, 2. Des Moines Lincoln 124, 3. Solon 78, 4. Waterloo West 55, 5. Ames 53, 6. Woodward Academy 44, 7. Waterloo East 43, 8. Marshalltown 26.

Bokoyo wins sprints for J-Hawks

Merje' Bokoyo has arrived at Cedar Rapids Jefferson this year with speed.

Bokoyo, a transfer student from Galesburg, Ill., captured the 100 and 200 meter dashes at the John Ask Relays Saturday on a cool, sunny day at Kingston Stadium.

Bokoyo claimed the 100 meter dash in a hand-held time of 10.92 seconds, which Jefferson Coach Ron Tower said would translate to about a 11.15 electronic clocking.

"That's a good time. No question, this early, in the cold," said Tower.

Bokoyo helped Galesburg finished third in the 4x100 relay and sixth in the 4x200 relay at the Class 2A state meet in Illinois last year. Tower said Bokoyo is originally from the Congo in Africa.

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VanDraska wins Metro Spotlight Award

Cedar Rapids Prairie junior Tysen VanDraska is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

VanDraska, one of the top distance runners in the state, has gotten off to a strong start this spring.

He finished second in the 1,600-meter run at the Iowa State Classic in Ames on Tuesday in 4 minutes, 25.6 seconds. Thomas Pollard of Gilbert nipped VanDraska in that race by 18-hundredths of a second in 4:25.42.

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VanDraska wins 3200 run in Pella

PELLA - Tysen VanDraska of Cedar Rapids Prairie captured the 3200 meter run in 10 minutes, 27.37 seconds at the Central College indoor track meet for high school boys Friday.

Eric Lenz of Tipton finished second in 10:29.15.

Isaiah Vlasek of Prairie placed third in the 1600 meter run in 4 minutes, 47.0 seconds. Mitch Pritts of Prairie was fourth in the same race in 4:47.59.