Jefferson Boys Track

Griffin flies at John Ask Relays

It was the first meet of the season for many of the teams at the John Ask Relays on Friday (April 1) at Kingston Stadium and one thing was on the runners minds.

"It's cold, its very cold," said Washington junior sprinter Will Griffin.

But Griffin was able to put that out of his mind as he had a terrific night, winning the 100 and 200 meter dashes and the 4x200 relay. In his final event, the 4x100, Griffin seemed to get Washington out of the gates with a bit of a lead, but a slow hand-off between the second and third legs slowed down the relay and the Warriors ended up second.

But for all his success, Griffin still was not satisfied.

"I've been pretty decent," he said. "I feel like the 4x200, I could have run a little harder, I guess I got a little nervous about dying at the end because that was my big problem last year."

He defiantly didn't show any signs of that fatigue on Friday running four events.

"That is something that we really train for at Wash," Griffin said. "When it comes down to it and the team really needs you to step up, you do it. You may be tired now but as soon as you start going you're fine and then once it is over it comes back."

But, Griffin was more focused on the team than how he did individually. The Warriors are coming off back-to-back state championships and are trying to stay hungry for a third straight title.

"Getting on top isn't the hard part, the hard part is staying on top," senior sprinter Alex Carr said. "You can't get complacent, you can't get big headed, because once you take your foot off the gas pedal that's when everyone catches you."

Linn-Mar had the highest team total out of the Metro schools, finishing two points behind Iowa City West's winning total of 284.

The Lions were almost able to pass the Trojans in the last race, winning the 4x400 easily with a time of 3:31.127. If West had finished last in the race, Linn-Mar would have won. But the Trojans passed Washington on the final stretch to get sixth out of seven and hold on to the win.

Linn-Mar did most of their damage in the hurdles, with Brandon Ophoff winning the 110 hurdles (14.713 seconds) and then coming in second to teammate Nick Lucas in the 400 meter hurdles. Lucas won with a time of 56.339 seconds.

Linn-Mar also won the shuttle hurdle relay in what may have been the most hotly contested race of the night. Kennedy and Washington both finished within .33 seconds of the Lions.

Kennedy's Caleb Mere set another personal record in winning the long jump.  He went 22 feet, one-half inch in his first effort during an indoor meet, went 22-0.75 his next time out and 22-2 last night, winning the event by two inches.

"It was a good jump and I didn't reach for the board at all, but I didn't get enough pop in my jump. It was a little bit shorter than I was hoping for," Mere said. "I am happy with it, but I definitely want to improve on it."

Prairie overcomes injury for 4x800 relay victory

The Hawks were a man down for the first relay of the day, with one of their top distance runners, Matt Stocker out with an injury.

His twin brother Kyle picked up the slack, however, making up about 30 meters on the leader on the first of his two laps and won the race pulling away.

"I just don't like having people ahead of me as the race goes on," Stocker said. "I'm kind of impatient, obviously. I went out a little too fast."

Other Metro winners

Jefferson sophomore Timauntay Jones brought home a victory for the host J-Hawks in the 800 meters with a time of 2:02.636.

Prairie's Sam Joens claimed the discus title with a toss of 163 feet, 8 feet further than the next closest thrower.

JOHN ASK RELAYS
At Kingston Stadium

Team Standings
1. Iowa City West 284, 2. Linn-Mar 282, 3. Bettendorf 277, 4. Washington 262, 5. Jefferson 238, 6. Kennedy 214.5, 7. Prairie 195.5.

 Shot Put - 1. Grant Anderson (Bett) 50-5; 2. J.P. Flynn (Bett) 46-10; 3. Derek Norland (ICW) 46-4 1/2; 4. Jack Halupnik (LM) 44-11 1/2; 5. Jacob Coble-Frakes (CRP) 44-10 1/2; 6. Ryan Eivins (CRJ) 43-1.
 Long Jump - 1. Caleb Mere (CRK) 22-2 1/4; 2. Colton Sanchez (LM) 20-0; 3. Richard Bryant (ICW) 19-2 3/4; 4. Tom Kaiser (CRK) 19-1 1/2; 6. David Soukthavone (CRJ) 18-2 1/2.
 High Jump - 1. Keith Clay (ICW) 6-0; 2. Brandon Ophoff (LM) 5-10; 3. Jason Phelps (CRJ) 5-8; 5. Miles Barton (CRW) 5-6.
 Discus - 1. Sam Joens (CRP) 163-0; 2. Derek Norland (ICW) 155-0; 3. Jacob Hayes (BETT) 143-6; 5. Colin Hennessey (CRW) 135-9.
 3200 - 1. Matt Butler (BETT) 9:52.759; 2. Isaac Jensen (ICW) 10:10.160; 3. Thomas Singer (CRK) 10:14.864; 4. Mitch Pritts (CRP) 10:16.232; 6. Taylor Mueller (CRJ) 10:19.119.
 4x800 - 1. Prairie (Burns, Burns, Smith, K. Stocker) 8:22.831; 2. Linn-Mar 8:27.169; 3. Jefferson 8:33.208; 4. Washington 8:45.788.
 Shuttle Hurdle Relay - 1. Linn-Mar (Ophoff, Lucas, Sanchez, Kaiser) 1:00.570; 2. Kennedy 1:00.603; 3. Washington 1:00.737; 5. Jefferson 1:04.813; 6. Prairie 1:04.947.
 100 - 1. William Griffin (CRW) 11.102; 2. Tamrick Atwood (BETT) 11.212; 3. Tyler Youker (BETT) 11.279; 5. Alex Carr (CRW) 11.335; 6. Nate Karlan (CRJ) 11.379.
 400 - 1. Devon Clarke (BETT) 51.899; 2. Robert Hoff (CRW) 52.883; 3. Triston Beyer (CRP) 53.083; 5. Ryan Deerberg (CRJ) 54.548; 6. Dylan Chittick (CRJ) 54.681.
 4x200 - 1. Washington (Hickok, Alonzo Carr, Griffin, Alex Carr) 1:33.386; 2. Jefferson 1:34.637; 3. Linn-Mar 1:36.055; 4. Kennedy 1:36.990; 6. Prairie 1:40.160.
 110 Hurdles - 1. Brandon Ophoff (LM) 14.713; 2. Jake Losch (CRK) 15.430; 3. Drake Hickok (CRK) 15.580; 5. Antonio Johnson (CRW) 15.764.
 1600 - 1. Daniel Gordarsson (ICW) 4:41.321; 2. Josh Evans (LM) 4:43.356; 3. Robert Hogg (CRW) 4:45.375; 4. Thomas Singer (CRK) 4:46.276; 5. Travis Mueller (CRK) 4:48.078.
 200 - 1. William Griffin (CRW) 22.807; 2. Devin Clark (BETT) 23.107; 3. Armando Williams (ICW) 23.241; 4. Sam Otis (CRJ) 23.256; 5. Jordan Kremer (LM) 24.107; 6. Aaron Hunter (LM) 24.141.
 400 Hurdles - 1. Nick Lucas (LM) 56.339; 2. Brandon Ophoff (LM) 57.724; 3. Drake Hickok (CRW) 58.959; 4. Josh Jahlas (CRK) 59.104; 5. Tom Frieden (CRP) 59.175.
 1600 Medley - 1. Bettendorf (T. Younkin, B. Younkin, Clarke, Butler) 3:39.686; 2. Kennedy 3:45.909; 3. Iowa City West 3:50.063; 4. Prairie 3:51.882; 5. Jefferson 3:55.936; 6. Linn-Mar 3:59.173.
 800 - 1. Timauntay Jones (CRJ) 2:02.636; 2. Robert Hogg (CRW) 2:03.337; 3. Jordan Burns (CRP) 2:04.338; 4. Duggan Trenary (LM) 2:06.506; 5. Tanner Rathje (LM) 2:06.540; 6. Peter Thullen (CRJ) 2:07.207.
 4x100 - 1. Bettendorf (T. Younkin, B. Younkin, Hudson, Atwood) 44.167; 2. Washington 44.567; 3. Jefferson 44.851; 4. Linn-Mar 45.551; 6. Prairie 46.185.
 4x400 - 1. Linn-Mar (Razo, Kramer, Simon, Dunn) 3:31.127; 2. Kennedy 3:37.215; 3. Prairie 3:38.766; 5. Jefferson 3:42.370.
 

Training program helps Jefferson boys track

Ron Tower took attendance last week and counted 95 guys for the Cedar Rapids Jefferson track team this year.

The J-Hawks have quantity, and Coach Tower thinks the quality is rapidly improving, thanks in part to an offseason training program conducted by Performance Therapies.

The company has been working with Jefferson athletes since the winter of 2009-2010 and Tower sees a noticeable improvement among members of his team.

For proof, he conducted time trials before Jefferson's first indoor meet this month and compared the results with what the same athletes did outside 10 months ago.

"You expect an improvement, but it was significant improvement," he said. "No question."

In fact, some of Jefferson's times at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor meet March 14 in Cedar Falls were faster than their outdoor times last May, despite the smaller track in the UNI-Dome.

"I had some sprinters that ran their best time ever, indoors, versus districts last year at the end of the year on a perfect day outdoors," he said. "We have improved. There are a lot of reasons for it, but I keep looking at that."

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Jefferson 4x200 relay 3rd at MVC indoor

CEDAR FALLS -- Caleb Mere tweaked his right hamstring muscle in practice last month, so the Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior didn't know what to expect at the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor track meet Monday in the UNI-Dome.

He surprised himself.

Mere sailed 22 feet, 1/2 inch to win the long jump on his only jump of the day and his first attempt of the season.

"Really cool," he said. "The first meet of the year, and I haven't jumped that often (in practice). I'm definitely really happy with it."

Mere placed third at the Class 4A state meet last year in the long jump at 21-8 1/2 and also placed third at the Drake Relays at 21-9 3/4, which until Monday was his personal best.

He credited a rigorous workout schedule during the winter for getting him ready for the track season, with intense weightlifting and power squats, although the hamstring injury set him back a little.

"I pulled it about three to four weeks ago," he said. "It pretty much feels stretched out now."

Mere jumped 22-0 1/2 on his first try Monday. He barely scratched on his second attempt, negating a longer effort, then elected to pass on his third and fourth tries, knowing he'd already won the event and to avoid the possibility of injury.

In between, Mere placed third in the 60-meter dash in 6.95 seconds. Luke Toyosi of Cedar Falls won that race in 6.75 seconds.

Metro athletes won four events at the MVC indoor meet. Washington claimed the 4x800 relay in 8:25.75, Linn-Mar captured the shuttle hurdle relay in 35.19 seconds and Matt Stocker of Prairie won the 800 in 1:58.76.

Kyle Stocker, Matt's twin brother, finished second in the 800 in 1:59.51, three-fourths of a second behind Matt. The Stockers helped Prairie win the state cross country title last fall.

Robert Hogg, Etienne Nzoyisaba, Saromo Mugisha and Trevor Luebe ran the 4x800 relay for the Warriors and beat Dubuque Hempstead by nearly two seconds.

Brandon Ophoff, Colton Sanchez, Rami Amr and Mike Keiser ran the shuttle relay for the Lions in 35.19 seconds, clipping Washington's quartet by 18-hundredths of a second.

Mere, 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, plans to run the 100, 200, shuttle hurdle relay and possibly the 400 during the outdoor track season, and has high hopes in the long jump.

"I'd like to get 23 (feet)," he said. "That would be a really good mark. It's out there, but it definitely would be a possibility."

He's been competing in the long jump since the seventh grade at Harding Middle School, where he said his primitive technique at the time was "kind of run and jump."

He's refined his technique at Kennedy and greatly enjoys the event.

"I like the combination of athletic ability (that it takes)," he said. "It's speed and jumping and agility."

Kenny Gilmore of Davenport Central won the Class 4A long jump at 22-3 3/4 last year, which was 5 1/2 inches better than Mere.

No team scores were kept Monday. Some of the Metro's top track athletes, including Linn-Mar state champion Kyle Dunn, skipped the MVC indoor meet in order to concentrate on a major meet -- the ISU Indoor Classic -- in Ames on Tuesday.

BOYS MVC INDOOR TRACK MEET
 At UNI-Dome

 Long Jump -- 1. Caleb Mere (CRK) 22-0 1/2; 2. Dequayvious Martin (WW) 21-9; 3. Jason Millett (WW) 20-3.
 High Jump -- 1. Tylor White (WE) 6-0; 2. Shane Hodges (WE) 5-10; 3. Nate Sims (DH) 5-10.
 Shot Put -- 1. Derek Norland (ICW) 47-8 1/2; 2. Ross Pierschbacher (CF) 46-6 1/2; 3. Jacob Coble Frakes (CRP) 45-4.
 3,200 -- 1. Jakob Stoner (CF) 10:03.30; 2. Jaime Zanate (CF) 10:05.53; 3. Jeremy Kurth (ICW) 10:35.55.
 4x800 Relay -- 1. Washington (Robert Hogg, Etienne Nzoyisaba, Saromo Mugisha, Trevor Luebe) 8:25.75; 2. Hempstead 8:27.68; 3. Cedar Falls 8:30.89.
 Shuttle Hurdle Relay -- 1. Linn-Mar (Brandon Ophoff, Colton Sanchez, Rami Amr, Mike Keiser) 35.19; 2. Washington 35.37; 3. Dubuque Senior 37.30.
 60 -- 1. Luke Toyosi (CF) 6.75; 2. Will Griffin (CRW) 6.88; 3. Caleb Mere (CRK) 6.95.
 400 -- 1. Sterling Harris (ICH) 52.08; 2. Anthony Crawley (CRK) 52.30; 3. Rob Hogg (CRW) 53.08.
 4x200 Relay -- 1. Waterloo East 1:34.31; 2. Waterloo West 1:34.60; 3. Jefferson 1:35.07.
 1,600 -- 1. Tanner Reyhons (CF) 4:39.64; 2. Andrew Halloran (CF) 4:43.16; 3. Adam Streicher (CF) 4:46.11.
 60 Hurdles -- 1. Aaron Taylor (WE) 8.56; 2. Jake Losch (CRK) 8.57; 3. Mike Keiser (LM) 8.70.
 200 -- 1. Marshall Hill (CF) 22.84; 2. Luke Toyosi (CF) 22.96; 3. Shane Hodges (WE) 23.91.
 Medley Relay -- 1. Hempstead 3:50.79; 2. Wahlert 3:51.80; 3. Dubuque Senior 3:56.77.
 800 -- 1. Matt Stocker (CRP) 1:58.76; 2. Kyle Stocker (CRP) 1:59.51; 3. Robert Hogg (CRW) 2:02.94.
 4x100 Relay -- 1. Waterloo East 45.07; 2. Cedar Falls 45.66; 3. Prairie 45.96.
 4x400 Relay -- 1. Hempstead 3:37.60; 2. Kennedy 3:37.99; 3. Iowa City High 3:38.10.
 NOTE: No team standings were kept.

J-Hawks get on the track at Wartburg

WAVERLY -- Prairie's Kyle Stocker was second in the 800 meters and Jefferson's Timauntay Jones was fourth at Tuesday's Wartburg Invitational indoor high school track meet.

Prairie and Jefferson were the only Metro teams competing on the boys side of the co-ed meet. Jefferson's girls also competed. There were no team scores kept.

Stocker, a key part of Prairie's state champion cross country team last fall, ran the 800 in 2:02.66. He was .4 seconds behind winner Conner Smock of Lisbon.  Jones ran a 2:05.45.

Prairie's Jordan Burns, another cross country runner, was fifth in the 3,200 meters with a time of 10:04.06.  Prairie's 1,600 sprint medley of Austin Dellamuth, Josh Rundall, Robbie Kohl and Justin Burns finished sixth in 3:52.19.

The Jefferson girls had several top five finishes. J-Hawk soph Taylor Jacobson ran the second fastest time in qualifying for the 55-meter hurdles, but slipped to fifth in the finals, just behind teammate Summer Carber. 

Jacobson, Carber, Rachel Sedlacek and Ashley Madsen ran on the J-Hawks' fifth-place 4x400 relay. Emma Edelen was fourth in the shot put.

Wartburg Invitational

(Winners and Top 10 Metro finishers)

Girls

55 meters -- 1. Cassie Crotty (Cedar Falls), 7.49; 8. Madison Ranschau (CR Jeff), 7.96; 200 -- 1. Marisa Evers (Hudson), 26.88; 7. Summer Carber (CR Jeff), 28.33; 400 -- Hillary Garvey (Hudson), 1:02.46; 800 -- Brianna King (Cedar Falls), 2:22.40; 1,500 -- 1. Karissa Schweizer (WDM Dowling), 4:56.89; 3,000 -- 1. Bailey Eppard (Johnston), 11:09.07; 55 hurdles -- 1. Kaitlyn Gillett (Cedar Falls), 9.26; 4. Carber (CR Jeff), 9.47; 5. Taylor Jacobson (CR Jeff), 9.58; 4x200 relay -- 1. Hudson, 1:49.31; 9. CR Jefferson (Lauren Hovey, Jamie Robertson, Courtney Cahalan, Ranschau), 2:02.12; 4x400 relay -- 1. Cedar Falls, 4:14.02; 5. CR Jefferson (Jacobson, Ashley Madsen, Rachel Sedlacek, Carber), 4:27.59; 4x800 relay -- 1. Cedar Falls, 10:10.79; 10. CR Jefferson (Sedlacek, Kylie Steimer, Molly Miller, Anna Bruns), 11:08.23; Sprint medley relay -- 1. Cedar Falls, 4:26.08; High jump -- 1. Alex Hawks (Johnston), 5-2; Long jump -- 1. Erika Massner (Wapello), 16-2.25; Shot put -- 1. Jadyn Spencer (Waterloo West), 40-8; 4. Emma Edelen (CR Jeff), 33-2.25.

Boys

55 meters -- 1. Luke Toyosi (Cedar Falls), 6.68; 200 -- 1. Brennan Davey (Indianola), 23.19; 400 -- Davey (Indianola), 52.22; 800 -- Conner Smock (Lisbon), 2:02.26; 2. Kyle Stocker (CR Prairie), 2:02.66; 4. Timauntay Jones (CR Jeff), 2:05.45; Mile -- 1. Coty Thompson (Mason City), 4:39.37; 3,200 -- 1. Smock (Lisbon), 9:45.31; 5. Jordan Burns (CR Prairie), 10:04.06; 55 hurdles -- 1. Tony Rush (Ames), 7.90; 4x200 relay -- 1. Cedar Falls, 1:34.45; 8. CR Jefferson (Sam Otis, Chance Tiedtke, Nate Karlan, Dylan Chittick), 1:38.56; 4x400 relay -- 1. WDM Valley, 3:34.97; 4x800 relay -- 1. Waukee, 8:37.66; 10. CR Jefferson (Jake Inghram, Jones, Peter Thullen, Matt Hildebrand), 8:56.17; Sprint medley relay -- 1. Waverly-Shell Rock, 3:46.23; 6. CR Prairie (Austin Dellamuth, Josh Rundall, Robbie Kohl, Justin Burns), 3:52.19; High jump -- 1. Barkley Hill (Cedar Falls), 6-6; Long jump -- 1. Dequayvious Martin (Waterloo West), 21-6; Shot put-- 1. Chris LaMar (Ames), 53-10.5.