Jefferson Girls Track

J-Hawks break record in 4x200 at Drake

DES MOINES - For awhile Friday morning, it looked like Jefferson's dreams of a golden journey at the 106th Drake Relays had been shattered.

By Friday afternoon, however, the J-Hawks and gutsy sprinter Jasmine Blue had their championship flags and a coveted place in the Drake record book.

Abbie Ranschau, Blue, Morgan Meese and Lucy Schneekloth broke the Drake record in the 4x200 relay in 1 minute, 40.96 seconds, barely missing Jefferson's own all-time Iowa best of 1:40.94 set in 2013.

It nearly didn't happen.

Blue appeared to hurt herself at the end of the sprint medley relay earlier in the day when the J-Hawks finished third in a tight race, but a lengthy leg massage had Blue back in business for the 4x200 relay about three hours later.

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Calloway's 'best group' ready for Drake

After more than four decades of training high school runners, Jefferson girls track coach Bill Calloway knows he’s no miracle worker.

Like height, you can’t teach pure speed.

“I can’t make a quarter horse into a thoroughbred,” he says. “But I can help make a quarter horse run faster.”

Year after year – and this one is no exception – Coach Calloway trots out a stable of sprinters that are almost always among the best in the state. More than that, he has a knack for getting them to run faster together as a team.

While excelling also in individual events, Jefferson girls have historically specialized in the relay races. And with what Calloway calls “the best group I’ve ever coached,” they’ll be on display the next three days at the prestigious Drake Relays in Des Moines.

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Prairie, Jeff girls win in Mt. Pleasant

MOUNT PLEASANT - The Cedar Rapids Prairie girls track team won two events and finished third in the team standings at the Mount Pleasant Relays Tuesday.

Kirstin Skriver captured the 400 in 1:02.84 for Prairie. The Hawks also won the sprint medley in 1:58.30 with Morgan Lewis, Hannah Roltgen, Jenna Ross and Skriver.

The Jefferson J-Hawks won three events and finished fourth out of eight teams in the standings.

Sarah Hanna claimed the 1500 for the J-Hawks in 5:05.64. Jefferson also won the 4x200 relay and the distance medley.

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Jeff girls run 2nd in Fort Madison

FORT MADISON - The Cedar Rapids Jefferson girls track team won five events at the Timm Lamb Relays in Fort Madison Tuesday.

Mount Pleasant topped the J-Hawks for the title, 163 to 137.5.

Jefferson captured four relays in the 4x200 (1:43.57), the sprint medley (1:48.43), the 4x100 (49.27) and the 4x400 (4:22.49).

Hunter Koenigsfeld won the 800 for Jefferson in 2:24.78.