Jefferson Girls Track

J-Hawks smash record in 4x200 relay

DES MOINES - The Cedar Rapids Jefferson girls trained in the rain. They ran in the snow. They pushed themselves in the weight room. They worked hard in the pool.

It all paid off Friday.

Abbie Ranschau, Jasmine Blue, Morgan Meese and Lucy Schneekloth shattered the all-time record in the 4x200 relay and captured the event for the third straight year at the Class 4A state meet in Des Moines.

Jefferson was clocked in 1 minute, 39.24 seconds, chopping 1.7 seconds off the all-time best that Jefferson set at the state meet in 2013.

"Every single day after school, we're on the track, in the weight room, in the pool," said Jasmine Blue. "We're working hard all the time.

"We want to win," she said. "We want to be the best."

Blue and Schneekloth ran on the 4x200 relay for Jefferson as youngsters in 2013 when they submitted the previous all-time best of 1:40.94. They were determined to go even faster this time and crack 1 minute, 40 seconds.

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Lucy Schneekloth wins Metro Spotlight Award

Lucy Schneekloth of Cedar Rapids Jefferson is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Schneekloth, a senior, has enjoyed a spectacular career with the Jefferson track team as a vital member of their record-setting sprint relay squads.

Schneekloth helped the J-Hawks establish an all-time state best in the 4x200 relay as a sophomore in 2013 when Jefferson won the event at the Class 4A state meet in Des Moines.

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Wensel sizzles in 400 for Linn-Mar

IOWA CITY - Linn-Mar freshman Payton Wensel ran the fastest time in the state this year in the 400 meter dash Thursday when she won the event in 56.25 seconds at the Iowa City West Invitational.

Wensel broke the Linn-Mar school record in the 400. She also ran the anchor leg on the triumphant 800 sprint medley with another swift 400.

The Jefferson J-Hawks won six events and Linn-Mar captured five events.

Jefferson's winners were Jasmine Blue in the 100 (12.44), Lucy Schneekloth in the 200 (25.73) and Abbie Ranschau in the 100 hurdles (15.10). Blue, Schneekloth and Ranschau joined Morgan Meese on the victorious 4x100 relay (48.66).

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Morgan Meese will run for Kohawks

Morgan Meese of Cedar Rapids Jefferson plans to continue her successful track career at Coe College next year.

Meese is a member of the championship relay teams at Jefferson. The J-Hawks won the 4x200 relay and the 4x100 relay at the Drake Relays this year. They broke the Iowa all-time record in the 4x200 and matched the all-time record in the 4x100.

Meese helped Jefferson win the 4x200 relay at the state meet last year.