Kennedy Girls Track

Wampole named Kennedy girls track coach

Duane Wampole has been named the new girls track coach at Kennedy High School, pending formal school board approval.

Wampole succeeds Mark Jensen as head coach.

Wampole has been active in the Cedar Rapids Track Club since 2009, serving most recently as president, head coach and manager of the program. He is a Level 1 certified coach with the USATF.

Linn-Mar girls roar at state track

DES MOINES - Payton Wensel considers herself an awkward freshman in some respects, but she ran like a gazelle Thursday under blue skies in Des Moines.

Wensel captured the 400 meter dash and helped Linn-Mar win the 4x800 relay as the Lions roared into first place after the first day of the Class 4A state meet.

Linn-Mar junior Stephanie Jenks breezed to victory in the 3,000 meter run for the sixth state title of her record-setting career as the Lions got off to a fast start in the three-day meet.

Linn-Mar leads the pack with 30 points. Pleasant Valley is second with 24 points.

Wensel keeps surprising herself with her performances as a ninth grader.

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Jenks takes Drake 3000 for 3rd time

DES MOINES - Linn-Mar star Stephanie Jenks expects to lose a race at the 106th Drake Relays this weekend, but don't be alarmed.

It won't be one of her special distance races.

Jenks reigned supreme in the 3000 meter run for the third straight year Thursday and she'll be heavily favored to capture the 1500 for the third straight year Saturday.

It's the 400 hurdles that will probably trip her up, but that's understandable. Jenks is a novice at the event and Sarah Plock of Iowa City High is a two-time champ.

In fact, Plock teased Jenks in an e-mail about their "confrontation" in Des Moines.

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Cougars, Lions roar at IC track

IOWA CITY - Dalles Jacobus of Cedar Rapids Kennedy won the shot put and the discus at the Hollingsworth Relays in Iowa City Saturday.

Jacobus captured the shot put with a toss of 51 feet. He claimed the discus with a fling of 154 feet, 11 inches.

Willie Rhoads of Kennedy won the high jump at 6 feet, 4 inches. Shaun Beyer also cleared 6-4 for the Cougars, but Rhoads won the title with fewer misses.

The Linn-Mar Lions set a meet record in the 4x200 relay with Austin Flieder, Tristan Freese, Griffin Freese and Daniel Gorsich timed in 1:29.58. It was the only meet record for the day.

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