Track hurdler Joah Wallace wins 110-meter showdown for Cedar Rapids Prairie

CEDAR RAPIDS – A month-long, back-and-forth battle in the 110-meter hurdles suddenly became head-to-head.

Cedar Rapids Prairie junior Joah Wallace and JoJo Frost of Center Point-Urbana have each spent time atop the list of the state's best sprint hurdlers this season.

At the Hawkins Relays Tuesday at Prairie's John Wall Field, it was Wallace's turn to lay claim.

'I was very excited about it because I knew he was faster than me coming into the meet,” Wallace said after edging Frost by a half-minute in a victorious 14.59 seconds. 'I just got out of the blocks good and ended up beating him down the track.”

Prairie won 10 of 18 events and claimed the team title with 175 points.

'We've not had a team like this before,” Prairie Coach Bill Schwarz said. 'It's event after event, it seems like. Just kind of sit back and enjoy the show. These kids are really awesome.”

The 110 hurdles victory established a season-best time for Wallace and is just three-hundredths of a second from Frost's state-best time. Wallace – the son of former University of Iowa running back Tavian Banks – is now in prime position to make his Drake Relays debut in two weeks.

'I put in a lot of time over the summer with Iowa Speed (Track and Field Club) and (Coach) Joey Woody,” Wallace said. 'A lot of hard work is paying off right now.”

Wallace has also been an integral part of Prairie's short relay group. He anchored a win in the shuttle hurdle relay in 58.87 seconds and started the 400 relay victory (43.22). Both should qualify for Drake, as well.

'We've got a lot of good guys running short relays this year,” Wallace said.

Prairie seniors Jalen Rima and Tysen VanDraska both won twice as individuals. Rima – the defending Class 4A state champion in the 200 – won Tuesday in 22.20 seconds after claiming the 100 in 11.18. VanDraska – a University of Iowa signee – won the 3,200 in 9:45.27 before outkicking teammate Matt Lorenz in the 1,600 by 14-hundreths of a second (4:29.45).

'Tysen, he refuses to lose,” Schwarz said. 'He's such a bulldog. Jalen is such a gifted sprinter, it's just incredible and to have both of those guys be able to hand off one to the next, I'm just really fortunate.”

Wali Parks and Austin West both helped runner-up Iowa City West (115 points) win a pair of relays. Linn-Mar placed third (86.5), Xavier fourth (66.5).

Center Point-Urbana, Marion and North Scott rounded out the team standings.

CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE HAWKINS RELAYS

At John Wall Field

Teams -

1. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 175; 2. Iowa City West, 115; 3. Linn-Mar, 86.5; 4. Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 66.5; 5. Cedar Rapids Xavier, 51; 6. Center Point-Urbana, 46; 7. Marion, 41; 8. North Scott, 30.

High jump -

1. Marty Borseth (CRP), 6-04; 2. Blair Brooks (M), 6-04; 3. Trevor Kuehl (NS), 6-02.

Long jump -

1. Nick Stark (CRX), 21-01.5; 2. Tremaine Hoover (ICW), 20-07.5; 3. Joah Wallace (CRP), 20-07.5.

Discus -

1. Brady Shows (NS), 139-07; 2. Alex Mixon (CRP), 139-01; 3. Dallas McFarland (LM), 136-05.

Shot put -

1. Alex Kleinow (ICW), 50-10-5; 2. McFarland (LM), 48-05.75; 3. Baylor Pree (LM), 46-04.25.

3,200 –

1. Tysen VanDraska (CRP), 9:45.27; 2. Ali Ali (ICW), 9:56.53; 3. Jeremy Fopma (M), 9:58.39.

3,200 relay –

1. C.R. Prairie (Levi Lefebure, Colton LaGrange, Preston LaGrange, Matt Lorenz), 8:19.52; 2. C.R. Xavier (Steven Culpepper, Josh Gerke, Beau Van Berkum, Nathan Skala), 8:22.94; 3. C.R. Jefferson (Brandon Burnett, Mason Short, Zachariah Szabo, Robert Larson), 8:31.10.

Shuttle hurdle relay –

1. C.R. Prairie (Tyler Nunemaker, Mike Jasa, Chavi Parks, Wallace), 58.87; 2. C.R. Jefferson (Tayvian May, Josue Bokoyo, Nate Homan, Tyler Fowler), 1:00.70; 3. Linn-Mar (Nick House, Zeal Baker, Trent Davis, Andrew Grant), 1:01.47.

100 –

1. Jalen Rima (CRP), 11.18; 2. Trevor Northrup (CRP), 11.31; 3. JoJo Frost (CPU), 11.35.

400 -

1. Javonte Williams (ICW), 53.60; 2. Ethan McAreavy (ICW), 53.64; 3. Trenton Yancey (CRJ), 53.94.

800 relay –

1. I.C. West (Willie Dean, Matthew Huff, Austin West, Wali Parks), 1:30.17; 2. C.R. Jefferson (Jacob Beaton, Josue Bokoyo, Tayvian May, Manny Olutunde), 1:30.46; 3. Marion (Eli Matthess, Williams Hicks, Brooks, Ryan Bettenga), 1:34.79.

110 hurdles –

1. Wallace (CRP), 14.59; 2. Frost (CPU), 14.88; 3. Daniel Gorsch (LM), 15.17.

1,600 –

1. VanDraska (CRP), 4:29.45; 2. Matt Lorenz (CRP), 4:29.51; 3. Myles Bach (M), 4:31.82.

200 -

1. Rima (CRP), 22.20; 2. Bokoyo (CRJ), 23.25; 3. Northrup (CRP), 23.70.

400 hurdles -

1. Frost (CPU), 55.20; 2. Max Hill (ICW), 57.41; 3. House (LM), 57.53.

Distance medley relay -

1. I.C. West (Chris Low, West, Parks, Patrick Karanja), 3:38.09; 2. C.R. Xavier (Sean Murphy, Stark, Josh Gerke, Steven Culpepper), 3:43.70; 3. North Scott (Kiel Brown, Bailey Basala, Clayton Neff, Justin Christensen), 3:48.36.

800 -

1. Wyatt Gatrost (CPU), 1:59.40; 2. Ryan Murphy (LM), 1:59.95; 3. Ethan Schmidt (LM), 2:02.27.

400 relay -

1. C.R. Prairie (Wallace, Rima, Borseth, Northrup), 43.22; 2. C.R. Xavier (Jax Junge, S. Murphy, Bryce Charipar, Stark), 43.94; 3. C.R. Jefferson (Justin Crockett, Bokoyo, Olutunde, Beaton), 44.35.

1,600 relay -

1. C.R. Prairie (Borseth, Lorenz, VanDraska, Rima), 3:24.74; 2. C.R. Jefferson (Tayvian May, Brandon Burnett, Mason Short, Devonte Taylor), 3:29.21; Marion (Eli Matthess, Jacob Manderscheid, Williams Hicks, Nate Schmidt), 3:29.55.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com