Conference call: It's that time

The time has come for the boys' track teams from Center Point-Urbana and Solon to become better acquainted.

A Wamac Conference title is on the line Thursday. The stakes might get even higher in two weeks.

"Maybe. I don't know," said CPU Coach Amy Marshall. "I think we're the teams to beat for the conference. State? I don't know."

Weather permitting, Thursday is the day for a widespread conference call in track and field. The Mississippi Valley Conference will hold its divisional meets at four locations. The Wamac, River Valley, Tri-Rivers, Northeast Iowa and Upper Iowa conference meets also are scheduled.

In terms of team races, the Wamac meet at Van Horne has the most potential for suspense. A pair of potential Class 3A state-championship contenders, CPU and Solon headline the boys' field while Solon and West Delaware (and possibly Mount Vernon) figure to go to the wire for the girls' crown.

"We're not going to run the same lineup (Thursday) that we'll run at the district meet (next week)," Marshall said. "We'll try to steal some points, get what we can."

Solon boasts Drake Relays shot put champions in Dalton Ferguson and Shelby Gunnells.

In the MVC, Iowa City High and Iowa City West are cycled in the same division, so that means a tight, spirited girls' Mississippi Division duel at Waterloo.

"(Cedar Rapids) Jefferson is going to put up a lot of points in whatever they decide to stack, but I think overall, in a 19-event competition, it will come down to us and City," said West Coach Mike Parker, whose team is pursuing its 12th straight divisional crown."Our philosophy is that (divisional) championships are very important. They mean so much. We will put a lineup out there that will maximize our potential."

The Mississippi Division boys are at Dubuque; the Valley Division boys and girls are at Cedar Rapids Prairie and Kingston Stadium, respectively.

The River Valley competition is split between sites -- boys at Wellman, girls at Goose Lake. The co-ed Tri-Rivers, NEIC and UIC competitions are at Delhi, New Hampton and Monona, respectively.

MVC MISSISSIPPI DIVISION BOYS

Site -- Dubuque (Dalzell Field)Overview -- This figures to be a competitive race among four teams. Cedar Rapids Kennedy has been outscored just once outdoors all spring, and will score extremely well throughout the field events, hurdles and sprint relays. Derek Jacobus is a defending state champion in the long jump. Iowa City West counters with the top distance corps (led by Daniel Gardarsson), while Iowa City High owns the top sprinters (paced by Bryson Runge). Dubuque Hempstead should score well across the board. Give West a slight edge in a meet of this size because of its lack of weaknesses.

Projected top three -- 1. Iowa City West, 2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 3. Iowa City High. 

MVC MISSISSIPPI DIVISION GIRLS

Site -- Waterloo (Memorial Stadium)

Overview -- It's always a competitive treat when the Iowa City schools are in the same girls' division. Expect both teams to double-score in most individual events and score around 150 points. Iowa City West has a veteran in distance runner Ashlynn Yokom, and talented youth throughout its lineup. Drake Relays 400-meter hurdles champion Sarah Plock spearheads Iowa City High, and the race between the two could go to the very end. Cedar Rapids Jefferson isn't equipped to score with the Iowa City schools in a meet with a small number of teams (though it probably will at state in two weeks). Still, the J-Hawks will score big in the sprints; they could win four relays.

Projected top three -- 1. Iowa City West, 2. Iowa City High, 3. Cedar Rapids Jefferson. 

MVC VALLEY DIVISION BOYS

Site -- Cedar Rapids Prairie

Overview -- Most likely, Linn-Mar will win the most events. The Lions have the jewel of the meet in Iowa State recruit Josh Evans, who won the 1,600 and anchored the winning medley relay at the Drake Relays. Curtis McCrary has quickly developed into an elite long jumper and strengthens the Lions' sprints. However, the depth of Cedar Falls will be a challenge to match. Connor Riehm is an exceptional sprinter and hurdler, and the Tigers have one of the best 1,600 relays in the state. If anybody challenges the top two, it will probably be Cedar Rapids Prairie, which has a good stable of distance men led by Mitch Pritts.

Projected top three -- 1. Cedar Falls, 2. Linn-Mar, 3. Cedar Rapids Prairie. 

MVC VALLEY DIVISION GIRLS

Site -- Kingston Stadium

Overview -- Stephanie Jenks of Linn-Mar makes her track return Thursday after winning a major triathlon last week in Mexico. In her last appearance, she won the 3,000 meters (setting an all-time Iowa best) and the 1,500 at the Drake Relays. The Lions also will score well with Amber Decker and Rachel Perry in the long sprints. However, the team to beat is likely Dubuque Wahlert. The Golden Eagles are superior in the hurdles behind Maddie Heiar and Elizabeth Welu, and ought to finish high in every relay. Cedar Falls owns a top sprinter in Alicia Harrington and will score steadily throughout the meet.Projected top three -- 1. Dubuque Wahlert, 2. Linn-Mar, 3. Cedar Falls. 

WAMAC BOYS

Site -- Van Horne

Overview -- Center Point-Urbana and Solon have two of the best squads in Class 3A, and will begin their stretch-run acquaintance Thursday. CPU's Josh Yeager is an elite distance runner, and the Stormin' Pointers brag two of the state's top 400-meter hurdlers in Nick Thibault and Levi Gatrost. They'll score extremely well in the distance relays. Solon's Dalton Ferguson is the Drake Relays champion in the shot put, and could sweep the throws. The Spartans have another headliner in sprinter/hurdler Connor Ham. Dyersville Beckman is stacked in the middle distances behind Grant Hammann and Mitch Steger, and the Blazers are traditionally strong in the relays.

Projected top three -- 1. Center Point-Urbana, 2. Solon, 3. Dyersville Beckman. 

WAMAC GIRLS

Site -- Van Horne

Overview -- Flip a coin. West Delaware appears to be the best team on the track while Solon is tops (substantially) in the field. Drake Relays shot put champion Shelby Gunnells will compete for the Spartans, and is favored to sweep the throws. Solon also figures to run at the front in the 400-meter relay and both medleys. If the meet comes down to the final event (and it could), you have to like West Delaware's odds; the Hawks are No. 1 in the 1,600 relay and have a sprinting standout in Emily Thole. If another team is going to crash the party, it will be Mount Vernon, which is projected to go 1-2 in the 1,500 and win the 3,200 relay. Clear Creek Amana isn't projected to contend, but the Clippers' hurdlers are worth watching -- the CCA shuttle was third at Drake.

Projected top three -- 1. Solon, 2. West Delaware, 3. Mount Vernon. 

RIVER VALLEY BOYS

Site -- WellmanOverview -- They played the "small-school" card to perfection at the Drake Relays, winning the 3,200-meter relay. Now, the Monticello Panthers are back to their role of track and field giant. They are favored to run through the next three meets (conference, districts and state). Expect some resistance Thursday from archrival Cascade, but Monticello is a clear-cut favorite. It's not just the distance guys (led by Michael Melchert and Ben Ahlrichs); the Panthers will score big in the high jump, shot put and discus. Cascade's strong suit is its hurdlers -- Haris Takes and Kurt Trumm. The league's top sprinter is Derek Harksen of Camanche, the top seed in the 100, 200 and 400.

Projected top three -- 1. Monticello, 2. Cascade, 3. Camanche. 

RIVER VALLEY GIRLS

Site -- Goose Lake

Overview -- Relays figure to be the difference here. Cascade is top-seeded in five relays, a trademark that has made the Cougars one of the state's top programs in Class 2A the past three years. That makes Cascade a solid pick, though Northeast has a quality team of its own. The Rebels have a strong sprinter (Tierra Hildebrandt) and an excellent hurdler (Aleenah Marcucci), but Cascade cancels that out with its distance troop, led by Kylie Kelchen and Rebecca McDermott, and the relays provide the difference. Gabby Dutchik of Iowa City Regina is the runner to beat in the 400 and 800.

Projected top three -- 1. Cascade, 2. Northeast, 3. Iowa City Regina. 

TRI-RIVERS BOYS

Site -- Delhi

Overview -- One of the league's newbies -- Lisbon -- figures to take the Tri-Rivers by storm in boys' track. The Lions lead the league in eight events and are seeded 1-2 in the 1,600 and the 400 hurdles (led by T.J. Krob and Benton Frey in those events). They also have the premier thrower in Keegan Tritle. Finally, they'll have a full, strong lineup that will be difficult for anybody else to match. North Linn and Maquoketa Valley are the best of the rest. The Lynx will be strong in the 3,200 relay and the medley.

Projected top three -- 1. Lisbon, 2. North Linn, 3. Maquoketa Valley. 

TRI-RIVERS GIRLS

Site -- DelhiOverview -- Of all the area league meets -- boys and girls -- this one could provide the largest margin of victory. North Linn has the best athlete in middle-distance star Nicole Miller, who is basically a lock to win four events. And the Lynx, without a doubt, have the best team, one that figures to be a player in the Class 1A race at the state meet in two weeks. They have the top pre-meet effort in 10 events, including five relays. Maquoketa Valley and Springville will battle for second place. Springville is favored in the 400- and 800-meter relays.

Projected top three -- 1. North Linn, 2. Maquoketa Valley, 3. Springville. 

ELSEWHERE THURSDAY ...* Northeast Iowa Conference (boys and girls), at New Hampton* Upper Iowa Conference (boys and girls), at Monona