Last-race exclamation point for Decorah

DES MOINES -- Kyle Kregel waited all day for roughly 50 seconds of glory.

"It was nice, but it was nerve racking," Kregel said after anchoring Decorah's 1,600-meter relay team to victory -- a victory that put a stamp on Decorah's Class 3A boys' championship Saturday at the state track meet Saturday at Drake Stadium.

The Vikings claimed the crown in convincing fashion, totaling 65 points.

Webster City was the runner-up with 48 1/3 points, followed by Spirit Lake Park (45), Marion (44) and Fort Madison (40).

"This is amazing. We've come so far," Kregel said. "This has been a goal all year long, and I knew we could do it if we worked hard."

Drew Schwartz, Bjorn Gowdy-Jaehnig, Cole Svestka and Kregel prevailed in a down-to-the-wire finish. Decorah was clocked in 3:22.63, Waverly-Shell Rock in 3:22.67.

"We've raced Waverly quite a few times this season," Kregel said. "They beat us a few times, we beat them a few times. I knew that if it came down to the wire, it was going to be close."

Decorah entered the day with a comfortable lead, then Kyle Hosting padded it with a second-place finish in the 800 meters -- the first event of the morning.

"I knew I had to help the team, said the 6-foot-5 Hosting, who ran in 1:58.05. "I didn't have a great start; I was behind the pack. I had to push to get back toward the front."

Marion's Lukas Mees closed his career with a championship-worthy kick. Mees won the 1,600 meters in 4:24.06, then followed with his arms spread wide to soak in the achievement and the emotion.

"I kept telling myself down the stretch, 'This is it, this is it,' " Mees said. "It feels so good to finally do it. It's great to make my parents proud, my teammates, myself.

"To be honest, I'm still a little bit in shock."

Mees, who will enroll at Emory (Ga.) in the fall, was outkicked by Pella's Zach Buchheit at the end of the 3,200 on Thursday, and wasn't happy about it. Saturday, he sealed the deal with a kick that started with about 200 meters to go and didn't end until the crossed the finish line.

"I knew I wouldn't win a kicker's race," he said. "I think, today, I wanted it more than anybody else."

Western Dubuque was second in the shuttle hurdle relay.