Kennedy boys, Linn-Mar girls reign at 4A SQM

MARION — It's like starting a race with a big head start.

'Our field events, they carry our team; let's just say that,' said Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Mark Schulz. 'It helps us get off to a good start, that's for sure.'

Kennedy won all four field events and scored 68 points off the track in winning Thursday's Class 4A boys' district meet at a soggy Linn-Mar Stadium.

The Cougars outpointed Linn-Mar, 166-156.5, for the crown. Both teams picked up 12 automatic qualifiers for the state meet May 21-23 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. The remainder of the 4A state field is expected to be released Friday.

Linn-Mar captured the girls' regional title, winning nine events, earning 12 AQs and scoring 169 points. Iowa City West was second with 143.5.

Kennedy's recipe for success is no mystery. The Cougars went 1-2 in the discus, 1-2 in the high jump, 1-2 in the long jump and 1-5 in the shot put. Willie Rhoads captured both jumps, Dalles Jacobus took the shot put and Jackson Coker led the field in the discus.

And Kennedy was good enough on the track to hold on and flip last week's result at the MVC Valley Division meet, in which Linn-Mar outscored the Cougars.

'(The divisional) didn't go well,' Schulz said. 'We just didn't do well. Our goal tonight was to come back and show what we've truly got.'

Kennedy picked up two wins on the track — Schulz in the 800 and Shaun Beyer in the 110-meter high hurdles.

Linn-Mar was missing two main cogs, distance runner Daniel Murphy (hip) and long sprinter Austin Flieder (hamstring).

'I guess I was running for the Murphy family tonight,' said Daniel's younger brother, Ryan Murphy, who won the 3,200 and the 1,600. 'Daniel's been struggling with his hip all season. Every team has to deal with setbacks at some point. You just have to fight through it and move on.'

The majority of the meet was contested in conditions that ranged from misty to significantly drippy.

'It didn't bother me,' Murphy said. 'It was right in my wheelhouse.'

Stephanie Jenks' compliments of the conditions were a bit more sarcastic.

'Oh, I just loved it,' she said, soakingly, after a wet, winning 1,500. 'I love being all wet and heavy and not being able to see.'

Jenks swept the 800, 1,500 and 3,000 and continued to shave time in the 400 hurdles, finishing second to Drake Relays champion Sarah Plock of Iowa City High.

'I'm making progress in the hurdles,' she said. 'I really wanted to finish in the top two and qualify automatically so I don't have to worry about it.'

Linn-Mar's Payton Wensel was the 400-meter champion and anchored the winning 3,200- and 1,600-meter relays. The Lions also won three field events — Lannie Nietert in the shot put, Brooke Lorenz in the high jump and Ariana Rolle in the long jump.

To no surprise, Cedar Rapids Jefferson blazed in the girls' sprints. Jasmine Blue won the 100, Lucy Schneekloth claimed the 200, and they teamed with Abilene Ranschau and Morgan Meese on the triumphant 400- and 800-meter relays, plus the sprint medley.

'We were ready for these conditions,' Blue said. 'We work hard in the rain and the snow, so it wasn't a big deal. We wanted to put up some good times and qualify safely.'

Jefferson automatically qualified nine entrants, West eight.

BOYS TRACK & FIELD: CLASS 4A DISTRICT

At Linn-Mar

(Top 2 from each site, in each event, automatically qualify for state; at-large field consists of 12 next best efforts statewide)

Teams — 1. C.R. Kennedy 166, 2. Linn-Mar 156.5, 3. C.R. Washington 99, 4. Iowa City West 89, 5. Iowa City High 82, 6. C.R. Jefferson 58.5, 7. Marshalltown 28, 8. Ottumwa 22.

Shot put — 1. Dalles Jacobus (CRK), 52-3; 2. Cameron McInerney (CRJ), 49-3 1/2; 3. Jared Eivins (CRJ), 48-5; Discus — 1. Jackson Coker (CRK), 168-5; 2. Dalles Jacobus (CRK), 154-3; 3. Aaron Roane (Ott), 144-5 1/2; High jump — 1. Willie Rhoads (CRK), 6-5; 2. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 6-3; 3. Luke Willenborg (LM), 6-0; Long jump — 1. Willie Rhoads (CRK), 21-10; 2. Jay Blank (CRK), 21-0 3/4; 3. Jimmy Itangishaka (CRJ), 20-7.

3,200 relay — 1. Linn-Mar (A'Hearn, Mather, Fogerty, Dolezal), 8:01.64; 2. Iowa City West, 8:05.20; 3. Iowa City High, 8:09.25; 3,200 — 1. Ryan Murphy (LM), 9:48.50; 2. Ali Ali (ICW), 9:54.26; 3. Akash Borde (ICW), 9:55.38; Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Linn-Mar (Baker, Dochterman, House, Gorsich), 57.54; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 58.45; 3. C.R. Washington, 58.64; 100 — 1. Bryson Runge (ICH), 11.24; 2. Alex Herzog (CRW), 11.35; 3. Perrion Scott (LM), 11.37; 400 — 1. Landen Akers (CRW), 50.19; 2. Dalton Gosch (LM), 50.63; 3. Hunter Schoenauer (CRK), 51.40; 800 relay — 1. C.R. Washington (Nimmers, Dostal, Taylor, Herzog), 1:29.81; 2. Linn-Mar, 1:29.99; 3. Iowa City West, 1:30.16; 110 hurdles — 1. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 15.15; 2. Daniel Gorsich (LM), 15.35; 3. Tavion Stewart (CRW), 15.49; 1,600 — 1. Ryan Murphy (LM), 4:34.51; 2. Bryan Fogerty (LM), 4:35.24; 3. Matthew Schneider (ICW), 4:41.06; 200 — 1. Dan Larson (CRJ), 22.64; 2. Wali Parks (ICW), 22.71; 3. Bryson Runge (ICH), 22.76; 400 hurdles — 1. Isaiah Nimmers (CRW), 54.54; 2. Matt Gardner (CRK), 55.92; 3. Nick House (LM), 56.57; 1,600 medley relay — 1. Iowa City West (Koch, Huff, Parks, Nugent), 3:35.41; 2. Linn-Mar, 3:35.54; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 3:41.38; 800 — 1. Mark Schulz (CRK), 1:59.66; 2. Greyson Dolezal (LM), 2:01.42; 3. Ian McGillicuddy (ICW), 2:01.94; 400 relay — 1. Linn-Mar (Scott, T.Freese, G.Freese, Gorsich), 43.28; 2. Iowa City High, 43.32; 3. C.R. Washington, 43.37; 1,600 relay — 1. Linn-Mar (Flieder, A'Hearn, Gosch, Zimmerman), 3:27.13; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 3:27.36; 3. C.R. Washington, 3:28.55.

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD: CLASS 4A REGIONAL

At Linn-Mar

(Top 2 from each site, in each event, automatically qualify for state; at-large field consists of 12 next best efforts statewide)

Teams — 1. Linn-Mar 169, 2. Iowa City West 143.5, 3. Iowa City High 102.5, 4. C.R. Jefferson 101.5, 5. C.R. Washington 62, 6. Ottumwa 55, 7. C.R. Kennedy 54.5, 8. Marshalltown 46.

Shot put — 1. Lannie Nietert (LM), 38-11 1/4; 2. Chandler Haight (ICW), 38-0 3/4; 3. Sam Hughes (Marsh), 37-0; Discus — 1. Leah Dusterhoft (ICW), 124-5; 2. Sam Hughes (Marsh), 115-1 1/2; 3. Zainab Makky (ICW), 114-7; High jump — 1. Brooke Lorenz (LM), 5-2; 2. Cyan Vanderhoef (ICH), 5-1; 3. Hope Bitner (Ott), 5-1; Long jump — 1. Ariana Rolle (LM), 17-3 1/2; 2. Vanessa Eniola (CRW), 16-11 1/4; 3. Brooke Lorenz (LM), 16-6 3/4.

3,000 — 1. Stephanie Jenks (LM), 10:39.84; 2. Gabby Skopec (ICW), 10:54.53; 3. Emily Bywater (ICH), 10:55.38; 3,200 relay — 1. Linn-Mar (M.Saville, Hicks, H.Saville, Wensel), 9:35.57; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 9:43.50; 3. Iowa City West, 9:51.66; Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Iowa City West (Young, Roudabush, Noibi, Welch), 1:07.90; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 1:10.10; 3. Ottumwa, 1:10.50; 100 — 1. Jasmine Blue (CRJ), 12.56; 2. Mariah Ward (CRW), 12.98; 3. Amarri Waller (CRK), 12.99; Distance medley relay — 1. Iowa City West (Basabe, Gravelin, Saunders, Nock), 4:13.43; 2. Linn-Mar, 4:13.79; 3. C.R. Jefferson, 4:18.52; 400 — 1. Payton Wensel (LM), 56.15; 2. Sarah Plock (ICH), 57.36; 3. Maddie Saville (LM), 59.92; 800 relay — 1. C.R. Jefferson (Ranschau, Blue, Meese, Schneekloth), 1:41.95; 2. C.R. Washington, 1:48.55; 3. Iowa City High, 1:49.99; 100 hurdles — 1. Valerie Welch (ICW), 15.49; 2. Abilene Ranschau (CRJ), 15.50; 3. Amara Taylor (CRW), 16.06; 800 — 1. Stephanie Jenks (LM), 2:15.89; 2. Bailey Nock (ICW), 2:20.41; 3. Amber Decker (LM), 2:20.69; 200 — 1. Lucy Schneekloth (CRJ), 26.39; 2. Erin Sheehy (Ott), 27.59; 3. Amarri Waller (CRK), 27.71; 400 hurdles — 1. Sarah Plock (ICH), 1:03.46; 2. Stephanie Jenks (LM), 1:05.62; 3. Valerie Welch (ICW), 1:05.92; Sprint medley relay — 1. C.R. Jefferson (Schneekloth, Meese, Ranschau, Blue), 1:49.20; 2. Linn-Mar, 1:53.98; 3. Iowa City High, 1:56.64; 1,500 — 1. Stephanie Jenks (LM), 4:44.66; 2. Bailey Nock (ICW), 4:53.19; 3. Morgan Garcia (LM), 5:00.55; 400 relay — 1. C.R. Jefferson (Schneekloth, Ranschau, Meese, Blue), 49.37; 2. C.R. Washington, 50.63; 3. Linn-Mar, 51.01; 1,600 relay — 1. Linn-Mar (M.Saville, Decker, H.Saville, Wensel), 4:01.96; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 4:07.49; 3. Iowa City High, 4:12.31.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com