J-Hawks reset their own Drake record

DES MOINES — Piece by piece, year by year, the Jefferson J-Hawks are building a girls' 800-meter relay monopoly.

Just call it the Four-by-Faster.

The J-Hawks broke their own Drake Relays record in the event, running it in 1:40.87 Friday afternoon at Drake Stadium.

'We knew this was ours to take,' anchor Jasmine Blue said. 'It's our race.'

The all-time best chart provides proof. Jefferson now owns the top three times, all-time, in Iowa. They ran 1:39.24 last year at state. Their effort Friday ranks second, and their time of 1:40.94, from the 2013 state meet, is No. 3.

Blue has been a part of all three. And she was a part of last year's Drake-record time of 1:40.96.

'We just keep getting better and better,' she said. 'We're so blessed to have these runners. We didn't know what we were going to do when Morgan (Meese) and Lucy (Schneekloth) left (last year, to graduation), but we couldn't ask for two better runners to fill their spots.'

Newcomers Autumn Anderson and MiAsia Bergmann joined veterans Blue and Abilene Ranschau, and the cycle continues.

'The attitude that the older girls have, during workouts and during meets ... it's such a positive atmosphere,' Anderson said.

'And Coach (Bill) Calloway is a great coach,' Ranschau said. 'He always has a plan.'

Jefferson and Davenport Assumption were in a dead heat at the midpoint of the race, but Anderson gave the J-Hawks a slight lead, then Blue closed it out. Assumption was second in 1:41.42.

The triumph came about three hours after the J-Hawks were edged by Waukee in the sprint medley relay, 1:47.11 to 1:47.39.

'I was upset after the medley,' Blue said. 'I thought we had it. But I'm OK with it, and we're going to work harder.'

Ranschau finished second to Pleasant Valley's Carly Donahue in the 100-meter hurdles. Donahue was clocked in 14.38 seconds, Ranschau in 14.45.

'That eighth hurdle, I hit it again,' Ranschau said. 'It probably slowed me up just enough. Last year, I came in third and finished second, so I can't be too upset with this.'

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Iowa City West's Valerie Welch was the long jump champion, sailing 18 feet, 0 1/2 inches. That was 2 inches farther than runner-up Darby Thomas of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln.

This is Welch's first season as a long jumper. She went 19-4 in her debut in late March, and now she's a Drake champion.

'It hasn't set in yet,' she said. 'Before my last jump, I saw Coach (Mike Parker) and (assistant) Peggy (McGuire), and they were pumping their arms, and I knew I had won and all I had to do was jump.'

Linn-Mar's Stephanie Jenks picked up her second runner-up finish of the weekend, finishing behind Assumption's Joy Ripslinger in the 800. Ripslinger led the whole way and finished in 2:14.07; Jenks came from back in the pack to close strong and finished in 2:14.37.

Welch was third in the 100 hurdles.

DRAKE RELAYS: FRIDAY GIRLS RESULTS

Long jump — 1. Valerie Welch (Iowa City West), 18-0 1/2; 2. Darby Thomas (Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln), 17-10 1/2; 3. Aleenah Marcucci (Northeast), 17-10; 4. Dianna Slight (Boone), 17-6 3/4; 5. Kenna Sauer (Ankeny Centennial), 17-2 1/2; 6. Vanessa Eniola (Cedar Rapids Washington), 16-11 1/2; 7. Briyana Carter (Des Moines Roosevelt), 16-10 1/4; 8. Callie Calfee (Bedford), 16-4 1/2.

Discus — 1. Kiana Phelps (KP-WC), 162-7*; 2. Sydney Laufenberg (Clinton), 146-11; 3. Erika Hammond (Clinton), 145-9; 4. Ashlan Burton (Urbandale), 142-0; 5. Caitlin Himes (Tipton), 140-0; 6. Kenzie Sullivan (Pocahontas Area), 133-6; 7. Leah Dusterhoft (Iowa City West), 133-2; 8. Emily Creery (North Fayette Valley), 131-8.

Sprint medley relay — 1. Waukee (Sehman, Schau, Vojic, Campbell), 1:47.11; 2. Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 1:47.39; 3. Davenport Assumption, 1:47.73; 4. Ames, 1:47.75; 5. Dubuque Wahlert, 1:47.80; 6. Southeast Polk, 1:48.06; 7. Linn-Mar, 1:48.12; 8. Pleasant Valley, 1:48.16.

100 hurdles — 1. Carly Donahue (Pleasant Valley), 14.34; 2. Abilene Ranschau (Cedar Rapids Jefferson), 14.42; 3. Valerie Welch (Iowa City West), 14.76; 4. Aleenah Marcucci (Northeast), 14.92; 5. Dimetrea Hamilton (Des Moines East), 15.16; 6. Kylie Morken (Ames), 14.72; 7. Maggi Bjustrom (Adel ADM), 14.66; 8. Megan Hudson (Union), 15.00.

100 — 1. Kerris Roberts (Waterloo East), 11.77*; 2. Briyana Carter (Des Moines Roosevelt), 11.85; 3. Talia Buss (Waukee), 11.99; 4. Khenadi Jones (Sioux City West), 12.08; 5. Katie Maschmann (Montezuma), 12.20; 6. Emily Paul (Pleasant Valley), 12.36; 7. Alicia Harrington (Cedar Falls), 12.38; 8. Elma Vojic (Waukee), 12.51.

800 relay — 1. Cedar Rapids Jefferson (Ranschau, Bergmann, Anderson, Blue), 1:40.87*; 2. Davenport Assumption, 1:41.42; 3. Waukee, 1:41.43; 4. Southeast Polk, 1:42.80; 5. Dubuque Wahlert, 1:43.04; 6. Des Moines Roosevelt, 1:44.05; 7. Cedar Falls, 1:44.79; 8. Des Moines East, 1:45.30.

800 — 1. Joy Ripslinger (Davenport Assumption), 2:14.07; 2. Stephanie Jenks (Linn-Mar), 2:14.37; 3. Okasana Covey (Des Moines Christian), 2:15.10; 4. Lily Campbell (Waukee), 2:16.21; 5. Addie Swanson (Pleasant Valley), 2:16.33; 6. Gwynne Wright (Pekin), 2:17.04; 7. Kelsey Schweizer (West Des Moines Dowling), 2:17.36; 8. Larkin Chapman (Muscatine), 2:17.41.

*Drake record

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