Wrage soars to another high jump title

DES MOINES - After Maria Wrage won a state high jump championship last year, butterflies accompanied her home from Drake Stadium.

'I've been nervous for this since last year's state meet,” she said. 'I just knew that I had to keep pushing myself all season.”

A senior at Union High School, Wrage repeated - sort of - by winning the Class 3A title Thursday at Drake Stadium, clearing 5 feet, 5 inches.

Wrage was the 2A titlist last year.

A Winona State University signee (she'll play volleyball and compete in track and field in Minnesota), Wrage didn't enter the competition until 5-3. She cleared there right away, then missed her first try at 5-4.

Then, before her second attempt, she took three approaches without jumping.

'It goes back to that mental thing,” she said. 'I was going to wait until it felt right.”

Wrage cleared on her second attempt, then nailed 5-5 on the first try to earn the title.

Two-time defending champion Davenport Assumption stormed into the driver's seat of the 3A girls' team race. The Knights have 38 points through five events. Gilbert is second with 19 points, followed by Solon (18).

Solon's Shelby Gunnells and Katy Misel finished second and sixth in the discus. Gunnells' final throw was her best - 131 feet, 8 inches.

She did it with a strained pectoral muscle, suffered Tuesday.

'I hadn't thrown in a couple days. Today, I made sure I stretched and warmed up really well,” said Gunnells, the favorite in Friday's shot put.

'When you go for the pull, it puts a lot of strain on it. I focused on getting a lot of torque going through my hips.”

Gunnells will throw at North Dakota State next year.

Amanda Taylor of Decorah was third in the 3,000 in 10:22.12, finishing behind Davenport Assumption's duo of Julia Schumacher and Joy Ripslinger. Julie Hollensbe of Williamsburg and Maddie Bach of Marion were fifth and sixth.

Jordan Smith of Solon and Emily Thole of West Delaware finished fourth and fifth in the 400.

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