'Fired-up' Evans, McCrary shoot Lions to the top

DES MOINES — Josh Evans watched Thursday as the fastest distance race in state history took place without him.

Then he went back to his hotel and simmered inside.

'I stewed about it for 2 hours,' Evans said, referrring to the brilliant Class 3A 3,200-meter race between Gilbert's Thomas Pollard and Boone's Chandler Austin, both of whom set the previous all-time Iowa best.

'That was an insane race. I thought to myself, 'What can I do to top that?' '

Friday's anchor was a start.

Evans brought home Linn-Mar's 1,600-meter medley with a 1:50.0 split as the Lions set a state-meet record in 3:24.39, winning the 4A title at Drake Stadium.

That, plus a title by long-jumper Curtis McCrary and a third-place finish by its 800-meter relay unit, placed Linn-Mar smack-dab in the thick of the team race.

Through 10 events, Linn-Mar and Waukee are tied for the lead with 42 points. Cedar Rapids Kennedy is third with 35.5.

The final eight events are Saturday.

Austin Flieder, Tim Wolfe and Duggan Trenary ran the first three legs for the Lions' medley.

Evans got the baton in good shape, and with plenty of motivation.

'Josh is wicked when he gets fired up,' Flieder said. 'It's inspiring to have a rock like that on our team.'

If you follow track, you're well aware of Evans. McCrary is another story.

He's a newcomer to Linn-Mar and a newcomer to track. The 19-year-old senior came to Marion from Detroit in an effort to 'turn my life around.'

McCrary jumped 23 feet, 1 inch, to beat Kennedy's Famiek Cook and Derek Jacobus, who finished 2-3.

'I love it here. It's a good school system,' said McCrary, who lives with his uncle. 'It pretty much keeps me out of trouble. It's a new start. I have my life together. I'm not proud of where my life was at.'

McCrary's best jump was his second. Cook took silver at 22-3 1/4; Jacobus, the defending-champion, settled for third at 22-2 1/4.

Cook and Jacobus were on the second-place 800-meter relay team and will run on the highly ranked shuttle hurdle relay and 400 relay Saturday.

'We still have big plans,' Cook said. 'We're ready to break that shuttle record.'

Iowa City West was second in the medley.

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