West Branch's Bruns kicks to 2A title in 3,000

DES MOINES - Courtney Bruns doubted the power of her kick.

Her sister and West Branch running mate, Lindsey, did not.

“She might not have thought she had it, but Courtney can always pull through at the end,” said Lindsey, who finished third in Thursday's Class 2A girls' state track and field 3,000-meter race - behind her winning sister and second-place Mariah Kauder of Cascade. “I knew she would be able to do it.”

The twins ran most of the race side-by-side as Kauder - a top-four seed in four events - strode to a commanding lead.

“That race, every race all season, Lindsey has been there with me and it just helps,” Courtney Bruns said. “We support each other so much. I'm so glad I get to race with my sister.”

Courtney broke from her sibling with three laps to go, passed Kauder at the stripe, then traded the lead several times before finishing strong in 10:15.23.

Kauder held the lead until Bruns' surge out of the final turn came somewhat unexpectedly - for her anyway.

“No,” Courtney Bruns said when asked if she thought she had the winning kick in her. “I was really tired. I was like, ‘I'm going to try it.' And I did. I guess I had a kick.”

Kauder ran the route in 10:17, notching her second top-four finish in the event at state.

Bruns took 12th in the 3,000 last year, running 50 seconds slower than she did on Thursday at Drake Stadium.

“I just kind of do my own race at the beginning, do what I feel is right,” said Bruns, who placed sixth in the all-class 3,000-meters last Month at the Drake Relays. “Then at the end I just kind of give whatever I've got left. I decided to go after her and give what I've got left.”

It was a landmark day for both of the Bruns twins.

Lindsey ran the race in 10:37.09 - a significant time.

“(She) PR'd by like one second,” Courtney Bruns said. “So I'm happy.”

The Jesup 3,200-meter relay team's bolstered mood came with a dash of redemption.

The J-Hawks' quartet of Piper Thomas, Krisha Tonne, Bailey Wright and Lindsey Kite won the event in a time of 9:40.25 - more than five seconds better than Western Christian of Hull. Monticello took third (9:47.41).

“All the state meets we usually get second,” said Kite, who anchored. “So it felt really good.”

Case in point, last year.

Jesup missed winning the same relay by .11 seconds in 2011, settling for a familiar second behind Western Christian.

Thursday proved to be no contest as the J-Hawks built a big lead early and never faltered.

“It really helps a lot when you get handed off with the lead like that,” Kite said.

Western Christian leads the team standings after day one with 18 points. West Branch is second with 16, Jesup is tied for fifth with 10 and Cascade is tied for eighth with eight.