Eagles set the standard

By Rob Gray

Correspondent

DES MOINES - Taylor Schaefers of Clayton Ridge shared a simple wish for her school Saturday at Drake Stadium.

“That we put it on the map,” she said.

Mission accomplished.

Schaefers ran second on the Class 1A Eagles' all-class record-setting sprint medley relay team.

She, Randi Bodish, Mallory Tujetsch and anchor Jasmine Staebler finished in 1:49.17 - .44 seconds faster than Grundy Center's previous standard set two years ago.

“It's nothing we would have imagined,” said Tujetsch, who ran the third leg. “We never ran the sprint med. I'm a senior and in four years, this is our first year running it. It's amazing.”

Clayton Ridge finished fourth in the team standings with 33 points, 18 behind champion Griswold.

North Linn hit its goal of third, totaling 34 points - and churned up a title Saturday in the 1,600-meter relay, completing it in 4:05.22.

Senior Jenna Schade led off, then bellowed support from the infield.

“It's really nice to get to cheer on your teammates,” Schade said.

Fellow Lynx senior Amanda Aberle expressed pride in the team's performance.

“We came in here expecting to get a few medals, not quite knowing if we'd get golds or anything,” said Aberle, who also helped her team win the 3,200-meter relay on Thursday. “It's really nice to get a couple.”

She and Schade helped groom a couple of freshman - Maddie Boer and anchor Nicole Miller - for success, too.

“If it weren't for these two, Nicole and I would be clueless, completely,” Boer said. “They're really good examples to have.”

Clayton Ridge also showcased two seniors and two freshman on its winning relay team.

Staebler, the anchor, won the 400 Thursday - the school's first state track title.

She also finished second in the 800 Saturday and strained to hold off Belle Plaine anchor Emily Toennies in the record-setting sprint medley.

“She definitely pushed me to get the faster split and come hard all the way around,” Staebler said of Toennies, who helped her team earn second while medaling in several events.

“Placings are what they are,” Toennies, a junior, said. “It's my times that I'm worried about and they were not where I wanted them to be this year.”

She's excited about next season, however, and sees more map-making for Clayton Ridge ahead, courtesy of Staebler.

“She's an amazing runner and I'm pretty sure it will just get better from there,” Toennies said. “I have a lot of work to do if I ever want to beat her.”