West surges into 4A lead

DES MOINES -- Call him Charles. Or Charlie. He doesn't care.

"Whatever you want to call me," Charles Rogers (or Charlie Rogers) said. "I'm not too picky."

Charles. Or Charlie. Champion.

A senior at Iowa City West, Rogers had the most down the stretch to win the Class 4A boys' 400-meter hurdles at the state track meet Friday at Drake Stadium.

In a dead heat with Linn-Mar's Brandon Ophoff at the race's midpoint, Rogers pulled away to win in 53.43 seconds.

"This is my first year in the 400 hurdles, and my coaches told me to run to win," Rogers said. "Ophoff edged me out at the district meet, and I didn't want to feel like that again.

West enjoyed a big day and moved into the lead in the 4A boys' team race. Rogers' win, coupled with a triumph by the Trojans' 800-meter relay, put West at 37 points through 10 events.

Cedar Rapids Washington is second with 25 points, followed by West Des Moines Dowling (22).

The final eight events will be contested Saturday.

"We're definitely building momentum," said Richard Bryant, the third runner in the victorious relay.

Tavian Smith, Tre Goode, Bryant and Armando Williams won it in 1:27.67, leading a 1-2-3-4 finish by the Mississippi Valley Conference. Iowa City High ran in 1:28.43, Cedar Rapids Xavier in 1:29.06, Washington in 1:29.46.

"My first state championship, it feels great," Williams said. "I just wanted to stay relaxed. I was coming down the stretch, I was looking at the clock."

For most of the day, Cedar Rapids Prairie's Jacob Aune was laying low. By late afternoon, he was flying high.

Aune anchored the Hawks from behind in the 1,600-meter medley relay for the win. Austin Dellamuth, Jarred Edmonds, Demetrius Harper and Aune clocked in at 3:28.88.

"I got a migraine (Thursday night) and I felt bad all day," Aune said. "I still feel like crap. We just kind of laid low."

Harper handed Aune the baton in fourth place, but in good position.

"I had full confidence in him," Harper said. "I trusted him fully."

Aune passed Washington's Robert Hogg with 250 meters to go, then won going away.

"I wanted to start the kick on my terms instead of getting boxed in," he said.

West, which ran in the second heat, was second. Washington was third.

Washington's Drake Hickok and Ophoff finished third and fourth in the 400 hurdles; Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Derek Jacobus was fourth in the long jump.