Linn-Mar's 1,600 relay: 'A blur'

MARION -- Rachel Perry called it "a blur."

Speak for yourself. And of yourself.

Perry anchored home a speedy 1,600-meter relay to clinch a team championship for host Linn-Mar at the Lion Relays girls' track meet Tuesday at Linn-Mar Stadium.

Kennedy Japenga, Audra Schminke, Maddie Saville and Perry ran in 4:01.82, an effort that eclipsed the Lions' previous season best by nearly 9 seconds and vaulted Linn-Mar from 21st to No. 2 on the state leaderboard.

Perry was a blur on the track, then a celebratory whirtwind on the infield afterward when told of where they stood statewide. Lots of hopping, and lots of hugging.

"I don't know how we did that," she said. "I'm sure everyone ran their best times. We were hoping we could run in 4:08.

"I'm blown away right now."

It helped that the Lions were pushed hard. Saville moved them to the lead, then Perry held off a charge by Davenport West's Diamond Combs and Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Jasmine Raue.

West was timed in 4:03.11 (No. 4 in the state this season), Kennedy in 4:04.13 (No. 7).

"(Combs and Raue), they were really close with about 250 (meters to go)," Perry said. "I knew I had to break away."

Linn-Mar won three events (Perry captured the 400 and Sara Strauel was the high jump champion) and bested the eight-team field with 139 points. Kennedy was second with 128.

On a wind-free night, it was moving day up the state charts for several area contestants as the Drake Relays qualification cutoff drew closer.

Washington's Shannon Gorman vaulted from 21st to 12th in the 3,000, taking the gold in 10:33.96.

"I've been freaking out about it all week," Gorman said. "I'd been 18th, 19th, 20th ...  a lot of people have breen dropping time."

Tuesday, it was her turn.

"I really want to make it to Drake -- if nothing else, for the experience," said Gorman, a sophomore. "I want to run there this year, then place high next year."

Brooke Foreman, also of Washington, moved away from the Drake bubble in the 400 hurdles, running in 1:05.06 to go from sixth to third.

Only eight 400-meter hurdlers qualify for Drake, making the defending state champion a little uneasy.

"My times hadn't been there yet," she said. "My training has gone well, but my legs haven't felt as strong yet this year."

Now, she's probably a lock to qualify for Drake, and that means a lot because she has signed to run at Drake next year.

"I really want to show my (future) team what they're getting next year," she said.

Foreman also won the 100 hurdles and led off Washington's winning 400-meter relay.

The most exciting individual race of the night came in the 800, in which Cedar Rapids Xavier freshman Kayla Torson held off Kennedy's Kathia Wampole. Torson led by a stride throughout the entire second lap and won in 2:20.33; Wampole finished in 2:20.46.

Wampole came back to win the 1,500, and Kennedy was the 3,200-meter relay champion. Marion won the distance medley relay.

LION RELAYS

At Linn-Mar Stadium

Teams -- 1. Linn-Mar 139, 2. C.R. Kennedy 128, 3. Davenport Central 108, 4. Dubuque Senior 89 1/2, 5. C.R. Washington 88, 6. Davenport West 67, 7. Marion 58, 8. C.R. Xavier 54 1/2.

Shot put -- 1. Brianna Nash (DC), 35-3 1/2; 2. Lannie Nietert (LM), 33-8; 3. Jazz Royster (CRW), 31-9; Discus -- 1. Brianna Nash (DC), 102-9 1/2; 2. Lannie Nietert (LM), 96-5; 3. Sam Ross (Mar), 92-10; High jump -- 1. Sara Strauel (LM), 5-0; 2. (tie) Keiarey Nathan (DC) and Alex Bartz (CRX), 4-10; Long jump -- 1. Shaianne Thomas (DC), 17-7 1/4; 2. Allanah McCorkle (DC), 17-3 3/4; 3. Callie Stone (CRW), 16-4 3/4.

3,000 -- 1. Shannon Gorman (CRW), 10:33.96; 2. Alyssa Averhoff (CRK), 10:55.07; 3. Allison Culver (CRK), 10:59.12;

3,200 relay -- 1. C.R. Kennedy (Terukina, Rodman, Meyer, Wampole), 9:47.82; 2. Dubuque Senior, 10:04.75; 3. Linn-Mar, 10:20.94;

Shuttle hurdle relay -- 1. Dubuque Senior (S.Osterberger, Zenner, Bradley, A.Osterberger), 1:08.02; 2. Linn-Mar, 1:08.31; 3. Davenport West, 1:17.85;

100 -- 1. Allanah McCorkle (DC), 12.95; 2. Kadejah Sanders (CRW), 13.23; 3. Hannah Rochford (CRX), 13.35;

Distance medley relay -- 1. Marion (A.Kolarik, Draeger, M.Kolarik, Scott), 4:23.98; 2. Linn-Mar, 4:25.77; 3. Davenport West, 4:36.33;

400 -- 1. Rachel Perry (LM), 58.97; 2. Kendra Conforti (DS), 1:03.80; 3. Sam Livingston (Mar), 1:04.09;

800 relay -- 1. Dubuque Senior (Mohr, S.Osterberger, A.Osterberger, Kimble), 1:47.19; 2. Davenport Central, 1:47.70; 3. Davenport West, 1:49.79;

100 hurdles -- 1. Brooke Foreman (CRW), 15.40; 2. Sammie Osterberger (DS), 16.16; 3. Tanner Werthman (DW), 16.43;

800 -- 1. Kayla Torson (CRX), 2:20.33; 2. Kathia Wampole (CRK), 2:20.46; 3. Allison Scott (Mar), 2:28.58;

200 -- 1. Shaianne Thomas (DC), 26.74; 2. Capria Davis (CRK), 27.09; 3. Jasmine Butler (DC), 27.10;

400 hurdles -- 1. Brooke Foreman (CRW), 1:05.06; 2. Kelsie Coates (CRK), 1:08.64; 3. Tadaisha Thornton (DC), 1:12.56;

Sprint medley relay -- 1. Davenport West (Mosley, Perez, LaBrecque, Combs), 1:55.64; 2. Dubuque Senior, 1:58.45; 3. Marion, 1:59.03;

1,500 -- 1. Kathia Wampole (CRK), 5:06.79; 2. Allison Culver (CRK), 5:09.58; 3. Morgan Uridil (LM), 5:15.24;

400 relay -- 1. C.R. Washington (Foreman, Jones, Muller, Sanders), 51.34; 2. Davenport Central, 51.39; 3. C.R. Xavier, 51.41;

1,600 relay -- 1. Linn-Mar (Japenga, Schminke, Saville, Perry), 4:01.82; 2. Davenport West, 4:03.11; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 4:04.13.