Teubel outduels Flattery

By Rob Gray

Correspondent

DES MOINES - Will Teubel of Mount Vernon huffed, puffed and powered to the lead. Then Fort Dodge St. Edmond's Neil Flattery showed up.

Teubel's rival - in more sports than one - made the pass to first in turn three of the final lap of Saturday's Class 2A boys' 800-meter run.

Uh oh? Nope.

“I knew I had some left in me,” said Teubel, who outkicked Flattery out of turn four for his third state title at Drake Stadium. “I was feeling great this morning. I came out and ran my own race and managed to pull it off.”

Teubel won the 400 and anchored the Mustangs' 3,200-meter relay time to a title in a span of less than two hours Thursday. He credited his multi-sport approach to fitness for success with the quick turnaround - as well as Saturday's triumph.

“With all the sports I've done in my life, I've gotten in great shape so I can have a nice kick at the end,” said Teubel, who helped Mount Vernon forge a tie with St. Edmond for second in the team race with 38 points. “I can go just as hard as I need to.”

West Marshall won the team crown with 48 points. Monticello earned fifth with 34 and Beckman placed sixth with 33.

Beckman's foursome of Johnny Hogan, Ethan Brehm, Kyle Mensen and Alec Gansemer attained gold in the 440-meter shuttle hurdle relay Saturday. The tradition-rich Blazers had hoped to contend for a team title, but took some solace in the shuttle hurdle win.

“(Friday) was a rough day,” Logan said. “We wanted to come out and turn it around today.”

Teubel and his teammates turned around St. Edmond in last March's 2A state basketball tournament. The Mustangs trailed by 15 points before rallying to win the championship, 48-45.

Teubel hit a game-tying basket in the fourth quarter of that game, which still reverberates through those who played in it.

“We actually talked about that a little bit (Friday),” Teubel said.

Saturday, Flattery nearly turned the tables.

“I knew he was a great runner,” Teubel said. “He started to kick at the end and I had to stay with him just try to beat him at the end.”