What to watch for at Thursday’s Forwald-Coleman Relays

IOWA CITY — All of the conditions are favorable.

OK, most.

There’s a collective urgency as the Drake Relays qualification deadline looms. There’s a dynamite field.

Now, will the weather cooperate and make the Forwald-Coleman Relays truly memorable?

“Oh, I sure hope so,” Iowa City High boys’ track and field coach Mike Moore said. “We’re going to put together a lineup to go out there and go for it.”

An elite collection of talent, which comes just hours before the Drake cutoff, will convene at Raffensperger Track/Bates Field on Thursday.

Competition begins at 3:30 p.m. Thursday’s late-afternoon forecast calls for 60 degrees, a chance of rain, and wind.

City High swept the team titles last year.

Traditionally an eight-team meet in both boys and girls, Forwald-Coleman has expanded to 13 girls’ teams and 10 boys’ squads.

There isn’t a weak link in the bunch.

The girls’ field features Waukee Northwest, the reigning Class 4A state champion, along with City High and West Des Moines Valley, which tied for third. Solon is the defending 3A champion.

City High was the 4A boys’ runner-up in 2022. Linn-Mar placed fourth, Valley sixth.

“I tell you what, you should probably be talking to Linn-Mar, not us,” Moore said. “They’re good. Really good. I think Valley is going to be really tough. And T.J. (Craig) and the boys across the river (at Iowa City West) are going fast.”

The overall strength of the field is reflected at the top of the state event charts at Bound.

As many as eight boys’ event state leaders could compete, and up to seven girls’ leaders.

Some potential boys’ highlights:

* Linn-Mar’s T.J. Jackson and Iowa City High’s Matt Schaeckenbach rank 1-2 in the high jump. Jackson has cleared 6 feet, 10 1/2 inches; Schaeckenbach has gone 6-10 1/4.

“Oh, boy,” Moore said. “That’s going to be a dandy.”

* Iowa City West’s Aidan Jacobsen (53.51) and Linn-Mar’s Nicholas Gorsich (53.54) are the state’s top two in the 400-meter hurdles. Gorsich is No. 1 in the 110-meter highs (14.38), and is a member of the Lions’ top-ranked shuttle hurdle relay (58.67).

* Ford Washburn of City High leads the state in the 3,200 meters (9:00.73), and Moore said his distance ace will run the 3,200/1,600 double Thursday. The Little Hawks also have a 4x800 crew that has run 7:47.84.

* West’s Izaiah Loveless is tops in the 200 (21.69), and the Trojans are the state 4x200 leaders (1:28.52).

And on the girls’ side:

* Cedar Rapids Kennedy junior twins Sidney and Addison Swartzendruber are 1-2 in the 400. The 800 could be a 1-2 showdown between Sidney Swartzendruber and Dubuque Hempstead’s Keelee Leitzen.

* Ames’ Ali Frandsen holds the state lead in both hurdles events at 14.37 and 1:02.46.

* Waukee’s Josie Moreland is a 5-8 high-jumper.

* Northwest is No. 1 in the 800- and 1,600-meter relays, and Leitzen is a prominent member of Hempstead’s top-rated 3,200-meter relay.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com