Another relay title, and an unexpected Cup, for Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s girls at Drake Relays

DES MOINES — For Sidney Swartzendruber, there was nobody to chase, and no heroics were necessary.

“These girls put me in a perfect spot,” she said, waving at her relay teammates. “It gave me extra motivation. They did their part, and I had to do mine.”

She did, leaving no doubt.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy captured the Drake Relays girls’ 1,600-meter relay championship Saturday afternoon at Drake Stadium. And there was a totally unexpected bonus.

Kennedy claimed the girls’ Relays Cup, compiling 20 points in the four relays that count toward the award. Johnston was second with 19.

“We didn’t even think about that,” Addison Swartzendruber said. “We had tunnel vision. All we thought about was the next race.”

The Swartzendrubers (Addison first, Sidney last) bookended Kennedy’s winning 4x400 effort of 3 minutes, 55.11 seconds. The middle two runners — Jovie Veach and Emerson Swearinger — more than pulled their weight.

“We owe everything to them,” said Addison Swartzendruber, who got the Cougars out front early.

“I wanted to do everything I could,” said Swearinger, a freshman whose charge down the stretch put the Cougars in front for good, then nearly passed out after passing the baton to Sidney Swartendruber. “At the end, I pushed as hard as I could. I think I put out a little extra.”

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Sidney Swartzendruber’s 57.1-second anchor put a wrap on it; Ankeny Centennial was second in 3:57.82.

Solon is the reigning Class 3A state champion, but at Drake, which is unclassified, the Spartans still view themselves as underdogs.

“It was all of these massive schools against us ... just a little town,” Mia Stahle said after Solon earned a third-place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay.

Three Stahles (Aly, a sophomore; Mia, a junior; and Sophia, a senior) teamed with Calla Foster to post a 1:05.92 clocking.

Only West Des Moines Dowling (1:03.20) and Ames (1:04.23) were faster.

“It was cool running against those top programs and perform with them,” Sophia Stahle said.

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The Spartans were accompanied in the finals by Central Iowa giants Dowling and Ames, along with Waukee Northwest.

“We were fifth last year. We wanted to improve on that,” Foster said.

Danielle Hostetler of Mid-Prairie ran a 4-second lifetime best in the 1,500, earning a third-place finish in 4:37.03.

“God gave me courage,” Hostetler said. “I did a lot of mental preparation after (a disappointing 3,000 on Thursday). The 1,500 is my race. I had more mental determination.”

Hostetler was right in the mix with 200 meters to go, but Calamus-Wheatland’s Noelle Steines won it in 4:35.22. Madison Brouwer of Sibley-Ocheyedan was second (4:36.04).

“I pushed myself really hard,” Hostetler said. “I didn’t give up at any point, and I don’t have any regrets.”

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Drake Relays: Saturday’s girls results

Relays Cup leaders — 1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 20, 2. Johnston 19, 3. Waukee Northwest 16, 4. West Des Moines Dowling 11, 5. Des Moines Hoover 10.

3,200 relay — 1. Johnston (Spear, Woodley, Pewe, Verde), 9:26.80; Van Meter, 9:32.45; 3. West Des Moines Valley, 9:32.81; 4. Pleasant Valley, 9:33.51; 5. Cedar Falls, 9:38.12; 6. Des Moines Roosevelt, 9:38.54; 7. Gilbert, 9:40.03; 8. Southeast Polk, 9:40.61.

Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. West Des Moines Dowling (Kramer, Gaskell, Ervin, Leman), 1:03.20; 2. Ames, 1:04.23; 3. Solon, 1:05.92; 4. Waukee Northwest, 1:07.26.

400 hurdles — 1. Ali Frandsen (Ames), 1:01.16; 2. Clara Teigland (Treynor), 1:01.70; 3. Eden Moore (Van Meter), 1:03.72; 4. Avery Winter (Waukee Northwest), 1:03.78; 5. Carlie Jo Fusco (Durant), 1:03.94; 6. Devin Simon (Cascade), 1:04.09; 7. Sophia Stahle (Solon), 1:04.47; 8. Kylin Smith (Ankeny Centennial), 1:04.59.

400 relay — 1. Des Moines Hoover (Smith, M. Kyne, Karnga, J. Kyne), 48.87; 2. Waukee Northwest, 49.10; 3. Johnston, 49.12; 4. West Des Moines Dowling, 49.20; 5. Adel ADM, 49.31; 6. MOC-Floyd Valley, 49.55; 7. Sioux City East, 49.68; 8. Decorah, 49.93.

1,500 — 1. Noelle Steines (Calamus-Wheatland), 4:35.22; 2. Madison Brouwer (Sibley-Ocheyedan), 4:36.04; 3. Danielle Hostetler (Mid-Prairie), 4:37.03; 4. Keelee Leitzen (Dubuque Hempstead), 4:38.32; 5. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield), 4:38.36; 6. Maddy Childs (Grand View Christian), 4:38.37; 7. Olivia Verde (Johnston), 4:41.51; 8. Clare Kelly (Van Meter), 4:41.91.

1,600 relay — 1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (A. Swartzendruber, Veach, Swearinger, S. Swartzendruber), 3:55.11; 2. Ankeny Centennial, 3:57.82; 3. Waukee Northwest, 3:58.09; 4. Dubuque Wahlert, 3:58.55; 5. Southeast Polk, 3:58.78; 6. Ames, 3:59.22; 7. Johnston, 3:59.99; 8. Cedar Falls, 4:01.05.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com