Recapping Thursday’s area conference track and field meets: Another Decorah title, Iowa City West wins stacked MVC divisional

It is now the longest championship streak in Northeast Iowa Conference history.

By any school. In any sport.

Decorah claimed another NEIC girls’ track and field championship Thursday at New Hampton. The Vikings won 11 events and piled up 187 points, outdistancing the host Chickasaws by 65.

That makes 18 consecutive league titles for the Vikings juggernaut.

No single runner, jumper or thrower dominated this meet for the champs. Five different individuals won an event apiece, and the Vikings won five relays.

The throwers were the stars. Chloe Reiser won the shot put with a heave of 39 feet, 6 inches; Julia Alberts claimed the discus at 127-9.

Haley Stowe won the 100, Lani Hubka the 200, McKenzie Riley the 400.

The following is a peek back at Thursday’s other conference-meet highlights:

Iowa City West Trojans triumph in a stacked MVC divisional

You could make the argument that the four best boys’ teams in the Mississippi Valley Conference all reside in the Valley Division, and who’s to prove you wrong?

Iowa City West was the best team in the best division. The Trojans tipped host Iowa City High by a 148-136 margin, clinching the title with a victory in the 1,600-meter relay.

Moustafa Tiea won the 800-meter race in 1:55.54, then anchored the Trojans’ triumphs in the distance medley and 4x400 relays.

Izaiah Loveless captured the 400, Aidan Jacobsen the long jump.

Linn-Mar was third with 111 points, Cedar Rapids Kennedy fourth (106.5).

A field day, indeed, for Linn-Mar

Eight girls teamed in four field events to ignite the Linn-Mar girls to a championship surge at the MVC Valley Division meet at Iowa City West.

Let’s recap:

That all adds up to 64 field-event points. Linn-Mar finished with 176; Cedar Rapids Kennedy was second with 123.5.

New Solon stars have emerged

If you thought the Solon girls would take a giant step backward this season, well, think again.

The Spartans continued their tight hold on the Wamac Conference throne, winning 10 events and piling up 194 points at Manchester. They outpointed a strong Mount Vernon squad by 42 points.

Gone to graduation are Emma Bock (now at Texas Tech) and Kaia Holtkamp (now at Iowa State). But nearly half of the Spartans’ 84 state points from last year return.

“We might not have a ton of stars, but we have power and toughness,” Federspiel said. “Our team lifts each other up.”

Federspiel — named the Wamac girls’ athlete of the year after winning four events Thursday — qualifies as a “star.” So does hurdling whiz Sophia Stahle, another quadruple-winner.

Solon’s boys made it a Spartans sweep, and did it convincingly.

Ford Washburn and Luke Czarnecki: Too fast, too high to ignore

Iowa City High’s Ford Washburn and Lisbon’s Luke Czarnecki both hit eye-opening standards Thursday.

Washburn broke a 47-year-old City High record in the 3,200 meters, blazing in 8:54.04.

Randy Jackson had held the record since 1976, when he ran 8:56.80.

Washburn is headed to Northern Arizona University next year.

At the Tri-Rivers meet at Central City, Czarnecki cleared 6 feet, 10 inches in the high jump. He is one of three leapers in the state to clear that standard this season.

Lisbon rolled to the boys’ title with 165 points, building a 60-point victory margin.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com