‘Jump-started’ legs carry Mount Vernon’s Zach Fall to 3A boys’ 400-meter title

DES MOINES — You’d think a hard 800 meters would take a toll on Zach Fall’s legs.

Quite the opposite.

“It really jump-started them,” Fall said after capturing the Class 3A boys’ 400-meter dash at the state track and field meet Thursday night at Drake Stadium.

“I’m really happy. I was nervous coming off the 4-by-8 (about 90 minutes before).”

A senior at Mount Vernon, Fall circled the track in 48.53 seconds, about a quarter-second ahead of Carlisle’s Braedin Zondervan.

“Coming around the curve, I really tried to hammer that,” Fall said. “I kept going around the curve and gave it all I had.”

Teammate Jensen Meeker was fourth.

“Jensen is the only reason I’m here,” Fall said. “We push each other every day in practice. He got us here.”

The pre-meet favorite, Pella ran to the first-day lead, accumulating 27 points through the first four events. Solon is in second with 16 points, followed by Mount Vernon (15).

When the temperature rose Thursday, so did the anxiety level of Marion’s Jedidiah Osgood.

“I was kind of nervous,” he said. “We had similar heat last year, and I didn’t run very well.”

There was no replay this time around. Osgood got out quickly and finished second in the 3,200-meter run.

Osgood finished in 9 minutes, 27.39 seconds. Chase Lauman of Pella was the champion in 9:22.48.

“I don’t like tactical races,” Osgood said. “I’m comfortable with the lead.”

Osgood ran to the front immediately and was even with Lauman through 2,000 meters before Lauman gained command.

Western Dubuque got a second-place finish in the 3,200-meter relay. The Bobcats were anchored by a freshman, Quentin Nauman.

“I didn’t expect this as a freshman,” he said. “This is a dream come true.

“Going to state, that’s just sick!”

North Polk won the 3,200 relay in 7:58.17; Western Dubuque was clocked in 8:03.64. Cedar Rapids Xavier was fourth, Center Point-Urbana fifth.

Solon’s Ben Kampman (178-5) and Adam Smith (169-0) were third and fourth in the discus.

Thursday results: Class 3A boys

Top 10 teams (through 5 events) — 1. Pella 27, 2. Solon 16, 3. Mount Vernon 15, 4. North Polk 12, 5. (tie) Dubuque Wahlert and Le Mars 10, 7. Winterset 9, 8. (tie) MOC-Floyd Valley, Carlisle, Western Dubuque, Marion and Lewis Central 8.

RESULTS (Top 3 and area placewinners)

High jump — 1. Sione Fifita (Le Mars), 6-6; 2. Jesse Van Kalsbeek (MOC-Floyd Valley), 6-6; 3. (tie) Jaron Bleeker (Sioux City Heelan) and Dylan Stecker (Spirit Lake), 6-3.

Discus — 1. Duke Faley (Dubuque Wahlert), 195-1; 2. Brandon Fischer (Pella), 185-9; 3. Ben Kampman (Solon), 178-5; 4. Adam Smith (Solon), 169-0; 5. Zach Sidles (Independence), 166-1.

3,200 — 1. Chase Lauman (Pella), 9:22.48; 2. Jedidiah Osgood (Marion), 9:27.39; 3. Ethan Eichhorn (Lewis Central), 9:30.80; 8. Brick Kabela (Solon), 9:44.70.

3,200 relay — 1. North Polk (McIlravy, Stierman, Sporaa, Stierman), 7:58.17; 2. Western Dubuque, 8:03.64; 3. Ballard, 8:06.16; 4. Cedar Rapids Xavier, 8:06.20; 5. Center Point-Urbana, 8:06.99; 8. Clear Creek Amana, 8:12.57.

400 — 1. Zach Fall (Mount Vernon), 48.53; 2. Braedin Zondervan (Carlisle), 48.79; 3. Logan Fairchild (Winterset), 48.84; 4. Jensen Meeker (Mount Vernon), 49.06; 5. Jeremy Bachus (Solon), 49.33; 7. Jevin Rexroth (Cedar Rapids Xavier), 50.34.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com