Iowa City West wins pair of 4A boys’ state track relays (and learns a lesson) Friday

DES MOINES — Moustafa Tiea earned a title and learned a lesson.

The sophomore from Iowa City West answered a surge from Johnston’s Carson Lane to win the Class 4A distance medley relay at the state track and field meet Friday morning at Drake Stadium.

A few moments later, he received a lecture from a race official.

“My heart dropped when he pulled me aside,” Tiea said. “I thought I had just cost my team a (disqualification).”

After reclaiming the lead from Lane in the final stretch, Tiea looked back and stuck out his tongue.

“The official told me I have a great future, and don’t let something like this ruin it,” Tiea said. “I feel so bad.”

Todd Rent, Christian Janis and Izaiah Loveless ran the first three legs for the Trojans, who were clocked in 3:27.73. Johnson finished in 3:28.18.

Loveless staked Tiea to a sizable lead: “It was humongous,” Tiea said. “But I still had work to do. I wasn’t going to let that lead go to waste.”

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“My first 200, I was out kind of slow,” Loveless said. “With 100 left, I knew I still had a kick left.

“I knew if I gave (Tiea) enough of a lead, it would be over. I got a little nervous (when Lane passed him), but then he kicked it in. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Loveless was asked about the postrace encounter between his anchor and the official.

“Sometimes, you can celebrate a little too much,” Loveless said. “(Tiea) is going to learn from this.”

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West accelerated its team score Friday, going from 0 to 28 in five events flat.

The Trojans followed the distance medley triumph with another in the 800-meter relay. Rent, Janis, Aidan Jacobsen and Loveless ran in 1:26.69, an effort that ranks No. 2 on Iowa’s all-time list.

“We put in the work, and we’re here to win,” Rent said.

Janis added, “This feels amazing. We do a lot of 200s in practice, working on handoffs and making sure they’re perfect.”

With 10 events complete, Johnston (47 points) holds a narrow advantage over Linn-Mar (45) and Iowa City High (41). West has climbed to fifth.

Nicholas Gorsich runs career-best for 400 hurdles title

Nicholas Gorsich boosted Linn-Mar’s title bid, running a career-best 51.80 seconds in a triumphant 400-meter-hurdle tour.

“I’m super-excited,” he said. “Breaking 52 has been my goal since halfway through the season. I had some great conditions and great competition.”

Originally a UNI commit, Gorsich said Friday that he has flipped to Iowa.

He’s sometimes a guy who saves his best work for the front stretch, but he was in command Friday by 250 meters.

“I was fully rested this time,” he said. “I had a nice high-hurdles workout (in the prelims early Friday), so I was fully rested. Usually I’m coming off two events, 30 minutes apart. So this was definitely beneficial.”

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Jacobsen was second in 52.63 seconds for West.

Linn-Mar got third-place finishes from T.J. Jackson (long jump) and Sam Watts (shot put), earning 30 field-event points this weekend.

Friday results: Class 4A boys

Top 10 teams (through 10 events) — 1. Johnston 47, 2. Linn-Mar 45, 3. Iowa City High 41, 4. Ankeny 30, 5. Iowa City West 28, 6. West Des Moines Dowling 25, 7. Waukee Northwest 16, 8. Norwalk 15, 9. Cedar Falls 14, 10. Mason City 12.

RESULTS (Top 3 and area placewinners)

Long jump — 1. Abu Sama (Southeast Polk), 22-11; 2. Jeremiah Armstrong (Johnston), 22-3 3/4; 3. T.J. Jackson (Linn-Mar), 21-11 3/4; 4. Ronnie Major (Iowa City High), 22-0 3/4.

Shot put — 1. Cohen Pfohl (Dubuque Senior), 57-5; 2. Maddux Borcherding-Johnson (Norwalk), 55-6 1/2; 3. Sam Watts (Linn-Mar), 54-6 3/4.

Distance medley relay — 1. Iowa City West (Rent, Janis, Loveless, Tiea), 3:27.73; 2. Johnston, 3:28.18; 3. Ankeny, 3:30.10; 4. Iowa City High, 3:30.34; 8. Iowa City Liberty, 3:34.11.

800 relay — 1. Iowa City West (Rent, Janis, Jacobsen, Loveless), 1:26.69; 2. Johnston, 1:27.56; 3. Ankeny, 1:28.12; 5. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 1:28.48; 8. Cedar Rapids Washington, 1:29.28.

400 hurdles — 1. Nicholas Gorsich (Linn-Mar), 51.80; 2. Aidan Jacobsen (Iowa City West), 52.63; 3. Logan Piper (Indianola), 53.33; Matt Schaeckenbach (Iowa City High), 54.79; 8. William Grant (Linn-Mar), 54.98.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com