West Liberty five-sport star Ryker Dengler claims gold in the 2A 400 hurdles

DES MOINES — He snares line drives and doubles into the gap. He throws touchdown passes on the football field, drains dramatic half-court shots on the basketball court, and drops foes on the wrestling mat.

Oh, and West Liberty five-sport standout Ryker Dengler also runs track — and Friday he glided to gold in the Class 2A boys’ 400-meter hurdles in the state meet at Drake Stadium.

“I think this tops (everything),” said Dengler, who will play football for Coe next season. “I mean, there (are) a lot of people here. It’s a lot of fun.”

Dengler — who finished in 53.68 seconds — edged second-place Tyson Seeser of Camanche by eight-hundredths of a second. He also has a flair for the dramatic, as the aforementioned half-court heave beat at the end of regulation helped the Comets’ secure an eventual overtime win over Wilton in last February’s basketball district quarterfinals. And just a few days earlier, he’d placed in the 2A state wrestling meet for the first time — earning sixth in 2A at 165 pounds at Wells Fargo Arena.

But how did he balance the unusual union of hoops and hand-fighting?

“A ton of talking with my coaches,” said Dengler, who will soon suit up at shortstop for the baseball team. “Without my coaches, it’s not happening.”

And the support of his teammates, who accept his occasionally necessary and fully excused absences, because Dengler’s fully present when it matters most.

“I try to be a leader, so letting a leader come in late, or leave early to practices — I love them for letting me do that,” he said.

Friday, several of his many non-track and track teammates alike cheered him to victory at Drake’s venerable blue oval. Dengler qualified with the fifth-best time in the 400 hurdles, but knew if he ran to form he could climb the winner’s stand.

“(At) districts I really struggled,” Dengler said. “I haven’t ran in the 55s since a couple months ago and I did it the meet before state. So that sets you back a little, but tunnel vision, stay in your own lane, go to state. And that’s what I did. It was a lot of fun.”

Mid-Prairie’s distance medley relay team also had fun beating their state qualifying time — and by a lot.

The Golden Hawks took third in the three-section event, and came out of the first section to do it.

“We were ranked, I think, 22nd coming into this race,” Mid-Prairie’s Jayse Yoder said. “We all ran really well, so we’re real happy with it.”

Okoboji leads the 2A boys’ team race with 23 points. Oelwein is eighth with 20 points and Mid-Prairie’s tied for ninth with 18 points.

Class 2A Boys

At Des Moines (Drake Stadium)

Top 10 teams (through 10 events) — 1. Okoboji 32; 2. Denver 27; 3. Tie, Camanche, Spirit Lake 26; 5. Tie, Manson-NW Wesbter, MVAOCOU 22; 7. Northeast Goose Lake 21; 8. Oelwein 20; 9. Tie, Grundy Center, Mid-Prairie 18.

Discus — 1. Jace Henderson (MVAOCOU), 174-01; 2. Grant Gray (Northeast Goose Lake), 171-04; 3. Will Lockhart (Denver), 167-00; 4. Lincoln Schneiter (Monticello), 161-11; 5. Matthew Bratten (Oelwein), 158-02.

High jump — 1. Tyson Seeser (Camanche), 6-08; 2. Ryan Little (Albia), 6-08; 3. Matt Condon (Manson-NW Webster), 6-08; 5. Justice Luke (Union Community), 6-03.

Distance medley relay — 1. Okoboji (Stein, Netsch, Heimdal, Osler), 3:30.03; 2. Spirit Lake, 3:30.87; 3. Mid-Prairie, 3:32.82; 7. Tipton, 3:35.22.

800 relay — 1. Spirit Lake (E. Stecker, Winkel, Higgins, D. Stecker), 1:27.80; 2. Denver, 1:27.87; 3. Grundy Center, 1:28.05; 4. Cascade, 1:29.75.

400 hurdles — 1. Ryker Dengler (West Liberty), 53.68; 2. Tyson Seeser (Camanche), 53.76; 3. Matt Condon (Manson-NW Webster), 54.06.

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