‘Full-circle moment’ sends Prairie to second place in the 4A girls’ sprint medley relay

DES MOINES — Asia Russell called it a “full-circle” moment.

“We won (the Class 4A girls’ sprint medley relay) my freshman year, when Gabby Cortez was here,” said Russell, now a senior at Cedar Rapids Prairie.

The Hawks made it back toward the top Saturday, but not without an anxious moment.

Prairie finished second to Waukee Northwest in the sprint medley relay. Russell, Avah Cooper, Ashlynn Hunter and Reese Wiley ran in 1:47.01, behind Northwest’s 1:45.72 but just ahead of Southeast Polk’s 1:47.02.

The Hawks were the third team across the finish line, but Johnston was disqualified.

“I thought (the officials) were coming for us for a second,” Russell said.

The Hawks’ last two legs, Hunter and Wiley are a freshman and a sophomore.

“I feel like we get a lot of support. Everybody is very welcoming,” Hunter said.

Russell said that sometimes the Hawks set their expectations too low.

“I don’t think we give ourselves enough credit,” she said. “It makes the disappointment easier.”

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The Prairie sprint medley was one of two area 4A contestants to claim silver. The other was Abby Mecklenburg of Linn-Mar, the 200-meter runner-up.

Mecklenburg had won the 4A long jump earlier this week.

“I think this proves how much strength and power I have,” the junior said after running the 200 in 25.67 seconds. Grace Erick of Sioux City East won it in 25.29.

“I was in Lane 6, so I knew they were going to come from me and I had to get out of the blocks.”

Waukee Northwest regained to the 4A girls’ throne, scoring 101.5 points. Pleasant Valley was second with 68.5, followed by Cedar Falls (56).

Prairie was the highest area team, placing 12th.

STATE TRACK & FIELD

Class 4A Girls

Top 10 teams (final) — 1. Waukee Northwest 101.5, 2. Pleasant Valley 68.5, 3. Cedar Falls 56, 4. Indianola 52, 5. Ankeny 51, 6. West Des Moines Valley 43, 7. Johnston 34, 8. Ames 30, 9. (tie) Dallas Center-Grimes and West Des Moines Dowling 29.

Sprint medley relay — 1. Waukee Northwest (Van Zetten, Distefano, McCann, Winter), 1:45.72; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 1:47.01; 3. Southeast Polk, 1:47.02.

800 — 1. Olivia Fehn (Johnston), 2:12.03; 2. Grace Boleyn (Pleasant Valley), 2:12.58; 3. Joley Sullivan (Davenport Central), 2:12.73.

Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Waukee Northwest (Van Zetten, Willits, Twigg, Schulte), 1:01.10; 2. West Des Moines Dowling, 1:01.24; 3. West Des Moines Valley, 1:01.41.

100 — 1. Grace Erick (Sioux City East), 11.98; 2. Katie Willits (Waukee Northwest), 12.06; 3. Emma Havighurst (West Des Moines Valley), 12.30; 4. Morgan Hospodarsky (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 12.35; 6. Asia Russell (Cedar Rapids Prairie), 12.43.

100 hurdles — 1. Emma Havighurst (West Des Moines Valley), 13.68; 2. Morgan Karr (West Des Moines Valley), 13.92; 3. Josie McGraw (Indianola), 14.33; 8. Sophia Olivo (Iowa City West), 15.14.

200 — 1. Grace Erick (Sioux City East), 25.29; 2. Abby Mecklenburg (Linn-Mar), 25.67; 3. Katie Willits (Waukee Northwest), 25.71.

1,500 — 1. Charlee Gall (Cedar Falls), 4:29.87; 2. Piper Messerly (Dallas Center-Grimes), 4:32.93; 3. Drew Beason (Ankeny), 4:36.27

400 relay — 1. Waukee Northwest (Van Zetten, Vogt, Distefano, McCann), 47.37; 2. Pleasant Valley, 47.92; 3. Waukee, 48.04; 6. Cedar Rapids Washington, 49.03; 7. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 49.04.

1,600 relay — 1. Waukee Northwest (Vogt, Winter, McCann, Vogt), 3:47.46; 2. Indianola, 3:48.97; 3. Cedar Falls, 3:50.46.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com