'Extra little oomph' sends Firkins to title

BY ROB GRAY

DES MOINES - Iowa City Regina's Jacoby Firkins locked this eyes on the finish line.

Trouble is, his peripheral vision picked up a pair of competitors.

 “I saw guys around me on both sides,” Firkins said. “I just really tried to focus it in, give it that extra little oomph to get in to the lead and get the race.”

 He succeeded - with oomph to spare.

 Firkins earned his first Class 2A state track and field title Saturday in the 110-meter hurdles, nipping Zach Jones of Okoboji and Josh Zeiser of Collins-Maxwell-Baxter.

 Firkins - who exulted after a second-place finish in Friday's high jump - ran in 15.21. Jones finished in 15.43 and Zeisler came across the stripe in 15.51.

 “Man, my adrenaline's going,” said Firkins, who also helped the Regals to the 2010 2A state football title. “It was one of the greatest experiences of my entire life.”

 Firkins answered quickly when asked how Saturday's crown stacks up to previous glory.

 “You can't compare anything to this,” he said.

 For good reason: Firkins didn't even qualify for state last year.

 A stacked district that included Eddyville-Blakesburg's Jacob Batterson left him out of the top two.

 “Like I said,” Firkins said when asked if that added to his sense of satisfaction. “It was one of the greatest experiences of my entire life.”

 Lindsay Kite of Jesup conjured up a momentous achievement as well.

 Kite used a late kick to beat Gabby Stearns of Gilbert by 6-hundredths of a second in the 2A girls' 800-meter run.

 “I like to sprint at the end,” she said.

 Finishing with such a draining flourish has consequences, though.

“It really hurt my legs, but my coach told me it was going to hurt,” Kite said.

 Monticello's boys entered the day leading the points chart, but settled for second behind Fort Dodge St. Edmond.

 The Panthers' Noah Williams took third in the 800-meter run - an event he won last season.

“It's great,” Williams said of competing with his teammates. “Anytime you get to come to Drake it's great.”

 Mid-Prairie and North Fayette finished second and third, respectively, in the girls' 400-meter relay.

 Mid-Prairie's boys notched a third-place finish in the 400 relay.

Logan-Magnolia, led by Alex Gochenour, won the 2A girls' title.

 Cascade's girls used three top-three efforts Saturday -- including a runner-up performance from Mariah Kauder in the 1,500-meters -- to earn fifth in the team standings.

 “And we got to be a part of it,” Cougars relay runner Allison Gibbs said. “We just worked our butts off all year and it's finally paying off. It's totally worth it.”