J-Hawks keep climbing

DES MOINES — It was a big deal last year when Cedar Rapids Jefferson finished fifth at the state track meet.

After all, it had been a decade since a Metro school had done so.

Saturday, the J-Hawks did even better.

Fueled by a championship in the sprint medley relay and top-three finishes in five other events Saturday, points came in bunches for the J-Hawks on the final day of the meet at Drake Stadium.

The result was a fourth-place finish in Class 4A.

'We had a great week, a very great week,' sprinter Jasmine Blue said. 'The races we didn't win, we can't let that get us down.'

Pleasant Valley took the title with 82.5 points. Urbandale was second with 73.5, followed by Des Moines Roosevelt (68).

Then it was the J-Hawks, with 56.

Jefferson had runner-up finishes by Madi Ranschau in the 100-meter hurdles, and its shuttle hurdle and 400-meter relays. Blue was third in the 100, as was Lucy Schneekloth in the 200.

The highlight of course the sprint medley, after which Blue exited the track saying repeatedly to herself, 'I did it. I did it. I did it.'

She did it in 56.2 seconds to anchor it home in 1:45.94, just holding off Urbandale (1:45.99).

'I felt her there (next to me) the whole time,' Blue said of Urbandale anchor Ashley Norem. 'I knew I had to do it. I know how it feels to get second. Oooh, I hate second.'

Ranschau, Abilene Ranschau and Schneekloth ran the first three legs.

Madi Ranschau ran a solid second to Mary Young of Urbandale in the 100 hurdles, and anchored the J-Hawks silver-laced shuttle.

'(Young) really helped; she gave me someone to chase,' Ranschau said. 'I tried to do my best; it was my last track race.'

Linn-Mar's Stephanie Jenks claimed her second title of the weekend, racing to the lead immediately in the 1,500 and winning it in 4:31.10.

Pleasant Valley's Kaley Ciluffo edged Jenks in the 800.

'I'm glad I got the (1,500) title, but I would have liked the record,' Jenks said. 'Everybody has an off race, and I think the 800 was one for me.

'I was kind of coming off tiredish legs.'

Linn-Mar was sixth in the team standings with 49 points. The Lions were second to Pleasant Valley in the 1,600 relay.

Iowa City High was eighth.

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