Cascade girls claim 2A state track title for fourth time in six years

DES MOINES — Pressure is uncomfortable, but often necessary to do something big.

That's the way the Cascade girls' track and field team looks at it.

'It's really overwhelming, but I think it's actually the pressure that gets us to where we are,' said senior Celine Rickels. 'Without it I feel like we wouldn't get as much adrenaline, or push or anything.'

The Cougars got plenty of push this weekend as they walked away with another Class 2A state track and field championship. Cascade has won four of the last six team crowns, including back-to-back titles.

'Each year it gets a little more difficult it seems because you have that target on your back and everybody comes after you, but the girls rise to the challenge,' said coach Tim Frake. 'They obviously did that the last three days and I can't say more about how they handled themselves with their maturity.

'It comes back to our seniors. Great leadership, and they just hand the baton, so to speak, to that next group and hopefully we can just keep the ball rolling.'

Cascade, which won with 65 points, got its 14th relay title since 2010 when it won the 400-meter relay Saturday with Rickels, freshman Molly McElmeel, junior Anne Ryan and senior Annie Meyer clocking in at 49.65.

'It's just really sad because I've been running with these two for a long time now,' Ryan said. 'They're seniors and it's really sad that this is my last time running with them. I'm glad we could end it on a win. It's so exciting. This week has been overwhelming.'

Mid-Prairie, which finished runner up in the team race with 58 points, got two more individual championships from junior phenom Anna Hostetler.

She won the 800 in 2:14.75, set a state record in the 1,500-meter run (4:33.41) and became 15th runner in state history to win the 3,000, 1,500 and 800 in the same state meet. Her younger sister, Marie, was second in the 1,500 (4:36.81), which would have also been a state record.

'My dad is a huge part of that, just helping me,' Hostetler said of her growth in the last year. 'I get so nervous and just seeing him and talking to him it's like, 'OK I can do this.' He just helps me out a lot in the offseason too, encouraging me.'

STATE TRACK & FIELD MEET: CLASS 2A GIRLS

Teams (top 10) — 1. Cascade, 65; 2. Mid-Prairie, 58; 3. Pocahontas Area, 44; 4. Monticello, 42; 5. Madrid, 34; 6. Western Christian, 31.33; 7. Aplington-Parkersburg, 30; T-8. Pella Christian, 25; T-8. West Marshall, 25; 10. North Cedar, 22

Results (top 3, plus area)

Sprint medley relay — 1. Aplington-Parkersburg (Wolff, Hanken, Nolte, Jungling), 1:52.05; 2. Alta/Aurelia, 1:52.30; 3. Denver, 1:52.60; 4. Cascade, 1:52.62; 7. North Cedar, 1:53.09

800 — 1. Anna Hostetler (Mid-Prairie), 2:14.75; 2. Corinne Gadient (Monticello), 2:15.92; 3. Paige Holub (Monticello), 2:17.83; 5. Marie Hostetler (Mid-Prairie), 2:19.21; 6. Cassie Cox (North Cedar), 2:20.25; 7. Rebecca McDermott (Cascade), 2:20.68

Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Pocahontas Area (Meyer, Hjerleid, Sump, Meyer), 1:05.72; 2. Cascade, 1:06.53; 3. Dyersville Beckman, 1:07.76

100 — 1. Rylan Santi (Madrid), 12.49; 2. Krayton Allen (Sumner-Fredericksburg), 12.97; 3. Evie Armstrong (Pella Christian), 13.07; 7. Ellie Loesch (South Winneshiek), 13.13

100 hurdles — 1. Faith Meyer (Pocahontas Area), 15.54; 2. Lisa Tucker (Cascade), 15.59; 3. Kristin Culp (West Central Valley), 15.91

200 — 1. Rylan Santi (Madrid), 25.93; 2. Allison Hilleman (West Marshall), 26.22; 3. Erika Feenstra (Western Christian), 26.54; 5. Olivia Nebergall (Anamosa), 26.77; 6. Grace Proesch (North Cedar), 26.79

1,500 — 1. Anna Hostetler (Mid-Prairie), 4:33.41* (state record); 2. Marie Hostetler (Mid-Prairie), 4:36.81* (state record); 3. Sophia Jungling (Aplington-Parkersburg), 4:40.61; 6. Paige Holub (Monticello), 4:51.51; 8. Madeline Rhomberg (Cascade), 4:54.46

400-relay — 1. Cascade (McElmeel, Ryan, Meyer, Rickels), 49.65; 2. Madrid, 49.97; 3. Sumner-Fredericksburg, 51.00; 5. Monticello, 51.08

1,600-relay — 1. Western Christian (Nelson, Van'tHul, VanGinkel, Feenstra), 4:01.78; 2. PCM, Monroe, 4:04.19; 3. North Cedar, 4:04.73; 4. Monticello, 4:05.60; 5. Cascade, 4:06.10; 6. West Branch, 4:06.33

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