J-Hawks race to Iowa best — 1:39.24

DES MOINES — That'll leave a mark.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson obliterated the all-time Iowa best in the girls' 800-meter relay, racing to its third consecutive Class 4A state championship Friday at Drake Stadium.

'I've been running for Coach (Bill) Calloway for four years, and we've been training for this meet,' said senior anchor Lucy Schneekloth. 'We were about to go out in our last 4-by-2 and leave our mark.'

Abilene Ranschau, Jasmine Blue, Morgan Meese and Schneekloth completed their mission in 1 minute, 39.24 seconds. The J-Hawks held the old mark of 1:40.94, set at the 2013 state meet. Blue and Schneekloth were on that unit, along with Taylor Jacobson and Rachel Broghammer.

'I didn't know anything about track then,' said Blue, a junior. 'Now, doing it with these three girls, it means so much.'

Listening to the J-Hawks, the goal wasn't a mere state championship. It wasn't a mere state record.

This was about a legacy.

'We earned this,' Schneekloth said. 'This record will be broken someday, and I hope it is. But we'll always be the first ones to break 1:40.'

It was never a race. Ranschau broke in front immediately, then Blue and Meese extended the advantage. Then, it was Schneekloth, the clock and history.

'I looked at Lucy, then the clock, then Lucy, then the clock,' Blue said. 'I knew she had it.

'This is bittersweet; it's our last 4-by-2 together.'

Schneekloth and Meese are seniors; Blue and Ranschau are juniors.

'I'm just happy we left it all on the track,' Ranschau said. 'We wanted to break 1:40, and we did it.'

Meese said, 'We put it all on the line. We're hurting right now, but it's worth it. We rely on each other, and we trust each other.'

Linn-Mar appears poised to make a serious push for the Metro's first girls state championship. The Lions won the distance medley relay and extended their lead to 20 points.

The Lions have 58 points. Defending-champion Urbandale is second with 38, with Pleasant Valley lurking at 37.

Ariana Rolle, Brooke Lorenz, Payton Wensel and Amber Decker took the distance medley in 4:04.47.

'We just want to keep it rolling and do something that hasn't been done before,' said Decker, who anchored in 2:15.5.

Rolle and Lorenz gave Wensel the baton in good position — 'We wanted to give it to her right in the pack, and she and Amber would bring it home,' Rolle said — and Wensel pushed Linn-Mar into the lead.

'If I could get us the lead, I was going to,' Wensel said. 'If not, I was going to keep us in the race for Amber.'

The Lions got additional, valuable points from Lannie Nietert (second in the shot put), Rolle (third in the long jump) and Stephanie Jenks (fifth in the 400 hurdles).

Iowa City High's Sarah Plock repeated as the 400 hurdles champion, holding off Erika Lewis by 9-hundredths of a second.

'I heard her the whole way,' said Plock, a senior and an Iowa State recruit. 'I knew I had to get going.'

Plock was clocked in 1:01.67, Lewis is 1:01.76.

'It's one of the hardest races in track,' Plock said. 'I just wanted to run as fast as I could. To win again, it's just awesome.'

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