Kennedy's Jacobus, Coker go 1-2 in MVC indoor shot put

CEDAR FALLS — Dalles Jacobus' track and field career likely will end in May. And that's a shame.

'I really wanted to throw in college, but the (track) coaches (at the University of Iowa) told me I probably won't have the time,' said Jacobus, who will play football with the Hawkeyes.

'I'm going to miss it.'

And he's pretty good at it.

Jacobus joined Jackson Coker to give Cedar Rapids Kennedy a 1-2 finish in the shot-put competition at the Mississippi Valley Conference boys' indoor meet Monday night at the UNI-Dome. Jacobus reached 54 feet, 11 inches on two occasions; Coker's best effort was 53-10.

It won't be the last 1-2 finish by these guys this spring.

'It's going to be big points,' said Jacobus, who finished in the top three in both throwing events at state last year. 'If he goes 1 or if I go 1, it's going to be points.'

Coker is a junior, and though he's generally second-fiddle to Jacobus now, he has lofty ambitions.

'My goal is to be the best person ever to throw the shot and discus,' he said. 'Nothing less.'

He looked at Jacobus, who has 60 feet in the shot and 180 in the discus on his radar this spring.

'Maybe I'll have to wait until he graduates.'

Kennedy swept the three field events (the discus is not thrown indoors). Shaun Beyer captured the high jump (6-4) and long jump (21-3).

Monday's meet was a non-scored meet, and a number of the league's top athletes were on spring-break endeavors. But Iowa City West was the top team on the track this day. The Trojans won two events and finished second in five.

Nick Feeley (10:18.91) captured the 3,200-meter run and Ali Ali (4:43.68) won the 1,600.

Feeley is just happy to be back on his feet after missing most of last season with a stress fracture.

'It worries me a little that I'll get another one, but it's a risk I'm willing to take,' he said. 'I'm a lot happier being out here doing this than I would be sitting at home.'

Cedar Rapids Prairie's Tysen VanDraska is one of the state's best middle-distance runners. He moved down in distance Monday and won the 400-meter dash in 52.25 seconds, running down Cedar Rapids Washington's Isaiah Nimmers in the final 50.

VanDraska ran in Lane 8 and eschewed starting blocks.

'I had no idea that they were coming up on me, but they came fast,' VanDraska said. 'I've done a 400 once or twice before, but I don't do many of them. I'm thinking maybe I'll be on the 4-by-4 team at Drake. We'll see how it pans out.'

The Metro had a corner on the sprint events.

Washington's Alex Herzog and Trey Leonard were 1-2 in the 60 meters, and Jefferson's Jacob Beaton won the 200. Kennedy won the 400-meter relay, Jefferson took top honors in the 800 relay and Washington took the 1,600 relay.

Joah Wallace of Prairie was the 60-meter hurdles champion, and Linn-Mar captured the shuttle hurdle relay.

MVC BOYS INDOOR TRACK & FIELD MEET

At Cedar Falls (UNI-Dome)

(No team scores)

Shot put — 1. Dalles Jacobus (CRK), 54-11; 2. Jackson Coker (CRK), 53-10; 3. Gerry Alt (CRW), 50-8; High jump — 1. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 6-4; 2. Matt Bandy (DW), 5-10; 3. Jonny Miller (DH), 5-10; Long jump — 1. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 21-3; 2. Nick Stark (CRX), 20-6 1/2; 3. Dorek Randkliev (LM), 19-11.

3,200 — 1. Nick Feeley (ICW), 10:18.91; 2. Elijah Vlasek (CRP), 10:22.27; 3. Matt Dodge (ICH), 10:22.46; 3,200 relay — 1. Dubuque Wahlert, 8:41.97; 2. Iowa City West, 8:44.90; 3. Waterloo West, 8:48.50; Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Linn-Mar, 35.18; 2. Dubuque Senior, 35.46; 3. Iowa City High, 37.19; 60 — 1. Alex Herzog (CRW), 6.80; 2. Trey Leonard (CRW), 6.93; 3. Marquas Gafeneg (WE), 6.98; 400 — 1. Tysen VanDraska (CRP), 52.25; 2. Isaiah Nimmers (CRW), 52.50; 3. Austin West (ICW), 52.60; 800 relay — 1. C.R. Jefferson, 1:34.04; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 1:35.70; 3. Iowa City West, 1:37.69; 1,600 — 1. Ali Ali (ICW), 4:43.68; 2. Matthew Schneider (ICW), 4:45.32; 3. Preston Kizer (DS), 4:45.87; 60 hurdles — 1. Joah Wallace (CRP), 8.13; 2. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 8.27; 3. Zeal Baker (LM), 8.28; 200 — 1. Jacob Beaton (CRJ), 22.74; 2. Alex Herzog (CRW), 22.76; 3. Isaiah Nimmers (CRW), 23.17; 1,600 medley relay — 1. Waterloo West, 3:53.07; 2. Dubuque Hempstead, 3:53.25; 3. Dubuque Wahlert, 3:54.64; 800 — 1. Jon Schaefer (DW), 2:05.80; 2. Riley Marvin (ICW), 2:08.75; 3. Addison Kalb (DH), 2:09.65; 600 — 1. Seb Gearhart (CF), 1:26.17; 2. Patrick Karanja (ICW), 1:26.74; 3. Derek Nugent (ICW), 1:26.90; 400 relay — 1. C.R. Kennedy, 45.69; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 45.79; 3. C.R. Xavier, 45.98; 1,600 relay — 1. C.R. Washington, 3:34.68; 2. Iowa City West, 3:37.19; 3. Dubuque Senior, 3:37.66.

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