Prairie’s Rima lowers his state best in the 400

CEDAR RAPIDS - Jalen Rima has stretched his boundaries.

'I used to think I was a 200-meter runner,” he said. 'Then I started running 400s. This is what I want to do. It gives me a chance to catch guys, and I like a challenge.”

A junior at Cedar Rapids Prairie, Rima has established himself as the state's best 400-meter runner, as of now. He lowered his state-leading time in the event to 48.78 seconds Friday night at the Wilkinson Relays at Kingston Stadium.

His best effort in the 400 last year was 49.5, which isn't shabby at all. But longer workouts this year have extended his endurance.

'All of my workouts last year were 400 meters and less,” he said. 'This year, I've run some 800s, even a mile sometimes. I think that has helped a lot.”

Rima added the 200 title in 22.26 seconds.

A four-sport athlete, Rima has begun receiving correspondence from Division-I schools for football; he is a wide receiver.

'My pride is football, but if I don't get that chance, I might look at track (in college),” he said.

The team race came down to the final event. Kennedy broke a deadlock with Linn-Mar by finishing second in the 1,600-meter relay (Linn-Mar was fifth) and edged the Lions, 125-119. Prairie was third with 92.

But, as the theme has been all season, Kennedy won the meet in the field events.

The Cougars won all four events away from the track - Willie Rhoads swept the jumps; Dalles Jacobus did likewise in the throws - and scored 64 field-event points.

Rhoads has cleared 6 feet, 5 inches or better in five straight meets. He made 6-6 Friday, and added an effort of 20-11 1/4 in the long jump, a relatively new event for him.

'It's like the high jump ... I try to sprint, then get as high as I can,” said Rhoads, who stands 5-foot-11 but owns a 36-inch vertical jump that enables him to dunk a basketball with ease and with style (he has posted dozens of dunking videos on YouTube and Instagram).

Jacobus heaved the shot 53-1 and flung the discus 156-3.

Kennedy went 1-2 in the high jump, long jump and discus.

Linn-Mar won four of six relays - the 400 relay, 3,200 relay, medley and shuttle hurdle.

Cedar Rapids Washington's Isaiah Nimmers was the 400-meter hurdles champion, and ran on the Warriors' winning 800- and 1,600-meter relays.

BOYS TRACK: WILKINSON RELAYS

At Kingston Stadium

Teams - 1. C.R. Kennedy 125, 2. Linn-Mar 119, 3. C.R. Prairie 92, 4. C.R. Washington 77, 5. Iowa City West 52.5, 6. Iowa City High 46.5, 7. C.R. Jefferson 45.

Shot put - 1. Dalles Jacobus (CRK), 53-1; 2. Cameron McInerney (CRJ), 48-5; 3. Jared Eivins (CRJ), 46-1 1/4; Discus - 1. Dalles Jacobus (CRK), 156-3; 2. Jackson Coker (CRK), 152-2; 3. Micah Martin (ICH), 136-7; High jump - 1. Willie Rhoads (CRK), 6-6; 2. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 6-4; 3. Luke Willenborg (LM), 6-0; Long jump - 1. Willie Rhoads (CRK), 20-11 1/4; 2. Jay Blank (CRK), 20-1 1/2; 3. Jimmy Itangishaka (CRJ), 19-6 3/4.

3,200 - 1. Akash Borde (ICW), 9:56.19; 2. Chris Oehlert (CRP), 10:05.78; 3. Michael Berg (ICH), 10:06.75; 3,200 relay - 1. Linn-Mar (A'Hearn, Schuring, Fogerty, Schmidt), 8:16.90; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 8:20.63; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 8:22.48; Shuttle hurdle relay - 1. Linn-Mar (Baumhoefener, House, Dochterman, Baker), 59.49; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 59.69; 3. Iowa City High, 1:01.88; 100 - 1. Trevor Northrup (CRP), 11.51; 2. Perrion Scott (LM), 11.56; 3. Alex Herzog (CRW), 11.64; 400 - 1. Jalen Rima (CRP), 48.78; 2. Landen Akers (CRW), 50.65; 3. Hunter Schoenauer (CRK), 51.76; 800 relay - 1. C.R. Washington (Nimmers, Taylor, Bolden, Herzog), 1:30.71; 2. Linn-Mar, 1:31.53; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 1:32.10; 110 hurdles - 1. Daniel Gorsich (LM), 15.09; 2. Keagan Pinter (CRP), 15.18; 3. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 15.42; 1,600 - 1. Tysen VanDraska (CRP), 4:28.40; 2. Ryan Murphy (LM), 4:31.05; 3. Ali Ali (ICW), 4:37.26; 200 - 1. Jalen Rima (CRP), 22.26; 2. Perrion Scott (LM), 22.61; 3. Dan Larson (CRJ), 22.80; 400 hurdles - 1. Isaiah Nimmers (CRW), 55.44; 2. Matt Gardner (CRK), 56.67; 3. Austin Coates (CRK), 57.01; 1,600 medley relay - 1. Linn-Mar (Baker, Randklev, Schuring, Gosch), 3:40.80; C.R. Prairie, 3:43.69; 3. Iowa City High, 3:46.80; 800 - 1. Greyson Dolezal (LM), 1:58.30; 2. Derek Nugent (ICW), 1:58.75; 3. Tysen VanDraska (CRP), 2:00.99; 400 relay - 1. Linn-Mar (Zimmerman, T.Freese, G.Freese, Gorsich), 43.38; 2. C.R. Washington, 43.81; 3. Iowa City High, 44.33; 1,600 relay - 1. C.R. Washington (Dostal, Heald, Nimmers, Akers), 3:26.57; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 3:26.76; 3. C.R. Prairie, 3:28.02.

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