Staebler a versatile ace for Clayton Ridge

GUTTENBERG - Remember Sara Stoakes? Jasmine Staebler recalls the name, but she wasn't exactly sure why.

'She was really good, wasn't she?” Staebler said.

Yes, she was. And so is Staebler, for basically the same reason.

The reason is range.

A senior at Clayton Ridge, Staebler enters her final high school track season with eight state championships. Her forte is middle distance - or, if you prefer, long sprints - but she can do it all.

She has qualified for the Drake Relays in the long jump and the 100-meter dash. On the other end, she is an accomplished cross country runner, which means she can go fast in anything from 100 meters to 4,000.

'She's so versatile,” said Eagles Coach Angie Cook. 'She has speed, and she has endurance. She's just such a strong runner, whatever the distance.”

Which puts her in the same category as Stoakes, the former North Tama great who won state titles in both sprints and distance events in track, as well as cross country.

As good as Staebler is, she's barely the best runner in her family. Her father, Steve, can still run an 800 in the low-2:20s. Oh, and by the way, he's 61.

'He's trying to qualify again for the Drake Relays masters' race,” Jasmine said. 'During the summer, I'll do some distance workouts with him.”

Younger sister Jadrial, now a sophomore, joined Jasmine last year on a sprint medley relay that placed second at state. That was the only non-gold event for the elder Staebler last May; she won the 200, 400 and 800 in Class 2A.

Staebler's gold count consists of three 400-meter titles, two each in the 200 and 800, and one in the sprint medley (as a freshman).

'I think that fourth 400 title would be very important to her,” Cook said. 'She sees that as her race.”

It's a spotlight event, but curiously it's an event that has never been on the Drake Relays schedule.

'Coach and I have talked about that,” Staebler said. 'I find that really surprising. I love that event. I think it's an important event.

'To win it four times at state, that would be a huge accomplishment. It's a grueling race.”

Staebler already has run it under 58 seconds, indoors, this spring.

At Iowa State, Staebler expects to run the 400, 800 and 1,500. She chose ISU over Minnesota and Northern Iowa - 'I just really liked the coaches and the distance program they've got,” she said.

The state meet, in May, provides a bit of dilemma for Staebler, as it has for other Clayton Ridge students in the past.

A senior trip to Florida is scheduled for the same week as state.

'I really went back and forth on whether or not to go,” she said. 'But at that point, I should be in my best shape. I don't think a couple days here will prepare me any more.”

So Staebler will ride down with her classmates, then fly back to Iowa on the Tuesday of state.

'It will be a headache, but she can handle it,” Cook said.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com