A small-school relay monopoly

The concept took some selling.

'At first, Coach (Bob) Mudd said, ‘No way,' ” recalled North Linn middle-distance ace Nicole Miller.

'The more he thought about it, though, the more I think he liked it.”

The Lynx will pack their uniforms and their spikes for Thursday's Class 1A state-qualifying track meet at Edgewood. And they'll most definitely pack their batons.

North Linn is ranked No. 1 in all seven relays according to Quik Stats. And the Lynx intend to advance all of them Thursday - and score big in all of them next week at state.

'We're hunting down a state championship, and everybody's making sacrifices,” said Maddie Boer. 'Everybody is willing to do things to score extra points and help the team.”

It starts with Miller, who would have been a prime state contender in the open 400 and 800.

She's running neither. Instead, her program consists of the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays and a pair of medleys.

Her idea.

'She's team-oriented,” Mudd said. 'She wants all the kids to share in the success.

'In the end, I couldn't argue with her.”

Miller was sold on the theory after the Tri-Rivers Conference meet last week, where the Lynx ran their best 1,600 relay of the season (4:09.09, which leads 1A by about 5 seconds).

'We were thinking about taking it apart, then we ran that (time),” Miller said. 'The 4-by-4 is my favorite race. I've won it twice, and I want to win it all four years before I leave.”

So instead of being The Nicole Miller Show, North Linn's postseason hopes are based on a series of strong quartets.

Mudd estimates 15 girls will play a role in the seven relays, at regionals and/or state.

'I'm not naive enough to say I think we'll win all seven,” Mudd said. 'I think we can win some of them, and I think we have the potential to place in all of them.”

Thursday, the aim is to advance them all. Easier said than done.

Last year, a regional mishap kept the shuttle hurdle from qualifying.

'We learned our lesson there,” Boer said. 'It won't happen again.”

Boer and Taylor Burke are handy, diverse pieces of the puzzle who will compete in the shuttle and can run up to 800 meters.

The sprinting corps is led by Abby Klendworth, Abbey Ingwersen and Kayla Newbauer.

'We don't have a star sprinter,” Mudd said. 'I don't think any of them would qualify in an open event. But put them together, and they run well.”

State qualifiers (regionals for girls, districts for boys) are statewide in all four classes Thursday. All begin at 4 p.m.

In 4A, the top two advance in each event from each site, plus the 12 next best times/distances.

In 2A and 3A, the top two automatically qualify, plus the eight next best efforts.

In 1A, event champions are the only automatic qualifiers. The rest of the field consists of the top 12 at-large efforts.

Metro/Iowa City 4A teams are split between Dubuque and Marshalltown; Marion will host a 3A meet at Thomas Park Field.

Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@sourcemedia.net