Akers tunes up with win in 60-meter dash

CEDAR FALLS - Landen Akers competed just once in the Mississippi Valley Conference boys' indoor track and field meet Monday at the UNI-Dome, but he and his Cedar Rapids Washington Warrior teammates made his event count.

Akers led a 1-2-3 finish for Washington in the 60-meter dash with a victory in 6.91 seconds. Fellow Warrior Alex Herzog was right behind at 6.93, and Mason Taylor completed the Wash trifecta in 6.98.

'I think that's pretty good,” Akers said. 'I don't think we lost anyone from last year. We're just going to be pulling through.”

Akers' day was limited to the 60 after experiencing soreness in his right Achilles heel. He finished third at last year's Class 4A state meet in the 400-meter dash, and with the two spots above him vacated by graduation, he feels like this is his year.

'There's maybe one or two guys below me (in the 400),” Akers said. 'I think I'm definitely the head guy right now. I definitely want to flag at Drake (Relays). I haven't done that yet. I definitely want to win state in a couple of events.”

The Achilles soreness is a lingering effect from a very successful football season for Akers. He caught 21 passes for 355 yards and five touchdowns for the 4A state runner-up Warriors (13-1), and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in the state title loss to West Des Moines Dowling. For Akers, the transition from football to track has been fairly seamless.

'A lot of the same things,” Akers said. 'You work on your speed a lot with football, just transfer it over to track.”

Akers has signed to play football at Iowa State. As a 'grayshirt,” his enrollment at Iowa State is delayed until the spring when team attrition frees up a scholarship. He'll room with Washington teammate Julian Good-Jones in Ames.

'I think we had a really good recruiting class,” Akers said. 'I'll be able to get in better shape, get bigger and stronger for when I come in there in the spring.”

MVC BOYS' INDOOR MEET

At UNI-Dome

Long jump – 1. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 19' 8”; 2. DeAngelo Jackson (DS), 19' 6.5”; 3. Willie Rhoads (CRK), 19' 4.5”. High jump – 1. Rhoads (CRK), 6' 4”; 2. Beyer (CRK), 6' 2”; 3. Carlton Todd (WE), 6' 0”. Shot put – 1. Dalles Jacobus (CRK), 50' 0”; 2. Maraquise Jones (CF), 49' 9”; 3. Jared Eivins (CRJ), 47' 6.5”.

3200 run – Akash Borde (ICW), 10:27.74; 2. Ty Kloft (DS), 10:28.47; 3. Austin Heiershort (DS), 10:30.12. 3200 relay – 1. Iowa City West, 8:23.62; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 8:38.41; 3. C.R. Washington, 8:59.32. Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Linn-Mar, 34.47; 2. C.R. Washington, 35.47; 3. Dubuque Senior, 36.53. 60 dash – 1. Landen Akers (CRW), 6.91; 2. Alex Herzog (CRW), 6.93; 3. Mason Taylor (CRW), 6.98. 400 dash – 1. Mark Schulz (CRK), 51.34; 2. Daniel Larson (CRJ), 51.39; 3. Tysen VanDraska (CRP), 52.37. 800 relay – 1. Cedar Falls, 1:35.12; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 1:35.13; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 1:35.50. 1600 run – 1. William Strauss (DH), 4:43.81; 2. Ali Ali (ICW), 4:46.92; 3. Kyle Pape (DW), 4:48.34. 60 hurdles – 1. Jeremiah Harrison (WE), 8.42; t2. Collin Seymour (DS), 8.64; t2. Danny Gorsich (LM), 8.64. 200 dash – 1. Joshua Warder (CRK), 23.78; 2. Ayodeji Olutunde (CRJ), 23.81; 3. Ty Bolden (CRP), 23.98. Medley relay – 1. Dubuque Hempstead, 3:48.86; 2. Waterloo West, 3:51.60; 3. C.R. Washington, 3:51.72. 800 run – 1. Dietz Meyer (DW), 2:00.45; 2. Derek Nugent (ICW), 2:03.91; 3. Noah Brase (ICW), 2:06.56. 400 relay – 1. Waterloo West, 44.70; 2. Dubuque Hempstead, 44.85; 3. Iowa City High, 44.94. 1600 relay – 1. C.R. Kennedy, 3:32.64; 2. Iowa City West, 3:39.68; 3. Dubuque Senior, 3:41.91.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com