Dudak, WD cruise at Marion Invite

MARION -- On your marks ... set ...Blank?

"I try not to think much when I race," said West Delaware's Jessie Dudak. "My mind just kind of goes blank.

"I get in the blocks. I take a deep breath. I get set. Then ... blank."

Hey, whatever works, right?

Dudak won the 100-meter hurdles and the 200-meter dash, led off the Hawks' triumphant shuttle hurdle relay and ran on the victorious 1,600-meter relay at the Marion Invitational girls' track and field meet Thursday night at Thomas Park Field.

Her effort helped stake the Hawks to a convincing team title. West Delaware compiled 112 points to top the 11-team field. Independence was second with 80 points, followed by DeWitt Central (77).

West Delaware won five events on a chilly, damp night; it was 48 degrees when the gun went off for the first race.

"The weather was (worse) Tuesday at Anamosa," said Dudak, a junior. "It was raining during the shuttle hurdle relay. It was crazy.

"This was a little better."

Dudak ran the 100 hurdles in 16.21 seconds, the 200 in 27.72. She led off the shuttle that edged North Linn in 1:08.75.The 1,600 relay won in 4:13.96, and Hannah Gaffney prevailed in the 400 in 1:01.48.

"It's been a pretty good day," Dudak said. "I need to get quicker snap out of my trail leg (in the hurdles)."

North Linn three-sport star Nicole Miller has been pinballing through the Upper Midwest this past week.

Since Saturday, she has -- take a deep breath -- competed at the Drake Relays, gone to prom, gotten up the next morning at 4 to play AAU basketball in the Twin Cities, came back and is in the midst of a three-meet week.

Thursday, she ran an easy-looking 2:18.9 anchor split in the distance medley and a 57.8 beauty in the sprint medley. The Lynx won both events, in 4:19.27 and 1:52.35.

"In the distance medley, we wanted to get under 4:20 and be the fastest in (Class 1A). In the sprint medley, we already have the school record, and we want to keep (lowering that)," said Miller, who expects a tougher itinerary at Friday's meet at Monticello.

Independence scored 36 field-event points, led by winners Stephanie McMillan (high jump) and Kelsey Ratchford (shot put).

Marion freshman Sydney Brase captured the 400-meter hurdles in 1:10.55.Other area winners were Rachel Gadient of Monticello (100) and Kennedy Salow of Center Point-Urbana (discus).

Springville won the 400- and 800-meter relays. 

GIRLS TRACK: MARION INVITATIONAL At Thomas Park Field Teams -- 1. West Delaware 112, 2. Independence 80, 3. DeWitt Central 77, 4. Center Point-Urbana 65.5, 5. (tie) Marion and North Linn 54, 7. Fairfield 48.5, 8. Monticello 41, 9. Springville 36, 10. Anamosa 16, 11. Benton Community 5.Shot put -- 1. Kelsey Ratchford (Ind), 40-5 1/2; 2. Brooke Willson (CPU), 37-8; 3. Breanna Smith (Mar), 34-3; Discus -- 1. Kennedy Salow (CPU), 122-1; 2. Kelsey Ratchford (Ind), 120-5; 3. Abby Willis (DC), 119-5; High jump -- 1. Stephanie McMillan (Ind), 5-1; 2. Margaret Bruce (CPU), 5-0; 3. Kaitlin Niedert (Ind), 4-10; Long jump -- 1. Sarah Schoel (DC), 15-10; 2. Karley Jaynes (CPU), 15-0; 3. Abby Schmerbach (Monti), 14-4 1/2.3,000 -- 1. Taylor Ferrel (Fair), 11:23.85; 2. Ellen Schlarmann (Monti), 11:28.16; 3. Reeann McCarty (WD), 11:40.17; 3,200 relay -- 1. DeWitt Central, 10:19.69; 2. West Delaware, 10:30.95; 3. Marion, 11:13.06; Shuttle hurdle relay -- 1. West Delaware, 1:08.75; 2. North Linn, 1:08.97; 3. DeWitt Central, 1:10.37; 100 -- 1. Rachel Gadient (Monti), 12.87; 2. Emily Thole (WD), 13.00; 3. Chrissy Hoogland (Spr), 13.25; Distance medley relay -- 1. North Linn, 4:19.27; 2. Independence, 4:32.27; 3. Center Point-Urbana, 4:37.24; 400 -- 1. Hannah Gaffney (WD), 1:01.48; 2. Kaitlin Niedert (Ind), 1:01.62; 3. Sarah Schoel (DC), 1:01.97; 800 relay -- 1. Springville, 1:52.55; 2. Center Point-Urbana, 1:53.23; 3. North Linn, 1:53.52; 100 hurdles -- 1. Jessie Dudak (WD), 16.21; 2. Marisa Repp (Fair), 16.81; 3. Sydney Brase (Mar), 16.99; 800 -- 1. Brittney McNamara (DC), 2:34.46; 2. Reeann McCarty (WD), 2:34.60; 3. Shea McEneny (Ind), 2:35.45; 200 -- 1. Jessie Dudak (WD), 27.72; 2. Katelyn Mangold (WD), 28.17; 3. Abby Kolarik (Mar), 28.84; 400 hurdles -- 1. Sydney Brase (Mar), 1:10.55; 2. Ellen Mattice (WD), 1:11.70; 3. Keely Kinsella (CPU), 1:11.80; Sprint medley relay -- 1. North Linn, 1:52.35; 2. Anamosa, 1:54.56; 3. Monticello, 1:57.38; 1,500 -- 1. Sami Fritz (Fair), 5:15.70; 2. Shea McEnany (Ind), 5:21.19; 3. Mikayla Coyle (DC), 5:28.38; 400 relay -- 1. Springville, 53.94; 2. North Linn, 54.05; 3. Fairfield, 54.78; 1,600 relay -- 1. West Delaware, 4:13.96; 2. Independence, 4:17.75; 3. DeWitt Central, 4:22.20.