Jenks surges, wins Drake debut

DES MOINES -- Mind over matter?In the case of Stephanie Jenks, it's more like "body over mind.""My goal was to sit back and wait for my body to do what it felt like doing," Jenks said Thursday after winning the girls' 3,000-meter championship at the Drake Relays.A freshman at Linn-Mar High School, Jenks surged past McKenzie Yanek of Pleasant Valley with 260 meters to go, and won going away in 9 minutes, 46.02 seconds. Another freshman, Yanek was second at 9:50.87.Jenks moved to No. 3 all-time in state history in the 3,000 and earned her first Drake championship flag.It surely won't be her last."I never thought I'd be waving this white flag," she said. "This makes me really happy."Jenks' chief threat in the event, defending champion Rebekah Topham of Griswold, did not run Thursday. She was sidelined with a blood virus, and watched from the stands."I could hear her cheering me on," said Jenks, who smiled and waved to Topham afterward. "I was upset she wasn't racing, but it didn't change my strategy much."Jenks was out early and ran with a pack of four through the first half of the race. Yanek and Jenks got separation with three laps to go, and it was a two-girl race from there.Yanek led at the bell, but Jenks closed with a final lap of 72 seconds, sprinting away on the backstretch.Jenks will run the 800 Friday, then the 3,200 relay and 1,500 Saturday.Iowa City West's McKennan Cronbaugh saved her best leap for last -- an effort of 18 feet, 7 1/4 inches -- to claim second place in the long jump.Jalynn Roberts-Lewis of Des Moines Roosevelt won it at 18-10 1/4."I came here wanting to win, and I didn't. I'm a little disappointed," said Cronbaugh, who disclosed Thursday that she will not compete in track and field in college."I moved my steps longer, and I wasn't that comfortable. So I moved them back and I felt fine."Kiana Phelps of Kingsley-Pierson/Woodbury Central captured the discus title on her final throw, 153-4. The freshman was standing in ninth place before that monster effort, which won by nearly 14 feet.Vicky Kapnisis of North Fayette was fifth in the discus. Chelsea Berry was sixth in the long jump. Shannon Gorman of Cedar Rapids Washington was seventh in the 3,000.