Plock repeats in 400 hurdles

DES MOINES -- Sarah Plock carried the burden of a reigning champion.

"I definitely felt a lot of pressure coming in," said the junior from Iowa City High. "I used it as motivation to do it again, to keep working and getting faster."

Plock became just the second high school girl to claim back-to-back 400-meter hurdles championships at the Drake Relays, successfully repeating Saturday at Drake Stadium.

She emerged from a neck-and-neck battle with Pleasant Valley's Carly Donahue to win in 1:02.38. Donahue was clocked in 1:02.79.

"We were really pushing each other," Plock said. "I had to really gut it out."It doesn't get any easier after you win it once."

Plock matched Sara Boisen of West Des Moines Valley as the lone girls to win the event two straight years. If she can do it again next year, Plock will stand alone.

For the second consecutive year, Linn-Mar's Stephanie Jenks is a double Drake winner.

The sophomore added the 1,500-meter title to the 3,000 crown she won Thursday; her effort of 4:28.72 was about a half-second short of the meet record.

"Other than (missing the record), I'm pretty happy," said Jenks, who set an all-time Iowa best in the 3,000.

Jenks' effort moved her to No. 3 all-time in that event. Shelby Houlihan (Sioux City East, 2011) is tops at 4:26.39.

She will take some time away from the track for a few days, but she certainly won't be idle. Jenks will compete in the Youth Olympic Qualifier for triathlon Wednesday at Monterrey, Mexico.

"I'm not the kind of person that does well with a lot of rest," said Jenks, whose next track competition likely will be at the Mississippi Valley Conference divisional meet May 8.

Davenport Assumption became the first team of the 2000s to claim four relay titles. The Knights added 3,200- and 400-meter relay crowns to the 800-meter and sprint medley relay championships they had won Friday.

Jefferson was a close second to Assumption -- 48.14 seconds to 48.26 -- in the 400-meter relay.Pleasant Valley denied the Knights a fifth title when Addie Swanson's 55.9-second anchor gave the Spartans the 1,600 relay crown.

Urbandale was awarded the shuttle hurdle relay championship in a Drake-record 1:02.41. Mount Pleasant was the first team to finish, but was disqualified. Clear Creek Amana was third. 

DRAKE RELAYS: SATURDAY GIRLS RESULTS

3,200 relay — 1. Davenport Assumption (King, King, Carroll, Ripslinger), 9:23.78; 2. Dubuque Wahlert, 9:24.88; 3. Ames, 9:24.89; 4. Urbandale, 9:29.87; 5. Des Moines Roosevelt, 9:38.08; 6. Johnston, 9:38.55; 7. West Des Moines Dowling, 9:39.55; 8. Indianola, 9:40.61. Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Urbandale (Lafrentz, Erbes, Hovey, Young), 1:02.41 (Drake record); 2. Waukee, 1:04.74; 3. Clear Creek Amana, 1:06.04. 1,500 — 1. Stephanie Jenks (Linn-Mar), 4:28.72; 2. Kaley Ciluffo (Pleasant Valley), 4:34.00; 3. Karissa Schweizer (West Des Moines Dowling), 4:34.83; 4. Rebekah Topham (Griswold), 4:34.87; 5. Abby Caldwell (Waverly-Shell Rock), 4:37.52; 6. Grace Gibbons (Gilbert), 4:38.49; 7. Elyse Prescott (Urbandale), 4:38.57; 8. Jordyn Kleve (Johnston), 4:38.74. 400 hurdles — 1. Sarah Plock (Iowa City High), 1:02.38; 2. Carly Donahue (Pleasant Valley), 1:02.79; 3. Rebekah Topham (Griswold), 1:05.29; 4. Erika Lewis (Waukee), 1:05.40; 5. Valerie Welch (Iowa City High), 1:05.57; 6. Abbey Murphy (Earlham), 1:06.15; 7. Claire Netten (Ankeny), 1:06.66; 8. Mary Kate Gray (Waukee), 1:08.26. 400 relay — 1. Davenport Assumption (Bassier, Ripslinger, Mommsen, Irmen), 48.14; 2. Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 48.26; 3. Des Moines Roosevelt, 48.64; 4. Waukee, 49.21; 5. Urbandale, 49.60; 6. Cedar Falls, 49.85; 7. Fort Dodge, 50.48; 8. Sioux City East, 51.11. 1,600 relay — 1. Pleasant Valley (Ciluffo, Donahue, Schwarz, Swanson), 3:53.65; 2. Davenport Assumption, 3:53.71; 3. MOC-Floyd Valley, 3:57.87; 4. Linn-Mar, 4:00.69; 5. Dubuque Wahlert, 4:00.83; 6. Adel ADM, 4:01.56; 7. Urbandale, 4:02.66; 8. Waukee, 4:03.76.