Relays carry Jefferson to title

 CEDAR RAPIDS -- Rachel Broghammer's statement produced a paradox. And a lot of truth."Track is the most individual team sport there is," she said in the closing moments of the Draxton-Stiers/Wilkinson Invitational track meet Saturday at Kingston Stadium."You want to do the best you can for yourself, and you get to cheer for your best friends. You put all your trust in your teammates, and when you win a relay, you point to the other three girls that got you there."If that's the case, the girls from Cedar Rapids Jefferson did a lot of pointing Saturday. The J-Hawks won six of seven relays and accumulated 143 points to pace the seven-team field. Cedar Falls was second with 122, followed by Cedar Rapids Kennedy (106).Linn-Mar bested the boys' pack with 110 points, chased by Kennedy (106) and Marion (96).After the final scores were announced, the Jefferson girls enjoyed a victory lap, a Columbia blue and white flag waving in the breeze. As they came down the front stretch, Broghammer backpedaled and led a loud chant.The J-Hawks knew they had something special in March, before the season even started."Everyone worked so hard in the offseason," Taylor Jacobson said. "We came in strong, ahead of where we were supposed to be. Our relays have been really strong, and we're going to keep getting better and be a team to look out for."Jacobson won the 400-meter hurdles (1:07.52) and Lucy Schneekloth raced to the 100-meter crown (13.03). Relays, though, reflected the J-Hawks' strength.Jefferson captured the 400-, 800- and 1,600-meter relays, plus both medleys and the shuttle hurdle relay.Broghammer, Jacobson and Maliya Rattliffe are the veterans and the headliners, but there's a group of youngsters like Schneekloth, Morgan Meese, Jasmine Blue, Abbie Ranschau, Sam Kitterman and Sarah Hanna that provide depth.As a result, the J-Hawks now can compete with the top-end teams in the Mississippi Valley Conference. They're no longer outclassed by the Iowa City schools and Cedar Falls."We know those teams are strong," Broghammer said. "But we've got strong competitors too. We've got girls that like to run fast."Linn-Mar's boys also experienced relay success, claiming the 400-, 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays.Then there's Josh Evans.The junior distance ace ran the time of his life in the 1,600-meters -- 4:16.46."That's nuts," he said. "I can't believe it. I always want to pick it up a little every lap, and I was able to do that."Evans closed with a final lap of 62 seconds.He's coming off a painful cross country season that was hampered by shin issues."It just happens that I'm only running an event or two each meet, but when I'm out there, I like to give my all every race," he said.Kennedy's John Koelling won a pair of events, the 200 (22.87) and 400 (51.14). Marion's Quinn Cannoy was the 110-meter hurdles champion and a member of the Indians' triumphant shuttle hurdle relay.Justin Randall of Burlington moved to No. 1 on the season list in the boys' high jump, clearing 6 feet, 9 inches.The meet went on despite a cool morning; it was 34 degrees when the gun went off for the first time at 11:30 a.m. By the end of the meet, the temperature rose to the upper-40s. 

GIRLS TRACK: WILKINSON INVITATIONAL

At Kingston Stadium

Teams -- 1. C.R. Jefferson 143, 2. Cedar Falls 122, 3. C.R. Kennedy 106, 4. C.R. Prairie 69, 5. Center Point-Urbana 62, 6. Dubuque Hempstead 44, 7. C.R. Xavier 35.

Shot put -- 1. Brooke Willson (CPU), 37-5; 2. Natalie Rumer (CRP), 37-1; 3. Hope Koerperich (DH), 35-3;

Discus -- 1. Hope Koerperich (DH), 123-8; 2. Kennedy Salow (CPU), 118-11; 3. Emma Edelen (CRJ), 111-10;

High jump -- 1. Leslie Harder (CRP), 5-2 1/2; 2. Brianna Prohaska (CRJ), 4-8; 3. Lindsey Eades (CRK), 4-8;

Long jump -- 1. Breyana Cooper (CRK), 17-7 1/2; 2. Halle Lueck (CRP), 16-4; 3. Arika Wooldridge (CPU), 15-8 1/2.

3,000 -- 1. Allison Culver (CRK), 11:02.76; 2. Beth Heims (CRP), 11:32.22; 3. Michelle Zikes (CRJ), 11:34.03;

3,200 relay -- 1. Cedar Falls (King, Friedel, Fishel, Gregg), 9:39.13; 2. Dubuque Hempstead, 10:18.62; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 10:49.57;

Shuttle hurdle relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Jacobson, A.Ranschau, Kitterman, M.Ranschau), 1:08.90; 2. C.R. Prairie, 1:15.99; 3. Dubuque Hempstead, 1:17.26;

100 -- 1. Lucy Schneekloth (CRJ), 13.03; 2. Maliya Rattliffe (CRJ), 13.15; 3. Amari Waller (CRK), 13.22;

Distance medley relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Ohrnstein, Ranschau, Kitterman, Hanna), 4:30.24; 2. Cedar Falls, 4:33.85; 3. Center Point-Urbana, 4:47.83;

400 -- 1. Carlie Jurgens (CRX), 1:04.94; 2. Taylor Skala (CRX), 1:05.98; 3. Breyana Cooper (CRK), 1:06.00;

800 relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Rattliffe, Schneekloth, Meese, Broghammer), 1:45.48; 2. Cedar Falls, 1:48.91; 3. Center Point-Urbana, 1:52.11;

100 hurdles -- 1. Marisa Estelle (CRK), 15.47; 2. Madison Ranschau (CRJ), 15.89; 3. Kaia Monson (CPU), 16.99;

800 -- 1. Brianna King (CF), 2:17.57; 2. Katie Wampole (CRK), 2:20.34; 3. Meredith Koenigsfeld (CRJ), 2:27.18;

200 -- 1. Alicia Harrington (CF), 26.48; 2. Morgan Meese (CRJ), 26.90; 3. Breyana Cooper (CRK), 27.62;

400 hurdles -- 1. Taylor Jacobson (CRJ), 1:07.52; 2. Cheyenne Kinsella (CPU), 1:12.61; 3. Jamie Becker (CF), 1:14.31;

Sprint medley relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Rattliffe, Schneekloth, Blue, Broghammer), 1:53.45; 2. Cedar Falls, 1:58.51; 3. C.R. Prairie, 1:58.66.

1,500 -- 1. Allison Gregg (CF), 4:52.75; 2. Brianna King (CF), 4:53.69; 3. Alyssa Averhoff (CRK), 5:00.30;

400 relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Rattliffe, Blue, Meese, Broghammer), 50.69; 2. C.R. Xavier, 51.90; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 52.49;

1,600 relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Meese, Schneekloth, Blue, Jacobson), 4:12.11; 2. Cedar Falls, 4:14.23; 3. Center Point-Urbana, 4:22.38.

BOYS TRACK: DRAXTON-STIERS INVITATIONAL

At Kingston Stadium

Teams -- 1. Linn-Mar 110, 2. C.R. Kennedy 106, 3. Marion 96, 4. C.R. Jefferson 72, 5. C.R. Xavier 64, 6. Center Point-Urbana 56, 7. Burlington 52.

Shot put -- 1. Zach Borens (Mar), 48-11; 2. Craig Murtha (CRX), 47-1 1/2; 3. Drew Heitland (CRK), 46-3;

Discus -- 1. Craig Murtha (CRX), 162-2; 2. Justin Dolley (Mar), 156-0; 3. Dane Salow (CPU), 150-7;

High jump -- 1. Justin Randall (Burl), 6-9; 2. Willie Rhoads (CRK), 6-4; 3. Isaac Frasier (Mar), 6-2;

Long jump -- 1. Derek Jacobus (CRK), 21-10 1/2; 2. Willie Rhoads (CRK), 19-10 1/2; 3. Blake Bernauer (CRJ), 18-8.

3,200 relay -- 1. Linn-Mar (Rathje, Dolezal, Evans, Grabau), 8:08.29; 2. Marion, 8:43.17; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 8:55.49;

3,200 -- 1. Steve Kruse (Burl), 10:12.85; 2. Michael Marshall (CPU), 10:22.75; 3. Kyle Read (LM), 10:26.62;

Shuttle hurdle relay -- 1. Marion (Frasier, Williams, Quinn, Cannoy), 59.78; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 1:00.89; 3. Center Point-Urbana, 1:03.65;

100 -- 1. Nick Steingreaber (CRX), 11.15; 2. Nate Karlan (CRJ), 11.31; 3. Devin LeBeau (Mar), 11.33;

400 -- 1. John Koelling (CRK), 51.14; 2. Will Fuhrmann (LM), 53.55; 3. Dan Larson (CRJ), 53.70;

800 relay -- 1. Linn-Mar (Flieder, Freese, Wolfe, Scott), 1:30.08; 2. Marion, 1:32.63; 3. C.R. Jefferson, 1:33.31;

110 hurdles -- 1. Quinn Cannoy (Mar), 15.24; 2. Mike Keiser (LM), 15.40; 3. Famiek Cook (CRK), 15.52;

1,600 -- 1. Josh Evans (LM), 4:16.46; 2. Josh Yeager (CPU), 4:29.38; 3. Tanner Rathje (LM), 4:33.86;

200 -- 1. John Koelling (CRK), 22.87; 2. Isaac Smith (Mar), 23.12; 3. Nick Steingreaber (CRX), 23.18;

400 hurdles -- 1. Noah Clasen (CRX), 56.93; 2. Lucas Vanous (CRJ), 58.24; 3. Keegan Cook (LM), 58.41;

1,600 medley relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Karlan, Selby, Chittick, Jones), 3:35.73; 2. Burlington, 3:44.15; 3. Center Point-Urbana, 3:54.91;

800 -- 1. Steve Kruse (Burl), 2:02.58; 2. Evan Couch (CRK), 2:07.62; 3. Michael Mather (LM), 2:08.64;

400 relay -- 1. Linn-Mar (Scott, Freese, Jeffries, Wolfe), 43.44; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 43.90; 3. Marion, 44.83;

1,600 relay -- 1. Linn-Mar (Flieder, Freese, Wirth, Grabau), 3:25.82; 2. Marion, 3:27.31; 3. C.R. Xavier, 3:30.04.