Team-oriented Cougars win again

CEDAR RAPIDS -- The Kennedy Cougars are old-school. Team titles matter.

"We go to meets, and we want to win," Coach Brian White said. "One thing we stress, it's a team sport. Our practices, we do everything together for the first half-hour before we split up.

"We stress team, team, team."

Cedar Rapids Kennedy made hay in the field events, scoring 56 points off the track, and captured the title at the seven-team Wilkinson Relays boys' track and field meet Friday night at Kingston Stadium.

Despite winning a modest three events, the Cougars tallied 111 points. Iowa City West was second with 96, followed by Cedar Rapids Prairie (92).

"Our coaches' mentality is to give our best every meet," said Kennedy senior Derek Jacobus. "They expect us to win. They push us hard in practice with the mentality that we can win team championships."

With one exception (the Dubuque Tri-State meet), the Cougars have delivered every time.

Much of that stems from the field events. Shaun Beyer led a 1-2 finish in the high jump (and anchored the Cougars' winning shuttle hurdle relay) while Drew Heitland headlined a 1-3 effort in the shot put.

Kennedy also received substantial points in the long jump (placing second and fifth) and discus (second and fourth).

"We're strong across the board," Jacobus said. "We're getting more points from our distance guys, where we didn't get them last year."

Several key competitors ran in limited fashion, or -- like Linn-Mar distance ace Josh Evans -- not at all. Evans used Friday as a training day.

West, Prairie and Cedar Rapids Jefferson matched the Cougars with three event wins in a balanced meet.

Jefferson's Nate Karlan won the 200 in 22.26 seconds, and ran on the J-Hawks' winning 800 relay (1:29.84).Cedar Rapids Washington's Landen Akers and Linn-Mar's Curtis McCrary turned in two of the most impressive individual efforts of the night.

Akers ran his first sub-50 in the 400 meters, circling the track in 49.68.

"I got out hard, held my speed, then really picked it up at about 250," Akers said.

McCrary edged Jacobus (the defending state champion) in the long jump, sailing 22 feet, 7 inches. Jacobus went 22-5. 

BOYS TRACK & FIELD: WILKINSON RELAYSAt Kingston StadiumTeams -- 1. C.R. Kennedy 111, 2. Iowa City West 96, 3. C.R. Prairie 92, 4. C.R. Jefferson 76, 5. Linn-Mar 67, 6. Iowa City High 60, 7. C.R. Washington 54.Shot put -- 1. Drew Heitland (CRK), 52-3; 2. Michael Lamparek (CRP), 48-9 1/2; 3. Austin Holzer (CRK), 46-4 1/4; Discus -- 1. Michael Lamparek (CRP), 142-11 1/2; 2. Dalles Jacobus (CRK), 142-8; 3. Jake Leohr (ICH), 140-4; High jump -- 1. Shaun Beyer (CRK), 6-4; 2. Willie Rhoads (CRK), 6-4; 3. Curtis McCrary (LM), 5-10; Long jump -- 1. Curtis McCrary (LM), 22-7; 2. Derek Jacobus (CRK), 22-5; 3. Landen Akers (CRW), 21-7.3,200 -- 1. Mitch Pritts (CRP), 9:55.48; 2. Isaiah Vlasek (CRP), 10:07.74; 3. Ali Ali (ICW), 10:11.70; 3,200 relay -- 1. Iowa City High (Dorman, Dancer, McDowell, Shivers), 8:09.39; 2. C.R. Prairie, 8:18.20; 3. Linn-Mar, 8:19.24; Shuttle hurdle relay -- 1. C.R. Kennedy (Cook, Jacobus, Perkins, Beyer), 57.92; 2. Iowa City West, 1:00.04; 3. Iowa City High, 1:00.18; 100 -- 1. Trevor Northrup (CRP), 11.59; 2. Dylan Chittick (CRJ), 11.67; 3. Dan Larson (CRJ), 11.75; 400 -- 1. Landen Akers (CRW), 49.68; 2. Alphonso Soko (CRJ), 51.66; 3. Mark Schulz (CRK), 52.01; 800 relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Beaton, Karlan, Larson, Chittick), 1:29.84; 2. Linn-Mar, 1:30.47; 3. Iowa City High, 1:34.61; 110 hurdles -- 1. Andrew Gilbaugh (ICW), 15.31; 2. Kole Butler (ICH), 15.32; 3. Joah Wallace (CRP), 15.99; 1,600 -- 1. Daniel Gardarsson (ICW), 4:22.39; 2. Mitch Pritts (CRP), 4:37.35; 3. Tysen VanDraska (CRP), 4:40.26; 200 -- 1. Nate Karlan (CRJ), 22.26; 2. Landen Akers (CRW), 22.32; 3. Jacob Shannon (CRK), 22.99; 400 hurdles -- 1. Isaiah Nimmers (CRW), 57.17; 2. Marcus Perkins (CRK), 57.43; 3. John Milani (ICW), 59.35;  1,600 medley relay -- 1. Iowa City High (Butler, Rodney, Shivers, Dorman), 3:40.69; 2. Iowa City West, 3:45.39; 3. C.R. Prairie, 3:51.66; 800 -- 1. Kaleb Greiner (ICW), 1:57.99; 2. Wynton Karanja (ICW), 1:59.34; 3. Mark Schulz (CRK), 2:03.74; 400 relay -- 1. Linn-Mar (McCrary, Freese, Wolfe, Gorsich), 43.39; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 43.76; 3. C.R. Kennedy, 43.77; 1,600 relay -- 1. C.R. Jefferson (Larson, Chittick Bonheur, Soko), 3:29.28; 2. Iowa City West, 3:29.62; 3. Linn-Mar, 3:30.37.