Alburnett’s Lacey Neighbor battles through knee injury for 1A state long jump silver

DES MOINES — Each fast, but smooth step is accompanied by pain. Then Alburnett’s Lacey Neighbor soars through the air — and for a brief moment relief mixes with exhilaration.

Neighbor, who notched a second-place finish in the long jump Thursday at the Class 1A girls’ state track and field meet, injured her right knee in the state-qualifying meet, and at some point she’ll need to make another doctor’s appointment.

But first she’ll need to find the time.

“Hopefully,” said Neighbor, a junior who notched a personal-best jump of 17 feet, 6 inches. “But we actually start softball next week, so that’ll be interesting.”

Molly Joyce of Algona Garrigan won the 1A girls’ long jump with a top leap of 17 feet, 11 3/4 inches.

South Winneshiek couldn’t track down Pekin in the 3,200-meter relay, but did finish strong to take second in a season-best time of 9:55.93.

Pekin's Sarah Eubanks (left) holds off South Winneshiek anchor Eryn Sabelka during the 1A 4 x 800-meter relay at the 2022 Iowa High School Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Pekin won in 9:55.02. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

The Warriors’ quartet of Billie Wagner, Megan Hageman, Josie Tieskoetter and Eryn Sabelka said it’s the second time this season they’ve run the race as a group.

“We knew all year that we wanted to focus on this relay,” Sabelka said. “And we knew we could do better than our ninth-place last year.”

Wagner also notched a seventh-plan finish in the 3,000.

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Lisbon’s Lourdes Mason also doubled up as a medalist Thursday, earning fourth-place finishes in the 3,000 (10:27.69) and the 3,200-meter relay (10:06.06).

“I PR’d by like over 10 seconds, so I feel pretty good about that,” Mason said. “And it’s also pretty hot, so my goal was to not go lower than my ranking.”

Haley Meyer of Lansing Kee earned third in the 400, finishing in 59.61 seconds.

“It feels good to have a good start and a good mentality,” said Meyer, who will compete in three more events on Saturday.

Other area 1A girls’ athletes who finished among the top eight on Thursday:

Sarah Burton of Highland leaped to a third-place finish in the long jump, soaring a personal-record 16 feet, 10 1/2 inches. Olivia Bohlen of Belle Plaine also posted a personal-best (16-3) to earn seventh.
North Linn’s 3,200-meter relay team placed fifth in a time of 10 minutes and 11.51 seconds. North Tama’s foursome in the 3,200 relay took eighth (10:26.36).
Erin Knipper of Maquoketa Valley finished fourth in the shot put with a top heave of 38 feet and 2 1/4 inches.

Thursday results: Class 1A girls

3,000-meter run: 1. Noelle Steines (Calamus-Wheatland) 10:21.01; 2. Addison Grady (Hudson) 10:21.91; 3. Maddy Childs (Grand View Christian) 10:22.81; 4. Lourdes Mason (Lisbon) 10:27.69; 7. Billie Wagner (South Winneshiek) 11:14.57; 8. Hunter Jones (North Cedar) 11:19.32.

3,200-meter relay: 1. Pekin (Fariss, Derscheid, Eubanks, Dahlstrom), 9:55.02; 2. South Winneshiek, 9:55.93; 3. Logan-Magnolia, 10:05.74; 4. Lisbon, 10:06.06; 5. North Linn, 10:11.51; 8. North Tama, 10:26.36.

Shot put: 1. Audi Crooks (Algona Bishop Garrigan) 45-01; 2. Emily Baker (Bedford) 40-04.75; 3. Breanna Hackman (Nashua-Plainfield) 38-07.75; 4. Erin Knipper (Maquoketa Valley) 38-02.25.

Long jump: 1. Molly Joyce (Algona Bishop Garrigan) 17-11.75; 2. Lacey Neighbor (Alburnett) 17-06; 3. Sarah Burton (Highland) 16-10.50; 7. Olivia Bohlen (Belle Plaine) 16-03.00.

400-meter run: 1. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield) 57.35; 2. Adalyn Reynolds (Mount Ayr) 58.28; 3. Haley Meyer (Lansing Kee) 59.61.

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com