Iowa City High’s Ford Washburn surges late, earns 4A boys’ state track 3,200-meter title

DES MOINES — This Ford most certainly possesses an overdrive gear under the hood.

Iowa City High junior Ford Washburn stormed past West Des Moines Dowling’s Will Ryan on the final backstretch, ran the final lap in a sizzling 58.9 seconds and won the Class 4A boys’ 3,200-meter race at the state track and field championships Thursday morning at Drake Stadium.

“I knew I could outkick him,” said Washburn, who was clocked in 9 minutes, 5.35 seconds and ended up winning by more than 8 seconds. “Once I got close, I knew I was fine.”

Washburn’s late-race heroics helped move City High into the early lead in the 4A boys’ team race. Through five events, the Little Hawks have 25.5 points. Dowling is second with 19 points, followed by North Scott (15), Ankeny (14.5) and Sioux City North (13).

The Little Hawks fortified their point total with a fourth-place finish in the 3,200-meter relay, Matt Schaeckenbach tied for fourth in the high jump and TaeShon McDaniels was fifth in the discus.

While Ryan and Iowa City West’s Alex McKane ran to the front immediately and stayed there through the first five laps, Washburn hung back.

“I was definitely a little nervous,” Washburn said. “They had quite a gap on me. I was thinking, ‘They’ll die off soon, right?’”

Washburn delivered his first surge at about 2,200 meters, moving from fifth to third. He passed McKane in the second-to-final lap, then roared past Ryan with about 250 meters to go.

Linn-Mar’s Hayden Kuhn finished fourth; McKane was fifth.

“It was just an OK race for me,” Kuhn said. “I wanted to go to the front, then connect with the leaders. I didn’t run as fast as I did at Drake, but state is about place, not time.”

Iowa City Liberty’s Luke Meyers won the second heat of the 400 meters in 49.58 seconds, then watched as only one guy — Tyrese Miller of Ankeny (48.71) — topped that in the final heat.

“I wasn’t expecting to beat Tyrese; I thought he might run in the 47s,” Meyers said. “I didn’t know if I would hold off those other guys. I’m really excited that I did.”

Last year’s discus champion, McKade Jelinek settled for third place in that event Thursday despite a career-best effort of 187 feet, 4 inches.

Walker Whalen of Indianola won it at 204-9; Corey Phillips of Ames was second at 195-10.

“I broke the school record again and I got the team some points,” Jelinek said. “It was a good day. Some other guys PR’d by quite a bit.”

Thursday results: Class 4A boys

Top 10 teams (through 5 events) — 1. Iowa City High 25.5, 2. West Des Moines Dowling 19, 3. North Scott 15, 4. Ankeny 14.5, 5. Sioux City North 13, 6. (tie) Indianola and Linn-Mar 11, 8. Iowa City Liberty 10, 9. (tie) Ames, Urbandale, Cedar Falls and Pleasant Valley 8.

High jump — 1. Sam Skarich (North Scott), 6-8; 2. Jacob Kieler (Cedar Falls), 6-8; 3. Idris Thomas (Davenport West), 6-6; T-4. Matt Schaeckenbach (Iowa City High), 6-6; 7. Brenden Linde (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 6-4.

Discus — 1. Walker Whalen (Indianola) 204-9; 2. Corey Phillips (Ames), 195-10; 3. McKade Jelinek (Linn-Mar), 187-4; 5. TaeShon McDaniels (Iowa City High), 169-2; 7. Tate Joens (Cedar Rapids Prairie), 161-2.

3,200 — 1. Ford Washburn (Iowa City High), 9:05.35; 2. Jacob Mumey (Pleasant Valley), 9:13.85; 3. Will Ryan (West Des Moines Dowling), 9:14.48; 4. Hayden Kuhn (Linn-Mar), 9:17.19; 5. Alex McKane (Iowa City West), 9:20.57; 7. Miles Wilson (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 9:28.54.

3,200 relay — 1. Sioux City North (Kifle, Kifle, Lohr, Nash), 7:44.64; 2. West Des Moines Dowling, 7:53.14; 3. Waukee Northwest, 7:57.15; 4. Iowa City High, 7:58.82; 7. Iowa City Liberty, 8:03.57.

400 — 1. Tyrese Miller (Ankeny), 48.71; 2. Luke Meyers (Iowa City Liberty), 49.58; 3. Matthew Kruse (Dubuque Senior), 49.62; 7. Jovan Harris (Iowa City High), 50.09.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com