Clear Lake’s Reese Brownlee retains Drake Relays girls’ long jump title

DES MOINES — With joy comes speed, according to Reese Brownlee.

“My dad always tells me, ‘Happy girls run fast, and happy girls jump far,’” said Brownlee, a senior at Clear Lake and a happy camper indeed.

Brownlee repeated as the Drake Relays girls’ long jump champion Thursday afternoon at Drake Stadium, edging Linn-Mar’s Abby Mecklenburg for the title.

The Kansas State recruit took the lead (18 feet, 10 inches) on her final preliminary jump, and it stuck.

Mecklenburg was second, a quarter-inch behind, and her post-competition mood understandably was the opposite of Brownlee’s.

“Didn’t even hit 19 (feet) tonight,” Mecklenburg said. “My speed wasn’t on. I was getting too tight. My landing was rough, too.

“I have more meets. This is just going to push me.”

The reigning Class 4A state champion, Mecklenburg holds the all-time Iowa best at 20 feet, 8 1/4 inches, achieved earlier this season.

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Brownlee was well aware.

“You just got to compete,” she said. “Track and field is a hard sport, but it’s easier when you have faith in yourself.”

Alexi Thigpen of Iowa City Liberty was fifth at 17-7.

“I told myself, ‘Push, push, push,’” Thigpen said. “I got a lot of pop. I love competing against people that are better than me. It gives me something to strive for.”

Freshman Charlee Gall of Cedar Falls became a second-generation Drake 3,000-meter girls’ champion, reigning in 9:44.19.

Gall’s mother, the former Sarah Gray of Cedar Falls, won here three times from 1995 through 1997.

Delilah Subsin of Ottumwa was the discus champion, with an effort of 156 feet, 9 inches. Libby Dix of Mount Vernon was fourth at 141-5.

Drake Relays: Thursday’s girls results

Discus — 1. Delilah Subsin (Ottumwa), 156-9; 2. Charlee Morton (Hampton-Dumont/CAL), 149-4; 3. Olivia Hilby (Dubuque Wahlert), 144-10; 4. Libby Dix (Mount Vernon), 141-5; 5. Gabriella Ragins (Pleasant Valley), 140-5; 6. Anna Hadley (Pekin), 135-10; 7. Rachel Haack (Iowa City High), 134-7; 8. Mariah Myers (Fort Dodge) St. Edmond), 131-6.

Long jump — 1. Reese Brownlee (Clear Lake), 18-10; 2. Abby Mecklenburg (Linn-Mar), 18-9 3/4; 3. Aiden Gosselink (Grinnell), 18-4 1/4; 4. Jaida Bell (Johnston), 18-1 1/4; 5. Alexi Thigpen (Iowa City Liberty), 17-7; 6. Mackenzie Harder (Storm Lake), 17-6 1/4; 7. Rachel Schany (Emmetsburg), 17-5; 8. Frankie Huether (North Polk), 17-4 1/4.

3,000 — 1. Charlee Gall (Cedar Falls), 9:44.19; 2. Lili Denton (Council Bluffs St. Albert), 9:50.90; 3. Chloe Glosser (Pekin), 9:57.37; 4. Laura Streck (Van Meter), 9:58.24; 5. Piper Messerly (Dallas Center-Grimes), 9:58.71; 6. Marissa Ferebee (Pella), 9:58.94; 7. Alyssa Richman (Manson-NW Webster), 10:00.09; 8. Lindsey Sonderman (Harlan), 10:02.86.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com