Clutch clearance helps HLV’s Ema Roberts to a high jump runner-up finish

DES MOINES — Facing elimination and disappointment, Ema Roberts resorted to self-conversation.

“I told myself that I didn’t want to come here and just clear 5-2,” the senior at HLV said. “I’d done that every year. I wasn’t going to feel happy with myself if I (stopped there).”

Whether it was self-assurance or self-scolding, it worked.

Roberts cleared 5 feet, 4 inches on her last attempt. Then she got over 5-6 on her first try.

“I wasn’t messing around,” she said. “Adrenaline took over, and I was trusting myself and my abilities.”

That burst enabled Roberts to earn a share of second place in the Drake Relays girls’ high jump Friday morning at Drake Stadium.

London Warmuth of Adel ADM won the event at 5-7; Roberts tied Emmetsburg’s Rachel Schany for the runner-up spot.

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“I’m definitely happy,” Roberts said. “My goal coming in was to push for the top three.”

The reigning Class 1A state champion, Roberts will attend Wartburg College next year; she plans to compete both in track and volleyball.

“A lot of athletes do that there,” she said.

Friday’s high school girls’ highlight came in the 100-meter hurdles: Emma Havighurst of West Des Moines Valley ran 13.82 in the 100-meter hurdles preliminaries, setting an all-time Iowa best, then matched that time in the finals and won the title.

Linn-Mar’s Abby Mecklenburg, Brooklyn Guild, Sarah White and Ja'Niya Crawford finished fourth in the 800-meter relay. Waukee Northwest won it in 1:40.97.

Nashua-Plainfield’s Kadence Huck, bound for Oklahoma State, captured the 800 in 2:10.51. Mount Vernon’s Evelyn Moeller was seventh in a career-best 2:14.09.

“I can’t be mad about that,” said Moeller, a sophomore. “It was so much fun to be here. My legs didn’t hurt until the end. I think adrenaline helped a lot.”

Charlee Morton of Hampton-Dumont/CAL (46-9 1/2) became the second girl to win three Drake shot put titles. Kelly Grobstich of Davenport Assumption claimed the 100.

Clear Lake’s Reese Brownlee added the 400-meter title (in 55.45 seconds) to the long jump title that she earned Thursday.

Pella Christian won the sprint medley relay and ran second to Northwest in the 4x200.

Drake Relays: Friday’s girls results

Shot put — 1. Charlee Morton (Hampton-Dumont/CAL), 46-9 1/4; 2. Lauren Travis (Spirit Lake), 45-6; 3. Delilah Subsin (Ottumwa), 44-5 1/2; 4. Kylee Hill (Burlington), 43-6 3/4; 5. Mackenzie Fah (Pleasant Valley), 42-7 1/4; 6. Hillary Ruschy (Estherville ELC), 42-6; 7. Brylie Lorence (Fort Madison), 41-10 3/4; 8. Rachel Haack (Iowa City High), 40-11 1/4.

High jump — 1. London Warmuth (Adel ADM), 5-7; 2. (tie) Ema Roberts (HLV/Tri-County) and Rachel Schany (Emmetsburg), 5-6; 4. Addison Smith (Lawton-Bronson), 5-4; 5. (tie) Reagan Hanfelt (Ankeny), Alex Gaskell (West Des Moines Dowling), Trista Ohlmeier (Mapleton MVAOCOU), Kennedy Brant (Gladbrook-Reinbeck) and Claire Lorenz (Linn-Mar), 5-4.

Sprint medley relay — 1. Pella Christian (Terpstra, Kacmarynski, Van Wyk, Vos), 1:46.36; 2. Clear Lake, 1:46.88; 3. Johnston, 1:47.12; 4. Waukee Northwest, 1:47.71; 5. Indianola, 1:48.16; 6. Cedar Falls, 1:48.48; 7. Williamsburg, 1:48.61; 8. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 1:48.87.

100 hurdles — 1. Emma Havighurst (West Des Moines Valley), 13.82; 2. Josie McGraw (Indianola), 14.06; 3. Annie Smith (West Des Moines Dowling), 14.22; 4. Morgan Karr (West Des Moines Valley), 14.39; 5. Alex Gaskell (West Des Moines Dowling), 14.66; 6. Elise Coghlan (Adel ADM), 14.78; 7. Anna Woods (Ankeny Centennial), 14.81; 8. Jana Maharry (Waukee), 15.09.

800 relay — 1. Waukee Northwest (Winter, Vogt, Van Zetten, Willits), 1:40.97; 2. Pella Christian, 1:42.06; 3. Southeast Polk, 1:42.37; 4. Linn-Mar, 1:42.67; 5. Waukee, 1:42.77; 6. Spirit Lake, 1:43.02; 7. West Des Moines Dowling, 1:43.44; 8. Decorah, 1:43.55.

800 — 1. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield), 2:10.51; 2. Grace Boleyn (Pleasant Valley), 2:11.73; 3. Olivia Fehn (Johnston), 2:12.98; 4. Ani Wedemeyer (Pleasant Valley), 2:13.22; 5. Joley Sullivan (Davenport Central), 2:13.51; 6. Makenna Madetzke (Ankeny), 2:14.03; 7. Evelyn Moeller (Mount Vernon), 2:14.09; 8. Sarah Feddersen (Gilbert), 2:14.80.

100 — 1. Kelly Grobstich (Davenport Assumption), 11.82; 2. Grace Erick (Sioux City East), 12.04; 3. Katie Willits (Waukee Northwest), 12.10; 4. Kaleigh Tooker (MOC-Floyd Valley), 12.19; 5. Jerzee Knight (Clarinda), 12.20; 6. Alayna Goldsberry (Southeast Polk), 12.20; 7. Rachel Kacmarynski (Pella Christian), 12.21; 8. Jeorgia Evans (Mid-Prairie), 12.31.

400 — 1. Reese Brownlee (Clear Lake), 55.45; 2. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield), 55.65; 3. Kloe Nissen (Cedar Falls), 56.21; 4. Bailey Vos (Pella Christian), 56.69; 5. Olivia Fehn (Johnston), 56.96; 6. Kelly Grobstich (Davenport Assumption), 57.35; 7. Morgan Fisher (Ankeny), 57.40; 8. Anna Lursen (Fort Dodge St. Edmond), 57.44.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com