Iowa state track 3A boys’ results: Clutch final throw lifts Marion’s Garret Wagner to 2nd in shot put

DES MOINES — The sun came out, the throwing ring dried and Garret Wagner delivered.

A senior from Marion High School, Wagner climbed two spots in the Class 3A boys’ shot put with a final heave of 56 feet, 11 inches at the state track and field meet Friday afternoon at Drake Stadium.

As was the case at the Drake Relays here four weeks ago, Wagner was the runner-up to Pella’s Kody Huisman.

“I knew I had to get one out there,” Wagner said. “I figured I’d might as well do it with my last one.”

Wagner was slipping, sliding and sitting in fifth place heading into the finals. He climbed to fourth on a second-to-last throw of 52-11 1/4, then zoomed to second on his final heave.

“Luckily, the sun came out and dried the ring out enough,” Wagner said. “I was slipping, and it just killed the momentum of my back half. It’s a mental game.”

Huisman’s triumph helped stake the Dutch to the team lead with 45.5 points.

Adel ADM is second with 30 points. Sixth-place Clear Creek Amana (17) is the top area team. Washington (Iowa) is tied for seventh with 16.

The final nine events are Saturday.

CCA’s Gavin Zillyette was introduced to the 400-meter hurdles in April. Friday, he was the 3A runner-up, in 55.88 seconds.

“I thought I’d be one of those guys that just squeezes in (to state). I’m really glad I found a new race,” said Zillyette, a junior.

Zillyette was a little slow out of the start, picked up momentum and picked off competitors. He ran second to Boone’s Tegan Bock (53.38).

“(Bock) is a senior, so technically, I’ll be the fastest guy coming into next year,” Zillyette said. “I don’t have a lot of experience at it yet, and I don’t have the best hurdle form yet.”

STATE TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS

At Des Moines

CLASS 3A BOYS

Teams (through 10 events) — 1. Pella 45.5, 2. Adel ADM 30, 3. Charles City 24, 4. Dallas Center-Grimes 22, 5. North Polk 18, 6. Clear Creek Amana 17, 7. (tie) Boone, Carlisle, Humboldt, Le Mars and Washington 16.

Shot put — 1. Kody Huisman (Pella), 59-4 3/4; 2. Garret Wagner (Marion), 56-11; 3. Brandon VanderSluis (Le Mars), 56-4 1/2; 7. Dakota Hoffman (Western Dubuque), 51-10; 8. Jake Siddles (Independence), 51-4 1/2.

Long jump — 1. Ian Collins (Charles City), 23-0 3/4; 2. Aiden Kuehl (Sioux City Heelan), 21-4 1/4; 3. Jacob Imhoff (Carlisle), 21-1; 7. Kyle Cole (West Delaware), 20-06 1/2.

800 relay — 1. Carlisle (Dunn, Dunn, Imhoff, Griffin), 1:30.56; 2. Dallas Center-Grimes, 1:30.78; 3. DeWitt Central, 1:31.00; 8. Benton Community, 1:31.50.

400 hurdles — 1. Tegan Bock (Boone), 53.38; 2. Gavin Zillyette (Clear Creek Amana), 55.88; 3. Gage Huyser (Pella), 56.11; 6. Thomas McAllister (Marion), 56.89; 8. Jacob Pipho (Decorah), 57.34.

Distance medley relay — 1. Humboldt (Coon, Hundertmark, Wittrock, Orr), 3:30.11; 2. Pella, 3:31.77; 3. Dallas Center-Grimes, 3:31.87; 6. Clear Creek Amana, 3:33.21.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com