Gold for North Linn relay

North Linn's Maddie Boer (right) hands off to Jenna Schade during the class 1A 4 x 800 meter relay at the 2012 Iowa High School State Track and Field Meet at Drake Stadium on Thursday, May 17, 2012, in Des Moines, Iowa. North Linn won in 9:42:52. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette-KCRG)

By Rob Gray

Correspondent

DES MOINES - The North Linn girls' 3,200-meter relay team puts the quack in track.

Figuratively speaking, of course.

“We've just joked that we're the mama ducks and these our are little babies,” said senior lead runner Amanda Aberle, who helped the Lynx produce a gold medal Thursday in the Class 1A state track meet. “It's our job to take care of them. We've just made a really good family out of this.”

Two seniors: Aberle and Jenna Schade.

Two freshman: Maddie Boer and anchor Nicole Miller.

One goal: Winning a state title, which they accomplished in 9:42.52.

“We were really serious,” said Miller, who erased a 15-meter deficit while contributing a final leg of 2:16.2. “We really wanted this.”

So did Chelsea Berry of Starmont, who garnered gold in the 1A long jump, leaping 17-10 on her final attempt.

“I knew I had a good jump, but I guess it was good enough to win,” Berry said. “It feels amazing. I was ranked third, so I knew there was a chance."

Jasmine Staebler of Clayton Ridge made history in the 400, becoming her school's first individual state champion.

The freshman finished in 57.93 seconds - about a half-second ahead of Belle Plaine's Emily Toennies.

“It's unbelievable,” said Staebler, a freshman. “All my teammates and friends were like, ‘Oh Jasmine, you've got this,' but I was nervous anyways.”

North Linn's 3,200 relay team experienced little anxiety en route to a title.

Aberle set the pace early, leading almost the entire first leg.

Boer and Schade followed by either staying out front, or staying within striking distance for the fleet Miller.

“I didn't really think of how tired I was,” said Miller, who finished third in last month's all-class girls' 800-meters at the Drake Relays. “I just went.”

Miller shrugged off prerace anxiety - rooted partly in inexperience, partly in pressure.

“I got really nervous because I've never actually been here before,” Miller said. “Once you're first and you're supposed to win, kind of, it feels like you have a lot more on your shoulders. You don't want to let down anyone.”

That didn't remotely happen, thanks to a tight-knit group of seniors and understudies.

“These girls haven't done as much, haven't been here before, so we try new things,” Aberle said. “We had to make sure we work together so the freshmen understand what's going on. That's our biggest goal, to make sure they feel included and know what's going on.”

Griswold raced at the team points lead with 22. Clayton Ridge is tied for second with 11. Starmont and North Linn are among four schools knotted at fourth with 10 points apiece.