Drake Relays 2022: Iowa City High is deadly in the distance medley

Iowa City High’s Ammon Smith crosses the finish line, clinching the boys’ distance medley relay title at the Drake Relays on Friday. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

Iowa City High’s Jovan Harris speeds away after receiving the handoff from teammate Ronnie Major during the boys distance medley relay at the Drake Relays on Friday. The Little Hawks won the race. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

Lisbon’s Kole Becker crosses the finish line in second during the boys’ 110-meter hurdles at the Drake Relays on Friday. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

DES MOINES — Jovan Harris didn’t even need to watch.

He handed the baton to Ammon Smith, and saw his teammate accelerate.

Harris knew.

“When (Smith) got going, I thought, ‘Yeah, this is a win for sure,’” Harris said.

Smith’s 800-meter anchor of 1:51.99 sent Iowa City High to victory in the Drake Relays boys’ distance medley relay Friday morning at Drake Stadium.

Sam Rew, Ronnie Major, Harris and Smith finished in 3 minutes, 28.70 seconds, more than 2 seconds ahead of runner-up Dallas Center-Grimes.

And that 1:51.99 number ... that left Smith stunned.

“I told my coach, ‘No way, you’ve got to be kidding me,’” he said.

“I love chasing. It gives me so much incentive. I’ve got to be patient. When I’m patient, it works out.”

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Rew and Major circled the track in third place — “Our goal was to get the stick to them as fast as possible and let them do their work,” Rew said — then Harris’ 50.17-second 400 moved the Little Hawks up to second.

City High will be back here in three weeks as the favorite to win the Class 4A boys’ state championship.

“We’re bringing City High’s winning tradition back,” Harris said.

Lisbon’s Kole Becker picked up his second silver medal of the weekend, running second to Spirit Lake’s Jack Latham in the 110-meter hurdles.

Latham was clocked in 13.99 seconds, Becker in 14.60.

“That guy was just unreal,” Becker said. “I had a good race, a faster time than I had in the prelims.”

Becker will compete in the 400-meter hurdles Saturday as the No. 1 seed.

“Second place, that motivated me,” he said. “I feel I definitely can compete in that tomorrow.”

Cedar Rapids Washington’s Miles Thompson was the 100-meter runner-up and anchored the Warriors to third place in the 400-meter relay.

“Last year I didn’t do so good. I was nervous,” he said. “Now I’m a junior and a lot more confident in myself.”

Ankeny’s Tyrese Miller finished in 10.88 seconds, Thompson in 10.95.

Thompson was scheduled for a 4:30 flight Friday to Tampa, where he will compete in a 7-on-7 football tournament.

Jesup’s Carson Lienau was third in the shot put.

Drake Relays: Friday’s Boys Results

Shot put — 1. Austin Busch (South Hamilton), 60-5 3/4; 2. Brandon VanderSluis (Le Mars), 55-11 1/4; 3. Carson Lienau (Jesup), 55-10 3/4; 4. J.J. Moore (Webster City), 54-7 1/4; 5. Dakota Hoffman (Western Dubuque), 53-0 1/2; 6. Nolan Recker (Muscatine), 52-9; 7. Spencer Kessel (Louisa-Muscatine), 52-2 1/2; 8. Hunter Deyo (Lewis Central), 51-5 3/4.

High jump — 1. Jack Noble (North Polk), 6-9; 2. Jacob Kieler (Cedar Falls), 6-9; 3. Sam Skarich (North Scott), 6-9; 4. Kade Benjamin (New London), 6-7; 5. Kaleb Scott (Southeast Valley), 6-7; 6. Derek Weisskopf (Williamsburg), 6-7; 7. Ian Collins (Charles City), 6-5; 8. Matt Schaeckenbach (Iowa City High), 6-5.

Distance medley relay — 1. Iowa City High (Rew, Major, Harris, Smith), 3:28.70; 2. Dallas Center-Grimes, 3:30.86; 3. Waukee Northwest, 3:31.09; 4. Washington, 3:31.49; 5. Pella, 3:31.55; 6. Johnston, 3:32.15; 7. Saint Ansgar, 3:32.76; 8. West Des Moines Dowling, 3:33.61.

110 hurdles — 1. Jack Latham (Spirit Lake), 13.99; 2. Kole Becker (Lisbon), 14.60; 3. Eric Lucas (Iowa City Liberty), 14.71; 4. Noah Sheridan (Jesup), 14.74; 5. Harrison Rosenberg (Clear Creek Amana), 14.86; 6. Grayson Hartman (Cedar Rapids Xavier), 14.95; 7. Jackson Morton (Greene County), 14.96; 8. Grant Miller (Norwalk), 15.05.

800 relay — 1. Southeast Polk (Sama, Christiansen, Zelenovich, Filloon), 1:28.43; 2. Johnston, 1:29.17; 3. Cedar Rapids Washington, 1:29.36; 4. West Des Moines Dowling, 1:29.49; 5. Ankeny, 1:29.66; 6. Ankeny Centennial, 1:30.01; 7. Iowa City West, 1:30.06; 8. Cedar Falls, 1:30.48.

800 — 1. Jackson Mace-Maynard (Newton), 1:54.25; 2. Riley Witt (Saint Ansgar), 1:54.38; 3. Gabe Nash (Sioux City North), 1:54.69; 4. Jackson Heidesch (West Des Moines Dowling), 1:55.27; 5. Eli Naumann (Western Dubuque), 1:55.31; 6. William Lohr (Sioux City North), 1:56.03; 7. Carson Houg (Des Moines Christian), 1:56.20; 8. Yemane Kifle (Sioux City North), 1:57.39.

100 — 1. Tyrese Miller (Ankeny), 10.88; 2. Miles Thompson (Cedar Rapids Washington), 10.95; 3. Jack Latham (Spirit Lake), 10.99; 4. Luke Meyers (Iowa City Liberty), 11.08; 5. Titus Christiansen (Southeast Polk), 11.11; 6. Aidan Hall (Harlan), 11.18; 7. Qai Hussey (Spirit Lake), 11.20.

400 — 1. Tyrese Miller (Ankeny), 47.91; 2. Qai Hussey (Spirit Lake), 48.56; 3. Ryce Reynolds (Mount Ayr), 4. Calvin Curcija (Bettendorf), 49.84; 5. River Patterson (Fairfield), 49.92; 6. Elijah Morris (Washington), 50.01; 7. Matthew Kruse (Dubuque Senior), 50.25; 8. Jashua Anglo (Johnston), 50.29.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com