Iowa City Liberty newcomer Eric Lucas rules the 4A state track high hurdles

Iowa City Liberty's Eric Lucas celebrates after winning the Class 4A boys’ 110-meter hurdles at the state track and field meet Saturday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

DES MOINES — Eric Lucas spent his sophomore year as a hurdling understudy at Cedar Falls.

“I had a lot of role models there,” he said.

Lucas is at a new place now, at Iowa City Liberty. And he has a new role.

Mentor. And now, champion.

Lucas got to the lead quickly and earned the Class 4A boys’ 110-meter high hurdles title, in 14.25 seconds, Saturday at the state track and field meet at Drake Stadium.

“I knew the wind was going to push me, so I started a little slow,” he said. “After the second hurdle, I knew I could catch up and pass them. My start is never the best, but my finish is strong.

“I knew I had it, my time was good and I’m ready for next year.”

West Des Moines Dowling surged — and Iowa City High faltered — on the closing day, and that determined the 4A boys’ team title. The Maroons compiled 93 points; the Little Hawks finished with 63.5.

Ankeny was third with 53, followed by Linn-Mar (51).

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A key, unfortunate moment came in the 800 meters. Dowling’s Jackson Heidesch and City’s Ammon Smith were vying for the lead on the opening backstretch, when they collided and Heidesch went down.

Smith was called for “interference” and disqualified for the rest of the meet. Heidesch was awarded an individual rerun at the end of the meet, and finished third.

“It was a lot of drama that I wasn’t ready for, and it kind of messed me up,” said City distance runner Ford Washburn, the 1,600-meter runner-up. “It didn’t help at all.”

Washburn was one of four area 4A runners-up. Cedar Rapids Washington’s Miles Thompson was second in the 200 and anchored the Warriors’ second-place 400-meter relay.

Thompson (10.53 seconds) finished behind Dowling’s Mikey McClain (10.33). The Warriors’ foursome of Watts McBride, Thompson, Aidan Armon and Michael Blank (41.97) ran behind Dowling (41.76).

“I warmed up well and got a good start,” Thompson said. “I wish I could have gotten first, but congrats to Mikey.”

Blank said, “We didn’t get the job done. It’s a little frustrating. We broke two school records, but we didn’t get the outcome we wanted.”

Linn-Mar’s shuttle hurdle relay team of Nicholas Gorsich, Shourya Singh, William Grant and Chris O'Toole (1:00.09) ran behind Pleasant Valley, 58.96.

“I’m pumped,” O’Toole said. “This was my first year running the shuttle. It’s been a hell of a run with these guys.”

Linn-Mar honors its state champions and runners-up with pictures on a wall outside its gymnasium.

“We’re going to be on the wall,” Singh said to Gorsich.

Saturday results: Class 4A boys

Final team standings — 1. West Des Moines Dowling 93, 2. Iowa City High 63.5, 3. Ankeny 53, 4. Linn-Mar 51, 5. Sioux City North 40, 6. WDM Valley 37. 7. Cedar Rapids Washington 35, 8. Iowa City Liberty and Cedar Falls 32, 10. Indianola 27, t11. Iowa City West 26, t21. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 11, t30. Cedar Rapids Prairie 2.

Sprint medley relay — 1. Ankeny 1:31.46, 2. WDM Dowling 1:32.87, 3. Cedar Falls 1:33.19, 6. Iowa City High 1:33.82.

800 — 1. Gabe Nash (Sioux City North), 1:53.14; 2. Yemane Kifle (Sioux City North), 1:54.55; 3. Jackson Heidesch (WDM Dowling), 1:54.62; 6. Gavin Keeney (Iowa City Liberty), 1:56.56; 8. Moustafa Tiea (Iowa City West), 1:57.06.

Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Pleasant Valley 58.96, 2. Linn-Mar 1:00.09, 3. Mason City 1:01.24, 6. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1:02.91.

100 — 1. Mikey McClain (WDM Dowling), *10.33; 2. Miles Thompson (CR Washington), 10.53; 3. Tyrese Miller (Ankeny), 10.60; 4. Luke Meyers (Iowa City Liberty), 10.74.

110 hurdles — 1. Eric Lucas (Iowa City Liberty), 14.25; 2. William Bussey (WDM Dowling), 14.93; 3. Matt Schaeckenbach (Iowa City High), 14.98.

200 — 1. Mike McClain (WDM Dowling), *20.97; 2. Tyrese Miller (Ankeny), 21.58; 3. Miles Thompson (CR Washington), 21.65; 4. Michael Blank (CR Washington), 21.71; 5. Luke Meyers (Iowa City Liberty), 21.85.

1,600 — 1. Jackson Heidesch (WDM Dowling), 4:07.30; 2. Ford Washburn (Iowa City High), 4:14.24; 3. William Lohr (Sioux City North), 4:14.40; 4. Hayden Kuhn (Linn-Mar), 4:17.69; 5. Alex McKane (Iowa City West), 4:20.03; 6. Miles Wilson (CR Kennedy), 4:20.17.

400 relay — 1. WDM Dowling 41.76, 2. Cedar Rapids Washington 41.97, 3. Southeast Polk 42.30, 6. Iowa City West 42.79.

1,600 relay — 1. Dubuque Senior 3:19.82, 2. Johnston 3:20.11, 3. Linn-Mar 3:20.58, 8. Iowa City High 3:28.14.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com