Iowa state track 4A girls’ results: For Iowa City West’s Phoebe Burt, “state runner-up ... that’s huge”

DES MOINES -- Second place can be a bittersweet place.

Not for Phoebe Burt.

“If you asked me three years ago where I’d be, it wouldn’t be here,” the Iowa City West senior said after a runner-up finish in the Class 4A state girls’ discus competition Thursday afternoon just outside of Drake Stadium.

“I was just that JV track athlete. To see where I’ve come from, from there to here, it’s amazing.

“State runner-up ... that’s huge.”

Burt led through much of the event, slinging a 125-foot, 4-inch throw early. Cedar Falls’ Myah Brinker eventually passed her at 128-8.

So how did Burt get from middling JV thrower to state runner-up?

“From trusting (assistant coach) Danica Haight and really digging into my training,” she said. “I did a lot of reps in the rain, and being a multisport athlete helped.”

Burt will throw and wrestle and William Penn University next year.

Four-time defending 4A girls’ champion Waukee is the team leader with 21 points though five first-day events. Ames and Cedar Rapids Prairie are tied with 13 points.

Prairie’s Gabby Cortez (400) and Iowa City Liberty’s Ashlyn Keeney (3,000) joined Burt as runner-up finishers.

Cortez (56.74 seconds) ran second to Norwalk’s Claire Farrell (56.48).

“I think I did a better job of finishing to the line than I did at (the) Drake (Relays),” Cortez said. “At Drake, I didn’t have a great mindset. I’m glad Claire was there to push me today.”

A stride behind Ankeny’s Lauren McMahon with a lap to go, Keeney shot to the lead on the backstretch and held it into the final 50 meters before McMahon counterattacked.

“I had nothing left,” said Keeney, who collapsed after finishing. “I was driving my knees as hard as I could, but she passed me.”

McMahon finished in 9:57.17, Keeney in 9:58.57.

STATE TRACK & FIELD

At Des Moines

CLASS 4A GIRLS

Teams (through 5 events) -- 1. Waukee 21, 2. (tie) Ames and Cedar Rapids Prairie 13, 4. Sioux City East 12, 5. Ankeny, Dubuque Hempstead and Johnston 11, 8. (tie) Cedar Falls, Iowa City Liberty, Norwalk and Southeast Polk 10.

High jump -- 1. Layanna Green (Waukee), 5-7; 2. Grace Graham (North Scott), 5-4; 3. Baling Tang (Sioux City, East), 5-2; T-7. Alia Vanderhoef (Iowa City High), 5-0.

Discus -- 1. Myah Brinker (Cedar Falls), 128-8; 2. Phoebe Burt (Iowa City West), 125-4; 3. Emily Ball (West Des Moines Dowling), 123-7; 5. Emma Joens (Cedar Rapids Prairie), 121-0; 7. Darya Acas (Iowa City Liberty), 120-3.

3,000 -- 1. Lauren McMahon (Ankeny), 9:57.17; 2. Ashlyn Keeney (Iowa City Liberty), 9:58.57; 3. Kaia Downs (Sioux City, East), 10:07.71.

3,200 relay -- 1. Southeast Polk (Larkins, Hartz, Plummer, Francois), 9:21.62; 2. Waukee, 9:22.27; 3. Ankeny Centennial, 9:27.18; 8. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 9:38.46.

400 -- 1. Claire Farrell (Norwalk), 56.48; 2. Gabby Cortez (Cedar Rapids Prairie), 56.74; 3. Cameron Moon (Ames), 57.44; 5. Addison Swartzendruber (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 59.73.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com