Late burst sends Aidan Jacobsen to Drake Relays 400-meter hurdles title

DES MOINES — Aidan Jacobsen never met his late grandfather.

But when Aidan competes, a piece of Dean Jacobsen — his wedding band, to be precise — comes along for the ride.

It was a voyage of victory Saturday afternoon.

Jacobsen emerged from a four-wide deadlock in the final 40 meters and claimed the Drake Relays boys’ 400-meter hurdles championship at Drake Stadium.

A senior at Iowa City West and a recently committed Iowa State University recruit, Jacobsen (52.03 seconds) edged Mount Ayr’s Ryce Reynolds (52.09).

“I’m just really, really happy,” Jacobsen said. “It’s kind of different going out there as the favorite, but I feel like I’m the favorite every time I get on the track.”

Jacobsen’s effort ranks No. 10 all-time in Iowa.

He wasn’t the fastest one out of the blocks, and he still had some ground to make up at the race’s midpoint.

“Some of the other guys got out really fast,” Jacobsen said. “But my best stretch is the back curve.

“And I thought I had another gear coming down to the end.”

After grabbing his championship flag, Jacobsen shared a moment and an embrace with his father, Ryan Jacobsen.

It was Ryan that passed along Dean’s ring — intertwined in a silver chain around Aidan’s neck.

Dean passed away in 2001, five years before Aidan was born.

Western Dubuque is shuttle hurdle relay runner-up

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Western Dubuque qualified fourth in the boys’ shuttle hurdle relay, then upgraded to second in the finals.

The Bobcats’ crew of Brandon Decker, Jaden Then and Tyler Horstman, Ashton Hogrefe was clocked in 58.41 seconds. Cedar Falls won in 57.89.

“Some people might have thought that we were a fraud even though we were No. 1 (in the state coming into Drake),” said Hogrefe, who moved the Bobcats up two spots in his anchor leg. “This shows that Western Dubuque can compete.

“This is a good look going into the state meet, because we destroyed the rest of our (Class) 3A competition.

Horstman said, “The finals felt a lot better than the prelims. We were all locked in.”

Ankeny set a Drake record in the 3,200-meter relay, in 7:39.54.

The meet was delayed at 4:14 p.m. due to severe weather in the area, with three events yet to be run — the 400-meter relay, the 1,600-meter run and the 1,600-meter relay.

Drake Relays: Saturday boys’ results

3,200 relay — 1. Ankeny (Robie, Smith, Bosch, Zuber), 7:39.54 (Drake record); 2. West Des Moines Dowling, 7:43.16; 3. Cedar Falls, 7:44.24; 4. Johnston, 7:44.30; 5. Mediapolis, 7:50.46; 6. Dallas Center-Grimes, 7:54.63; 7. Urbandale, 7:54.70; 8. Waukee Northwest, 7:56.52.

Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Kies, Mills, Thola, Kenaga), 57.89; 2. Western Dubuque, 58.41; 3. Southeast Polk, 59.13.

400 hurdles — 1. Aidan Jacobsen (Iowa City West), 52.03; 2. Ryce Reynolds (Mount Ayr), 52.09; 3. Tristan Rheingans (Central DeWitt), 52.44; 4. Gabe Funk (Lenox), 52.76; 5. Quinn Olson (Sioux City Heelan), 53.01; 6. Jaden Damiano (Iowa Falls-Alden), 53.27; 7. Zach Lohmann (Adel ADM), 53.28; 8. Joe Dewald (Westwood), 53.28.

400 relay — Delayed.

1,600 — Delayed.

1,600 relay — Delayed.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com