Linn-Mar’s senior high-jumping rookie, Maia Denge-Hagen strikes gold

DES MOINES — Maia Denge-Hagen’s championship belief first truly sprouted somewhere between Marion and Des Moines.

“I was talking to myself in the car, ‘I’m going to win it. I’m going to win it,’” said Denge-Hagen, Linn-Mar’s senior high-jumping rookie.

“I got it in my brain. I got a picture.”

Reality was even better.

Denge-Hagen, who introduced herself to the event less than a year ago — at a kiddie camp, no less — captured the Class 4A girls’ title at the state track and field meet Thursday afternoon at Drake Stadium.

She cleared 5 feet, 6 inches, matching her career-best (in competition) — and the Linn-Mar school record.

“Maia didn’t have a great practice. Prom was last week,” Lions assistant coach Josh Handke said.

She showed up when it mattered.

After a first-jump miss at 5-2 — “It was a good jump; I was just too far away from the bar,” she said — Denge-Hagen got over with ease on her second attempt.

She cleared 5-4 on her first try, one of six survivors at that height. Her first-attempt clearance at 5-6 clinched the title.

And then, elation.

“I was a little nervous because, you know, it’s state,” Denge-Hagen said. “I decided, I’m going to do my best, and whatever happens, happens.”

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The way Denge-Hagen tells it, she wanted to try high-jumping last year, but “(Handke) said, ‘No, you’re going to run.’”

During that fateful summer youth camp, Denge-Hagen tried it anyway, and cleared 4 feet, 10 inches.

“I’d go every week during the summer,” she said. “One week I cleared 5 foot, then 2 inches higher, then 2 more inches higher.”

Last summer, “on a whim,” she said, she got over 5-8. And with that, the Iowa State staff came calling.

“She went to a specialist and cleared 5-8, and I thought to myself, ‘I can’t mess this up,’” Handke said.

Denge-Hagen, who still considers herself raw, accepted Iowa State’s offer.

Led by an all-time Iowa best in the 3,200-meter relay (8:59.53), Pleasant Valley is the 4A girls’ team leader through five events. The Spartans have 24 points.

Johnston is second with 19 points, followed by West Des Moines (18).

Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Addison Swartzendruber ran second in the girls’ 400 meters. The senior finished in 56.53 seconds; Anjelena Carder of Waukee was the champion in 55.52.

“I’ve been struggling a bit with my start,” said Swartzendruber, an Oregon State University signee. “My pacing is off. At (the) Drake (Relays), I went out too fast, and paid for it at the end.

“I’m not disappointed. I tried to run how I know how to run.”

Swartzendruber will conclude her Kennedy career Saturday in the sprint medley relay.

Ankeny is the boys’ leader, with 37 points. West Des Moines Dowling is second with 25.

Kennedy’s Jacob Smetzer represented the best area 4A boys’ finish, tying for fourth in the high jump.

Iowa City West’s Moustafa Tiea and Aidan Jacobsen were fifth and eighth in the 400.

State track and field: Class 4A Girls

At Des Moines (Drake Stadium)

Top 10 teams (through 5 events) — 1. Pleasant Valley 24, 2. Johnston 19, 3. West Des Moines Valley 18, 4. Ankeny 14, 5. Dubuque Hempstead 13, 6. (tie) Ankeny Centennial, Waukee and Waukee Northwest 11, 9. (tie) Linn-Mar, North Scott and Ottumwa 10.

Discus — 1. Delilah Subsin (Ottumwa), 141-1; 2. Gabriella Ragins (Pleasant Valley), 140-2; 3. Reese Goodlet (Pleasant Valley), 138-11; 5. Rachel Haack (Iowa City High), 130-3.

High jump — 1. Maia Denge-Hagen (Linn-Mar), 5-6; 2. Anna Woods (Ankeny Centennial), 5-4; 3. (tie) Reagan Hanfelt (Ankeny), Natalie Nwatchock (North Scott) and Sydney Skarich (North Scott), 5-4.

3,000 — 1. Addison Dorenkamp (West Des Moines Valley), 9:30.64; 2. Julia Gehl (Dubuque Hempstead), 10:01.54; 3. Olivia Verde (Johnston), 10:02.44.

3,200 relay — 1. Pleasant Valley (Wedemeyer, Johnson, Mowen, Boleyn), 8:59.53; 2. Johnston, 9:15.09; 3. Ankeny, 9:16.24.

400 — 1. Anjelena Carder (Waukee), 55.52; 2. Addison Swartzendruber (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 56.53; 3. Avery Winter (Waukee Northwest), 57.06; 7. Chelsea VeDepo (Iowa City Liberty), 57.54.

State track and field: Class 4A Boys

At Des Moines (Drake Stadium)

Top 10 teams (through 5 events) — 1. Ankeny 37, 2. West Des Moines Dowling 25, 3. (tie) Cedar Falls and Davenport West 18, 5. Johnston 14, 6. North Scott 10, 7. (tie) West Des Moines Valley and Sioux City North 8, 10. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 7.

High jump — 1. Idris Thomas (Davenport West), 6-6; 2. Ben Sorensen (West Des Moines Valley), 6-5; 3. Landon Pote (Ankeny), 6-3; 4. (tie) Soulaymane El Jerari (Bettendorf), London Stone (West Des Moines Dowling) and Jacob Smetzer (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 6-3.

3,200 — 1. Ethan Zuber (Ankeny), 8:59.66; 2. Natnael Kifle (Sioux City North), 9:00.11; 3. Tony Anania (Norwalk), 9:03.48.

Discus — 1. Zach McMillian (North Scott), 176-8; 2. Nolan Dempsey (Davenport West), 168-11; 3. Nathan Rotherham (West Des Moines Dowling), 166-2; 6. Jackson Rhinehart (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 162-2; 7. Haydn Stockdale (Cedar Rapids Prairie), 160-7; 8. Colin Whitters (Iowa City West), 156-1.

3,200 relay — 1. Ankeny (Bosch, Robie, Smith, Zuber), 7:40.34; 2. Johnston, 7:44.21; 3. West Des Moines Dowling, 7:46.02.

400 — 1. Jackson Belding (Ankeny), 47.38; 2. Jordan Townsend (Cedar Falls), 48.15; 3. Jashua Anglo (Johnston), 48.31; 5. Moustafa Tiea (Iowa City West), 49.13; 8. Aidan Jacobsen (Iowa City West), 49.79.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com