Lisbon has 3 top-3 finishes Friday to stay in 1A boys’ state track championship contention

DES MOINES — Lisbon’s Luke Czarnecki needed a pep talk and a reset.

So Friday during the high jump at the Class 1A state track and field meet, he dashed to the Drake Stadium stands to consult with his jumps coach, Hannah Becker.

Czarnecki was down to his final attempt at 6 feet, 4 inches and Becker’s advice cleared any doubts from his mind.

“When I was missing 6-4, she was kind of like, ‘This is what you’re doing,’” Czarnecki said. “‘Just settle down, get up a little closer,’ so I did. She knows her stuff for sure.”

Czarnecki later soared over the bar at 6-6 on his first try. It was a personal-best leap — but not quite enough as Kade Benjamin of New London cleared 6-7 to win the title.

Czarnecki claimed second — and took some time off during the tense event to cheer on the Lions’ 800-meter relay team.

That group also achieved a season best, running the race in 1:31.61 en route to a third-place finish.

“We’ve got some points coming,” said Kaeden Harrer, who ran the second leg. “We were hoping to get first coming in here, so we’ll just see how the rest of the day plays out.”

It didn’t go as planned for Lions star Kole Becker, who finished second in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 53.86 seconds. Mount Ayr’s Ryce Reynolds won the event in a personal-record time of 53.03 seconds.

“Battling an ankle injury at the worst time possible,” said Becker, who won Lisbon’s first Drake Relays flag last month and already has repeated as champion in the long jump. “He ran a great race. I didn’t.”

New London leads the team race with 47 points. The Lions lurk close behind with 43 points. Becker’s aim on Saturday — despite the injury — remains the same as always.

“I’ve got to win tomorrow,” the five-time state track champion said. “And hopefully we can pull it out.”

Other area boys’ top-eight finishers in 1A:

Friday’s results: Class 1A boys

Top 10 teams (through 10 events): 1. New London 47, 2. Lisbon 43, 3. Earlham 28, 4. Mount Ayr 22, T-5. Bellevue 19, T-5. Saint Ansgar 19, 7. Lynnville-Sully 17, 8. Ogden 15, T-9. Iowa Valley 14, T-9. Maquoketa Valley 14

Distance medley relay: 1. Earlham (Smith, W. Hale, M. Hale, Dickson) 3:31.48; 2. Saint Ansgar 3:32.84; 3. New London 3:37.51.

800-meter relay: 1. Lynnville-Sully (Noun Harder, Annee, Maston, Hardenbrook) 1:31.37; 2. Edgewood-Colesburg 1:31.47; 3. Lisbon 1:31.61.

400-meter hurdles: 1. Ryce Reynolds (Mount Ayr) 53.03; 2. Kole Becker (Lisbon) 53.86; 3. Alex Pitts (Bellevue) 54.77; 8. Jaxon Sander (North Cedar) 55.78.

Discus: 1. Justin Olson (George-Little Rock) 1:66-05; 2. Carter Allen (New London) 155-06; 3. Ian Blowe (Akron-Westfield) 152-06; 4. Brock Trenkamp (Maquoketa Valley) 150-11.

High jump: 1. Kade Benjamin (New London) 6-07; 2. Luke Czarnecki (Lisbon) 6-06; 3. Triston Miller (Columbus Community) 6-04.