116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Maquoketa Valley, HLV/Tri-County relay titles
“I think it just set in my mind that I knew we could win it and I knew I had to go hard for my team,” Beaman said.
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DES MOINES — Maquoketa Valley’s Lanni Beaman embarked on her anchor leg in Saturday’s sprint medley relay with one goal in mind: Don’t finish second.
And in a remarkable reversal of fortune, she spun up gold instead of silver by a mere tenth of a second in the Class 1A girls’ state track and field meet at Drake Stadium.
“I think it just set in my mind that I knew we could win it and I knew I had to go hard for my team,” Beaman said. “It was just an extra pep in my step knowing that I did not want to get runner-up and just go out and win it.”
Beaman then noted its the second time in school history the Wildcats won the event at state. Maquoketa Valley – which took second by a tenth of a second last season — finished in 1:50.02 to hold off Anita CAM.
“It’s amazing,” said Lili Bowers, the only senior on the Wildcats’ winning relay team. “I’m so thankful for everybody from Maquoketa Valley pushing me today — even everyone in the stands.”
Council Bluffs St. Albert won the 1A girls’ title with 46 points. Maquoketa Valley and HLV/Tri-County tied for fifth with 31 points — and the Warriors capped the day with a thrilling win in the 1,600-meter relay.
Sophomore Emery Hall, the only non-senior in the quartet, ran the anchor leg. She briefly fell to third place, but surged to the lead and the win in the final 200 meters to finish in 4:02.22.
“It just feels crazy,” Hall said. “We knew we had the confidence that we could get it. It was just hard going in with everyone so much bigger than I am. It was really fun.”
Hall’s older sister, Ayla, expected to see a strong final kick.
“I know she is so headstrong that once she sees someone pass her, she’s gonna do everything she can to make sure they cannot beat her,” Ayla Hall said.
Ava Gehriking of English Valley’s finished second in the 800 and Edgewood-Colesburg’s 400-meter relay team also claimed runner-up honors.
“It’s pretty amazing to place on the podium for such small school,” the Vikings’ Rylee Atkinson said. “It’s never been done at our school.”
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