Mount Vernon wins heat, then watches and wins 3A boys’ state track distance medley title

DES MOINES — Winning their heat, posting a fast time ... that was the easy part.

Watching in the aftermath ... now, that was a challenge.

“That definitely made me more nervous,” Zach Fall said.

Mount Vernon came out of the second heat and won the Class 3A boys’ distance medley relay at the state track and field meet Friday afternoon at Drake Stadium.

Caden Stimmel, Brady Erickson, Jensen Meeker and Fall put up a time of 3:31.83.

Then they watched, waited and ultimately celebrated after Pella ran 3:32.68 and Western Dubuque 3:33.97 in the final heat.

“We knew we had to go under 3:32. We needed to keep our handoffs clean,” Stimmel said.

“Actually, I didn’t know our time,” Meeker said. “I was watching the board and hoping to see our name on top.”

He saw it.

The title put the Mustangs in pretty good position for a top-three team trophy.

Pella has distanced itself from the field and leads with 44 points through 10 events. Mount Vernon, Western Dubuque and North Polk are bunched in a second-place tie with 25.

The final nine events are Saturday.

Mount Vernon captured the area’s lone 3A boys’ title Friday. Brayden Hartman of Washington (Iowa) came agonizingly close.

Hartman led through much of the shot put competition, but Dubuque Wahlert’s Duke Faley passed him on his fourth throw of 58 feet, 2 3/4 inches.

Hartman’s best mark of 57-8 came in the preliminaries.

“I thought that was going to be the one that won it,” the Western Illinois University football commit said.

“I came in with a good week of practice, a few 58- and 59-foot marks. A couple of my throws today slipped out a little weird. It’s part of the game.”

Solon’s Adam Smith was fourth.

Friday results: Class 3A boys

Top 10 teams (through 10 events) — 1. Pella 44, 2. (tie) Mount Vernon, North Polk and Western Dubuque 25, 5. DeWitt Central 22, 6. (tie) Solon and Lewis Central 21, 8. Dubuque Wahlert 20, 9. Harlan 16, 10. Sioux City Heelan 14.5.

RESULTS (Top 3 and area placewinners)

Long jump — 1. Josiah Cunnings (Charles City), 22-2 1/4; 2. Sean Schaefer (Sioux City Heelan), 21-9 3/4; 3. Brehden Eggerss (Harlan), 21-8 1/2.

Shot put — 1. Duke Faley (Dubuque Wahlert), 58-2 3/4; 2. Brayden Hartman (Washington), 57-8; 3. Hanson King (Pella), 55-9 1/4; 4. Adam Smith (Solon), 54-10 1/4; 6. Brady McDonald (Independence), 54-4 1/4.

Distance medley relay — 1. Mount Vernon (Stimmel, Erickson, Meeker, Fall), 3:31.83; 2. Pella, 3:32.68; 3. Western Dubuque, 3:33.97; 6. South Tama, 3:36.73.

800 relay — 1. Harlan (Birch, Hall, Sears, Neuharth), 1:28.20; 2. Western Dubuque, 1:28.61; 3. DeWitt Central, 1:28.80.

400 hurdles — 1. Tristan Rheingans (DeWitt Central), 53.33; 2. Colton Manock (North Polk), 53.80; 3. Will Davidson (Mount Pleasant), 54.13; 6. Ashton Hogrefe (Western Dubuque), 55.98.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com