Noelle Steines strikes gold for Tipton in the 3,000 at state track and field meet

DES MOINES — She’s powerful. Fast. Unyielding and unfazed by pain.

That’s because Tipton’s Noelle Steines knows something her less accomplished competitors in the Class 2A girls’ state track and field meet don’t: She’s an energy vampire — and Thursday she became a five-time state champion, breezing to a title in the 3,000 meters in a time of 10:08.85 at Drake Stadium.

“What I do is I run around the track and I say to myself, ‘I’m collecting all these girls’ energy,” said Steines, who transferred to Tipton from Calamus-Wheatland late last fall. “I’m taking all these girls’ energy (and) I’m putting it into my body and I’m gonna go.”

Steines, a junior, didn’t need a supernatural boost to win a total of seven track and cross country titles with the Warriors, but it could help her strike gold again this weekend in the 800, 1,500 and as the anchor for the Tigers’ top-seeded distance medley relay.

Tipton led the 2A team race after five of 19 events with 17 points. The Tigers’ 3,200-meter relay team of Addie Nerem, Laura Owen, Ella Hein and Alivia Edens finished third in a time of 9:39.01 and helped solidify their spot as top contenders for a state title one year after failing to score a single point.

“We have so many opportunities to score,” Nerem said. “It’s kind of crazy. It doesn’t really feel real yet. I said that before the race, too — that this isn’t real, but it’s real now and it feels great.”

Steines’ unreal ability to thrive amid the pain associated with distance events has grown over the years. She used to dread the 3,000, but has adopted a fresh perspective on the grueling event.

“I just trust myself,” Steines said. “And what I’ve been doing is, my whole race, I’m just like, ‘You’ve got this, you’ve got this, you’ve got this.’ It’s the same thing repetitively, over and over again, and your body’s like, ‘All right.’ I used to have the mindset of, ‘Oh, I just want to be done with this.’”

Not anymore. Not when she’s able to feed off her teammates’ energy, as well.

“Let’s go get this together,” Steines said. “Let’s support each other, even through nerves.”

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Thursday’s Class 2A girls’ state track and field results

At Des Moines (Drake Stadium)

Top 10 teams (through 5 events) —1. Tipton, 17; 2. Van Meter, 15; 3. tie, Estherville-Lincoln Central, Albia, 14; 5. tie, Aplington-Parkersburg, Hinton, West Lyon, Pella Christian, 10; 9. tie, Crestwood, Emmetsburg, Manson-Northwest Webster, 9.

Shot put — 1. Jana Ter Wee (West Lyon), 42-11; 2. Lauren Travis, Spirit Lake, 41-07; 3. Hillary Ruschy (Estherville-Lincoln Central), 41-2.5; 4. Alyssa Pierce, ( West Branch), 40-09.25; 8. Kloe Hemmersbach ( Waukon), 37-07.00.

3,000 — 1. Noelle Steines ( Tipton), 10:08.85; 2. Alyssa Richman (Manson-NW Webster), 10:20.05; 3. McKenna Montgomery ( Albia), 10:21.17; 6. Danielle Hostetler (Mid-Prairie), 10:39.44.

3,200 relay — 1. Van Meter (Fryar, Streck, McCann, McCoy), 9:30.22; 2. Unity Christian, 9:34.88; 3. Tipton, 9:39.01; 6. Monticello, 9:48.16.

Long jump — 1. Kinsey Mohwinkle (Aplington-Parkersburg), 18-0; 2. Tandem Garden (Ogden), 17-6.25; 3. Rachel Schany (Emmetsburg) 17-03.75.

400 — 1. Bailey Vos (Pella Christian), 57.08; 2. Jaselyne Anderson (Estherville-Lincoln Central), 57.84; 3. Jacey Johnston (Osage), 58.03; 8. Ella Hein (Tipton), 59.52).