Drake Relays boys’ roundup: On his own or with his teammates, Kennedy’s Drew Bartels is tops

DES MOINES — It’s a nice step. But, the Kennedy Cougars insist, it’s not a final destination.

And in the greater scheme of things, it’s not enough.

“Drake is something, but it’s not everything,” Brody Lovell said.

Kennedy’s Drew Bartels captured a pair of championships — giving the Cougars a comfortable advantage in the boys’ shuttle hurdle relay and following with the 110-meter hurdles title — in a condensed one-day high school show at the Drake Relays on Thursday at Drake Stadium.

“The 110 highs, it wasn’t my cleanest race, but I’m not complaining. I won,” Bartels said.

Best of Drake Relays: The boys

Aniey Akok, Ames: Won the 800-meter run and anchored the Little Cyclones’ winning distance medley relay.

Drew Bartels, Cedar Rapids Kennedy: Won the 110-meter hurdles, ran on the Cougars’ winning shuttle hurdle relay and placed third in the long jump.

Titus Christensen, Southeast Polk: Won the 100-meter dash and anchored the Rams’ winning 400- and 800-meter relays.

Ian Collins, Charles City: Won the high jump and was second in the long jump.

Cooper DeJean, Ida Grove OABCIG: Won the long jump and was third in the 100.

Nate Mueller, Adel ADM: Won the 3,200- and 1,600-meter races.

T.J. Tomlyanovich, Cedar Falls: Won the 400-meter dash and anchored the Tigers’ winning 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays.

Bartels got out fast in the highs and held off Adam Wright of West Des Moines Dowling, winning in 14.40 seconds.

"I was just listening to the starter. Once he popped the gun, I just took off,“ Bartels said.

The big thrill came in the shuttle, in which Reid Pakkebier, Bartels, Max White and Brody Lovell stormed to a 57.95-second triumph, an effort that ranks No. 2 all-time in Iowa since the hurdles to 36 inches in 2019.

Pakkebier got the Cougars into gear — “I just wanted to get us off to a fast start,” he said — then Bartels blew it open.

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“I usually run second. The philosophy is to build a lead early and let everybody try to chase us,” Bartels said. “When other teams are chasing, they’re more likely to screw up.”

Bartels and Lovell were on Kennedy’s winning shuttle team in 2019.

“Times like this, we perform,” Lovell said.

Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Adam Longwell, Geramie Hardaway, Eli Ebel and Ceondae Adams were second in 58.56 seconds.

Metro competitors earned a pair of runner-up finishes in the throws. Marion’s Garret Wagner was second to Pella’s Kody Huisman in the shot put, and Linn-Mar’s McKade Jelinek finished behind Woodbine’s Layne Pryor in the discus.

“I’m not happy or satisfied with second,” said Wagner, whose 57-foot, 5 3/4-inch best effort came on his final throw. “I wanted it bad, but I still have a lot of time, and I’ll see him again (at the state meet in four weeks).

“I’m never satisfied. I want to be the top guy.”

Huisman topped out at 58-7.

Jelinek led the discus through the preliminaries; his top throw (178-9) was his second attempt. Pryor passed him with a 185-footer on his fifth fling.

Iowa City Liberty pushed Cedar Falls throughout the 3,200-meter relay. The Tigers were clocked in 7:53.37, the Lightning in 7:54.63.

Liberty anchor Bowen Gryp pulled alongside Cedar Falls’ T.J. Tomlyanovich on the backstretch of the final lap, but Tomlyanovich answered.

“He stayed a couple of steps ahead of me,” Gryp said. “With about 200 meters to go, I tried to make a move, but his move was better.”

Gavin Keeney, Jack Kinzer and Caleb Schillinger ran the first three legs for the Bolts.

“I looked on the scoreboard and saw our time, and I was very, very pleased,” Kinzer said. “That’s a good time. We’ll take it.”

Iowa City High’s Isaac Rohret, Ben Kueter, Jovan Harris and Ammon Smith (3:35.10) were second in the distance medley relay, about 3 seconds behind Ames. Clear Creek Amana was third.

DRAKE RELAYS

At Des Moines

BOYS RESULTS

Hy-Vee Cup leaders — 1. Cedar Falls 23, 2. (tie) Ames and West Des Moines Valley 13, 4. (tie) Ankeny Centennial, Iowa City High and Southeast Polk 10.

Shot put — 1. Kody Huisman (Pella), 58-7; 2. Garret Wagner (Marion), 57-5 3/4; 3. Zach Verzani (Lawton-Bronson), 56-3 3/4.

Long jump — 1. Cooper DeJean (Ida Grove OABCIG), 22-11 1/4; 2. Ian Collins (Charles City), 22-11; 3. Drew Bartels (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 22-9 1/2; 6. Kole Becker (Lisbon), 21-7.

High jump — 1. Ian Collins (Charles City), 6-7; 2. Noah James (Treynor), 6-5; 3. Tate Zalasky (Ames), 6-5; T-4. Cain Brown (Mid-Prairie, 6-3; 8. T.J. Jackson (Linn-Mar), 6-3.

Discus — 1. Layne Pryor (Woodbine), 185-0; 2. McKade Jelinek (Linn-Mar), 178-9; 3. Kody Huisman (Pella), 177-5; 8. Carson Lienau (Jesup), 161-3.

3,200 — 1. Nate Mueller (Adel ADM), 9:09.88; 2. Quinton Orr (Humboldt), 9:12.69; 3. Will Lohr (Sioux City North), 9:16.51.

3,200 relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Eastman, Mujica, Jorgensen, T.J. Tomlyanovich), 7:53.37; 2. Iowa City Liberty, 7:54.63; 3. Sioux City North, 8:03.41; 6. Iowa City High, 8:04.74.

Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Cedar Rapids Kennedy (Pakkebier, Bartels, White, Lovell), 57.95; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 58.56; 3. West Des Moines Dowling, 59.92; 5. Iowa City High, 1:01.03.

100 — 1. Titus Christiansen (Southeast Polk), 10.94; 2. Carter Erickson (Indianola), 11.04; 3. Cooper DeJean (Ida Grove OABCIG), 11.04.

Distance medley relay — 1. Ames (Armstrong, Coleman, Vertanen, Akok), 3:32.03; 2. Iowa City High, 3:35.10; 3. Clear Creek Amana, 3:35.28.

400 — 1.T.J. Tomlyanovich (Cedar Falls), 48.11; 2. Tyrese Miller (Ankeny), 48.44; 3. Brayden Wollan (Underwood), 48.94.

800 relay — 1. Southeast Polk (Hackbarth, Christiansen, Nwankpa, LeClair), 1:28.36; West Des Moines Valley, 1:28.55; 3. Ankeny, 1:29.38.

110 hurdles — 1. Drew Bartels (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), 14.40; 2. Adam Wright (West Des Moines Dowling), 14.55; 3. Mason Thompson (Ankeny), 14.71; 4. Ceondae Adams (Cedar Rapids Prairie), 14.82; 7. Geramie Hardaway (Cedar Rapids Prairie), 15.36; 8. Logan Brosius (Western Dubuque), 15.50.

800 — 1. Aniey Akok (Ames), 2. Craig Alan Becker (Atlantic), 1:56.51; 3. Tony Schmitz (Pella), 1:57.18; 6. Jack Kinzer (Iowa City Liberty), 1:58.98.

400 hurdles — 1. Tegan Bock (Boone), 53.70; 2. Sid Schaaf (Treynor), 54.84; 3. Matthew Kruse (Dubuque Senior), 55.09; 7. Kole Becker (Lisbon), 55.55.

1,600 — 1. Nate Mueller (Adel ADM), 4:18.54; 2. Kole Sommer (Pleasant Valley), 4:20.66; 3. Brady Griebel (Bellevue), 4:20.93.

400 relay — 1. Southeast Polk (Hackbarth, Christiansen, Nwankpa, LeClair), 42.39; 2. West Des Moines Valley, 42.43; 3. Indianola, 43.06.

1,600 relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Mujica, Tomlyanovich, Burris, Eastman), 3:16.67; 2. Ankeny Centennial, 3:22.54; 3. West Des Moines Valley, 3:22.68.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com