Linn-Mar ‘Senior Squad’ shines once more in state-qualifying track meet

CEDAR RAPIDS — On grass and on asphalt, these four have been running together a long while.

“We’re the Senior Squad!” exclaimed Chloe Skidmore.

With senior status comes, for some, sentimentality. It does for these four.

“Sarah (Murphy) and I will be together (at college), but other than that, we’re all going our own way,” Skidmore said. “So this is huge.”

Linn-Mar’s veteran 3,200-meter relay unit of Lilly Geelan, Murphy, Skidmore and Micah Poellet churned out an impressive effort of 9 minutes, 36.68 seconds at Thursday’s Class 4A state qualifying track and field meet at Kingston Stadium.

That’s a season best for the Lions by nearly 14 seconds and left them giddy.

“We were hoping for 9:40,” said Murphy, who — like Skidmore — will compete in track and cross country at the University of Iowa.

Geelan is headed for Central Missouri, and Poellet will be on the triathlon squad at South Dakota.

It was a quick turnaround for Poellet, who had won the 3,000 a few minutes earlier in 10:57.19.

“I just wanted to qualify in the 3,000,” Poellet said. “I took it a little easier than usual.”

A 1-2 finish by Poellet and Murphy in the 1,500 put Linn-Mar in front for good, and the Lions outscored Cedar Falls, 203-195, for the girls team title.

Linn-Mar automatically sends 15 girls’ entrants (seven event champions, eight runners-up) to the state meet May 20-22 at Drake Stadium, Des Moines. At-large qualifiers will be released Friday.

Skidmore returned recently after a six-week absence while recovering from a stress fracture. She healed in time to rejoin her teammates, who have thrived together in cross country and track for four years, for the stretch run.

“I’ve just been grinding it out, hitting the elliptical like nobody’s business,” Skidmore said. “When my physical therapist told me I was cleared to run if I want ... wow.

“Then I ran a nice race Monday, ran an 800 PR to get on this relay.”

Cedar Falls’ boys won 11 events and accumulated 199.5 points. Cedar Rapids Kennedy was next with 135.5, Linn-Mar third with 124.

Kennedy’s Drew Bartels was a triple-champion (long jump, shuttle hurdle relay and 400 hurdles), but mis-stepped midway through the 110-meter highs — an event he won at the Drake Relays — and didn’t finish.

“I came down wrong (off a hurdle) and stumbled. It felt like I was going to fall,” Bartels said. “My best option was to hit the next hurdle.”

He recovered in time to zip through the 400 lows in 53.36 seconds.

“I just ran angry,” he said. “I told myself, give everything I’ve got and leave everything out there.”

CLASS 4A STATE-QUALIFYING TRACK MEET

At Kingston Stadium

GIRLS

Teams — 1. Linn-Mar 203, 2. Cedar Falls 195, 3. C.R. Kennedy 111, 4. Waterloo East 65, 5. Marshalltown 57, 6. Waterloo West 46, 7. C.R. Washington 23, 8. C.R. Jefferson 13.

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS

Shot put — 1. Myah Brinker (CF), 38-8; 2. Kennedy Evans (LM), 36-0 1/2; Discus — 1. Myah Brinker (CF), 119-4; 2. Megann Rentz (CF), 117-4; High jump — 1. Katy Hand (LM), 4-10; 2. Allison Harris (CRK), 4-10; Long jump — 1. Kaylee Bunn (LM), 17-2 1/2; 2. Valieghja Wright (WE), 16-11 1/2.

Sprint medley relay — 1. Linn-Mar (Gustason, Bunn, Haars, Schmidt), 1:50.93; 2. Waterloo East, 1:50.96; 3,000 — 1. Micah Poellet (LM), 10:57.19; 2. Maddie Gallagher (CF), 11:18.61; 3,200 relay — 1. Linn-Mar (Geelan, Murphy, Skidmore, Poellet), 9:36.68; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 9:51.37; Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Bennett, Mattson, Dieken, McFarland), 1:05.62; 2. C.R. Kennedy, 1:08.39; 100 — 1. Lindsey Sires (CF), 12.77; 2. Anisia Smith (CF), 13.02; Distance medley relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Barney, Sires, McFarland, Dunning), 4:21.29; 2. Linn-Mar, 4:25.13; 400 — 1. Addison Swartzendruber (CRK), 1:00.72; 2. Ameriz Nielsen (LM), 1:03.08; 800 relay — 1. Waterloo East (Wright, Norman, Jones, Norman), 1:45.83; 2. Linn-Mar, 1:46.39; 100 hurdles — 1. Maddy McFarland (CF), 15.20; 2. Grace Braden (CRK), 15.98; 800 — 1. Sidney Swartzendruber (CRK), 2:23.22; 2. Lilly Geelan (LM), 2:27.04; 200 — 1. Lindsey Sires (CF), 26.18; 2. Lauren Gorsich (LM), 27.07; 400 hurdles — 1. Maddy McFarland (CF), 1:06.01; 2. Molly Joyner (CRK), 1:10.01; 1,500 — 1. Micah Poellet (LM), 4:56.93; 2. Sarah Murphy (LM), 5:01.75; 400 relay — 1. Waterloo East (Horton, Wright, Nichols, Norman), 49.97; 2. Linn-Mar, 50.54; 1,600 relay — 1. Linn-Mar (Gorsich, Haars, Gorsich, Schmidt), 4:04.81; 2. Cedar Falls, 4:08.86.

BOYS

Teams — 1. Cedar Falls 199.5, 2. C.R. Kennedy 135.5, 3. Linn-Mar 124, 4. Marshalltown 90, 5. Waterloo West 66, 6. C.R. Washington 55, 7. C.R. Jefferson 50, 8. Waterloo East 11.

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS

Shot put — 1. Capri Wilson (CF), 51-3; 2. Jackson Stone (CRJ), 51-2; Discus — 1. McKade Jelinek (LM), 160-9; 2. Adam Teare (WW), 144-5; High jump — 1. T.J. Jackson (LM), 6-5; 2. Brody Lovell (CRK), 6-5; Long jump — 1. Drew Bartels (CRK), 23-5 1/4; 2. Tay Norman (WW), 22-6;

Sprint medley relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Gee, White, Campbell, Eastman), 1:31.53; 2. C.R. Washington, 1:32.77; 3,200 — 1. Eli Smith (CF), 9:46.74; 2. Hayden Kuhn (LM), 9:54.38; 3,200 relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Mujica, Jacobson, Burnett, Jorgensen), 8:09.53; 2. Linn-Mar, 8:26.56; Shuttle hurdle relay — 1. C.R. Kennedy (Pakkebier, Bartels, White, Lovell), 58.72; 2. Cedar Falls, 1:00.69; 100 — 1. Deonte Dean (Mtown), 11.06; 2. Miles Thompson (CRW), 11.19; Distance medley relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Eastman, Campbell, Jacobson, Mujica), 3:38.30; 2. Linn-Mar, 3:44.31; 400 — 1. T.J. Tomlyanovich (CF), 48.26; 2. Traijan Sain (CRW), 49.94; 800 relay — 1. C.R. Jefferson (Duffie, Kapongo, Robinson, Deemie), 1:30.06; 2. Cedar Falls, 1:30.71; 110 hurdles — 1. Eric Lucas (CF), 15.51; 2. Jack Block (CF), 15.53; 800 — 1. Jack Jorgensen (CF), 2:00.87; 2. T.J. Tomlyanovich (CF), 2:01.39; 200 — 1. Deonte Dean (Mtown), 21.58; 2. Brody Lovell (CRK), 22.53; 400 hurdles — 1. Drew Bartels (CRK), 53.36; 2. Joel Burris (CF), 55.49; 1,600 — 1. Brayden Burnett (CF), 4:32.40; 2. Hayden Kuhn (LM), 4:33.46; 400 relay — 1. 1. Cedar Falls (Gee, White, Ratleff, Campbell), 42.72; 2. Marshalltown, 42.99; 1,600 relay — 1. Cedar Falls (Jorgensen, Mujica, Jacobson, Eastman), 3:22.91; 2. Waterloo West, 3:25.91.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com