Thursday’s Iowa Class 1A state track and field results: Runner-up last year, South Winn claims girls’ 3,200-meter relay title

DES MOINES — Maddy Jansen savored the winning moment, then collapsed.

The South Winneshiek freshman had just clinched her team’s first 3,200-meter relay title since 1999 Thursday at the Class 1A state track and field meet — and ecstasy met exhaustion at the Drake Stadium finish line.

“That’s what got me through,” said Jansen, who teamed with Billie Wagner, Josie Tieskoetter and Megan Hageman to claim gold. “Thinking about when I crossed the finish line, that feeling, and that’s all I could do. That’s all I could think about.”

The Warriors finished second in the event at last year’s state meet, so Thursday’s top-of-the-podium effort seemed a natural, but far from effortless, progression.

“Honestly, I just love running as a sport,” said Hageman, who along with Wagner and Tieskoetter formed three-fourths of last season’s runner up relay team. “We could have gotten dead last, but to be here with these teammates, that really did it for me, especially as a senior.”

Jansen replaced 2023 graduate Eryn Sabelka as anchor this season. The talented freshman had big shoes to fill, but left no wiggle room for second-place Ackley AGWSR, which finished seven seconds back.

“We graduated one senior from last year and got Maddy this year,” Tieskoetter, a junior, said. “It’s pretty cool.”

Wagner and Hageman — both seniors — have been running together since the seventh grade. Both ran strong legs that helped South Winneshiek post the best state-winning time in 1A since North Linn ran the race in 9:36.56 in 2015.

The Warriors are second in the team standings after five events with 14 points. Leader AGWSR has 24 points.

“It’s just awesome,” Wagner said of the relay triumph. “It’s just something we’ve always wanted to do, I guess, since we were little. It’s the best.”

Highland’s Sarah Burton wins long jump

Highland’s Sarah Burton became the best in the 1A girls’ long jump on Thursday, leaping 17 feet, 8 1/4 inches to attain gold after placing third last season.

“It was quite the experience,” said Burton, who placed third at state last season. “I didn’t really figure that would happen. I’m just excited to be here.”

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Burton, a first-team all-state selection in softball last season, is just a junior, too, so she’ll likely be here again next May. She’s also the second Huskies girl to win the long jump in the past six years. Emily Yahnke claimed the crown in 2018.

“We’re just celebrating as a team,” Burton said. “It’s really fun being here with these girls and my coach.”

North Cedar’s Ethan Thimmies takes third in shot put

Ethan Thimmies of North Cedar wasn’t having much fun early in the boys’ 1A shot put championship.

Nerves proved to be a potent enemy until the junior uncorked a throw of 52 feet, 6 1/2 inches on his second-to-last attempt, good enough for a third-place finish.

“Just kind of calmed myself down,” Thimmies said. “I was getting too worried and thinking too much about stuff and just let that all go and threw it.”

Thimmies’ prodigious performance capped an even bigger comeback. He tore his left ACL last fall during football season and worked his way back to peak physically — and eventually mentally — at the state meet.

“The third game, I think it was,” Thimmies said regarding the ACL injury. “I came back from that and did this. It feels good.”

Thursday’s Class 1A state track and field results

BOYS

Team scoring through five events — 1. Council Bluffs St. Albert 15; 2. tie, Mount Ayr, Winfield-Mount Union, Wapsie Valley, Danville, Akron-Westfield, Earlham 10.

3,200 — 1. A.J. Bonnesson (Danville), 9:10.37; 2. Landon Bendgen (Woodbine), 9:18.58; 3. Colin Lillie (Council Bluffs St. Albert), 9:35.23; 6. Charlie Sieck (West Central, Maynard), 9:47.88.

Long jump — 1. Cam Buffington (Winfield-Mount Union), 21-08.0; 2. Carter Sievers (Newell-Fonda), 21-03.75; 3. Kaden Amigon (Columbus Junction), 20-11.50; 5. Luke Czarnecki (Lisbon), 20-08.25.

3,200 relay — 1. Earlham (Maly, Tiemeyer, Canoyer, Hale), 8:11.05; 2. Council Bluffs St. Albert (Wettengel, Lillie, Wise, Heisterkamp), 8:12.85; 3. Wapsie Valley, Fairbank (Schmit, Tisue, Buzynski, Shannon), 8:14.42; 8. Springville (Stamp, Hoy, Rouse, Robertson), 8:24.96.

Shot put — 1. Ian Blowe (Akron-Westfield), 55-11.5; 2. Ryan McDonough (Wapello), 53-05.75; 3. Ethan Thimmes (North Cedar), 52-06.25; 6. Jonah Reiling (Lisbon), 50-09.5.

400 — 1. Ryce Reynolds (Mount Ayr), 48.21; 2. Theo Moseman (Lawton-Bronson), 48.87; 3. Isaiah Johnson (George-Little Rock), 48.88; 8. Lance McShane (Maquoketa Valley), 50.91.

GIRLS

Team scoring through five events —1. Ackley AGWSR 24; 2. South Winneshiek 14; 3. tie, Pekin; Nashua-Plainfield; Grand View Christian; Highland; Calamu-Wheatland 10.

3,000 — 1. Noelle Steines (Calamus-Wheatland), 10:13.95; 2. Maddy Childs (Grand View Christian), 10:25.38; 3. Nora Peterson (Alta-Aurelia), 10:34.95.

3,200 relay — 1. South Winneshiek (Wagner, Tieskoetter, Hageman, Jansen), 9:41.43; 2. AGWSR (P. Smith, Metzgar, B. Smith, Lippert), 9:48.60; 3. Council Bluffs St. Albert (McKeever, Duncan, Wise, Denton), 9:50.30.

Shot put — 1. Audi Crooks (Algona Garrigan), 44-00.75; 2. Emily Baker (Bedford)., 39-09.0; 3. Anna Hadley (Pekin), 39-01.75; 5. Erin Knipper (Maquoketa Valley), 38-05.0.

400 — 1. Kadence Huck (Nashua-Plainfield), 55.94; 2. Myla Murphy (Graettinger-Treynor/Ruthven-Ayrshire), 58.24; 3. Brynn Smith (AGWSR), 58.62.

Long jump — 1. Sarah Burton (Highland Community), 17-08.25; 2. Andelyn Cabalka (East Buchanan), 16-09.0; 3. Emile Sorenson (Tri-Center), 16-07.5. 4. Hannah Asche (Central Elkader), 16-06.0; 5. Abby Wagner (South Winneshiek), 16-05.75; 6. Skylar Benesh (North Linn), 16-04.75.