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DES MOINES — The Creston girls track team got a solid start to the Co-ed State Track Meet here Thursday, winning medals in two out of the three events it competed in.
For the second straight year, the 4x800 relay team of Maria Mostek, Lexie Little, Taylor Briley and Natalie Mostek finished fourth in Class 3A.
The Panthers finished just a couple of seconds off the school-record time they ran at state last year, running 9:42.44 for a 16-second season's best.
"Fourth place is pretty good. Definitely a tough field," Creston head coach Clay Arnold said. "I thought the Mosteks were both awesome. Maria was just .04 away from her all-time PR and ran it on the leadoff leg."
Maria Mostek opened in 2:25.03 for the Panthers, with Little running 2:31.06. Briley made up some ground with her 2:27.10 carry on the third leg, giving Natalie Mostek a chance to pick off several positions.
Natalie Mostek took the baton in a cluster of teams in sixth place. She caught three runners with her 2:19.30 anchor leg. Gilbert, which ran in the slow heat, won with a time of 9:30.14.
Dubuque Wahlert, anchoring Abby Denlinger, led most of the race until Denlinger fell several times on the homestretch, falling all the way to 17th overall.
"When I got the baton, I knew I had to catch up to get Natalie as close as I can, because if you get Natalie in a good spot, she'll get you there," Briley said. "I just knew I had to get up there."
"I'd seen those teams last year and knew I could hang with them, if not beat them," Natalie Mostek said. "I just wanted to keep the spot Taylor got me and get better. It was good to end on a high note like that."
Wallace PR
Creston's other medal came in the high jump, as freshman Breanna Wallace set a new PR clearance of 5-1 to finish in a five-way tie for fifth place.
"Oh man, that girl!" Arnold said. "I'm so impressed and so proud of her. Didn't put any pressure on her. Just told her we'll come up here today and have fun, try to get two PRs. That's the first time she's ever even walked into Drake Stadium. Didn't put any pressure on her, but in the back of my mind said, 'let's see if we can get a medal.'"
That's exactly what Wallace did.
After easily sailing over the bar on her first attempt at the 4-9 opening height, Arnold said he knew she was in for a good day.
Wallace followed that up by easily clearing 4-11 on her first attempt.
With a PR jump of 5-0 coming into the meet, Wallace missed her first attempt at 5-1, but was able to correct her mistakes and clear it on her second attempt.
"I just felt really good. My shins weren't hurting and I felt like I was getting off the ground pretty well," she said. "I missed my first time (at 5-1) and then coach Arnold told me my butt hit it, so I knew I had to do exactly what I did, just make sure I squeezed my butt. I felt like that was my best jump of the day."
Wallace came back just an hour later to run 1:04.61 in the 400 meter dash, which was just a few tenths off her PR in the open 400.
The Panthers return to the track today with the distance medley relay and the 4x400 relay prelims. Sophomore Hannah Hood also throws the shot put today.
"We're excited for tomorrow," Arnold said. "Got three big events. Excited we have a bus full of 35 people coming up to watch. We've got a few awesome chaperones bringing up 30 middle school girls and some of our high school girls. Really excited for them to get the chance to see what they can be working toward in the next couple of years."
2015 Co-ed State Track Meet
CLASS 3A
Girls
Thursday
High jump — 1. Maria Wrage, Union LaPorte City, 5-5; 5. (tie) Breanna Wallace, Creston, 5-1.
4x800 relay — 1. Gilbert, 9:30.14; 4. Creston (Maria Mostek, Lexie Little, Taylor Briley, Natalie Mostek), 9:42.44.
400 meter dash — 1. Dianna Slight, Boone, 56.30; 24. Breanna Wallace, Creston, 1:04.61.