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DES MOINES – Creston head girls track coach Clay Arnold knew his seniors would bring it on their final day of competition at the Co-ed State Track Meet Friday.
And that’s exactly what the three Panther seniors who concluded their careers Friday did.
The Creston girls broke the school record in the distance medley relay Friday afternoon, then Panther seniors set the tone early for a season best performance in the 4x400 relay prelims Friday night. Sophomore MaKenna Hudson concluded the meet for the Panthers Saturday morning with a big PR in the 800 meters.
“We had three seniors end their careers today,” Arnold said Friday. “They’ve been three good ones, all of them part of the best sprint relays we’ve ever had. Their story to get back to this point and to finish it off was a pretty great story. You guys can make a movie about it sometime.”
Friday started off with the Panther distance medley relay team finishing 10th in a loaded field with a
school-record time of 4:15.75. That mark breaks the 2015 record of 4:16.19 set by Amber Castillo, Raegan Smith, Taylor Briley and Natalie Mostek.
Senior Kiersten Latham led off with a big PR of 26.75, followed by senior Cayla Maitlen’s 27.18 split. Brielle Baker ran a 1:01.68 carry on the 400-meter leg and Hudson anchored with a 2:19.95 split.
“Probably 8 out of 10 years, that time will get you a medal,” Arnold said. “This year, I knew when somebody in the first heat ran 4:10, the others were going to be lights out.”
The Panthers had high expectations for the distance medley relay team at last year’s state meet, but were unable to compete in the event after Maitlen false started and the team was disqualified.
That made breaking the school record this year even sweeter for Maitlen, who was an alternate for the 2015 team that broke the school record in the event.
“It really hit me once MaKenna crossed the finish line and I looked up and saw 4:15. Mixed emotions took over me,” Maitlen said. “That was one of my goals since freshman year when I saw them break it. I wanted a medal or I wanted a school record. It was an awesome feeling and I’m so happy about it.”
4x400 relay
Latham followed up her PR in the distance medley with another big PR on the opening leg of the 4x400 relay prelims Friday night.
Latham opened with a 1:01.21, before senior Stephanie Hemsworth ran a 1:02.77 in the final race of her career.
“Kiersten ran a phenomenal PR. I knew she was going to. No doubt in my mind. She’s obviously had one of the best senior sprint campaigns of anyone we’ve ever had,” Arnold said.
Baker ran a 1:03.07 and Hudson anchored in 1:00.74 for a 4:07.89, as the Panthers finished 11th in Class 3A.
It was the fastest 4x400 time for the Panthers since the 2015 team ran 4:05 and qualified for the Class 3A finals in the event.
“If it was our last race, we wanted it to be memorable, not to go down wishing we would have done something different,” Hemsworth said.
Hemsworth is attending Faith Baptist College next fall and is considering playing volleyball there. Latham and Maitlen are each going to Southwestern Community College, with Latham dancing for the Dazzlers and Maitlen playing volleyball.
“Some of our favorite people of all time out of this class,” Arnold said about the three seniors who concluded their careers Friday. “They went through some adversity last year and really did a good job with the young girls this year.”
Hudson PRs
Hudson ran her fourth event of the state meet Saturday morning, competing in the Class 3A 800 meters.
Running out of the first of two heats, Hudson ran 2:20.54 for fourth place in her heat and 13th place overall.
It was a nearly six-second PR for Hudson.
“We knew the Heelan girls could run fast, so we told her just to go battle them,” Arnold said. “It worked out really well. We were a little disappointed in her opening leg of the 4x800 in the opening 200 (on Thursday), so we really wanted her to work on that, and she did. She ran a great race.”
Hudson stuck with both Heelan girls in the race until they pulled away from her in the final 150 meters.
She said this year was a breakthrough for her and her teammates.
“I think being up here with my teammates and breaking the school record and PRing in a couple of other events, that was a really big a-ha moment for us,” Hudson said. “We knew it was going to be a really good season, and I’m glad it all came together.”
2018 Co-ed State Track Meet
Class 3A girls
Team standings – 1. Pella 70, 2. (tie) Crestwood and Dubuque Wahlert 64, 4. Benton Community 57, 5. Decorah 50, 20. Denison-Schleswig 10, 35. Creston 3, 39. Harlan 1.
Shot put – 1. Jade Hard, Mount Vernon, 41-11; 6. Kelsey Fields, Creston, 38-1.
Distance medley relay – 1. Crestwood, 4:06.40; 10. Creston (Kiersten Latham, Cayla Maitlen, Brielle Baker, MaKenna Hudson), 4:15.75 (school record).
4x400 relay – 1. Decorah, 3:57.66; 11. Creston (Kiersten Latham, Stephanie Hemsworth, Brielle Baker, MaKenna Hudson), 4:07.89.
800 meters – 1. Ellie Friesen, Crestwood, 2:13.63; 13. MaKenna Hudson, Creston, 2:20.54.