Panthers medal in two events

DES MOINES — Creston’s track and field team came home with two medals from the state championships at Drake Stadium but not without some drama along the way.

The girls 4x800 relay team came into state competition as the third seed, but co-coaches Clay and Maggie Arnold said that was deceiving in that several teams sat out talented individuals in that event during state qualifying, with the intent of inserting them into an improved state 4x800 lineup.

Creston was competing in the third and final heat with a qualifying time of 9:45.53, a season best. Center Point-Urbana had already won heat two with an impressive time of 9:38.61, so the Panther coaches knew that would likely stay among the final eight places.

So, Creston would probably have to finish at least seventh in the final heat to be in medal contention. Leadoff runner Maylee Riley got Creston off to a strong start with a personal-best split of 2:25.09, sitting in seventh place at the time of the handoff to Hope Henderson.

Henderson, a versatile runner appearing at state in the shuttle hurdle relay earlier on Thursday, got cut off by another runner in the crowded exchange zone, which momentarily threw her off stride in handing the baton off to Payton Davis.

Cora Smith of Creston closes on Glenwood's anchor runner on the final curve, surpassing her with about 60 meters remaining as the Panthers earned eighth-place medals in a time of 9:47.24. (Larry Peterson)

Davis and freshman Cora Smith ran personal-best splits of 2:28.85 and 2:22.18, respectively, to rally the Panthers past Hawkeye Ten nemesis Glenwood for seventh in the heat and eighth overall in a time of 9:47.24. That earned them a medal.

Davis pulled Creston from 11th place into ninth among the 12 runners in the heat during her carry, and Smith picked off one runner to get to eighth during her first lap. Coach Maggie Arnold shouted to her on the backstretch curve to go after the Glenwood anchor runner, who was holding the final medal position. Glenwood had defeated Creston in this event in both the Hawkeye Ten and State Qualifying meets during the past two weeks.

“Payton Davis, in her last race ever, ran the best race of her life to get us into position and get within striking distance,” Creston co-coach Maggie Arnold said. “Cora had 10 to 15 meters to make up. I was talking to her on the corner of the second lap. I said Glenwood’s it! That’s your medal! Clay was over on the other side and said the Glenwood girl was starting to struggle a little bit, and Cora still looked fine. If it comes down to a sprint, Cora’s going to get her.”

Smith said she understood the circumstances with 200 meters left.

“Rounding that final corner, I knew I had to get in gear and get another place to get a medal for us,” Smith said. “I heard Maggie yelling you’re in ninth right now! You gotta go Cora! I caught her with about 50 to 60 meters left and just let the competition push me.”

“We wanted to medal and we wanted to beat Glenwood, so we got those two goals even if it wasn’t quite a season-best,” co-coach Clay Arnold said. “With about 250 left I could tell we were in a spot where Cora could go get her. That girl she beat anchored their distance medley to a medal, so she’s good. Cora’s a little new to the 800 this year, but she has that 400 speed and can sprint at the end.”

Smith also improved her 59.9 personal best in the 400 meters from the state qualifying meet to run 59.33 in placing 15th later Thursday.

Mikkelsen medals

Sophomore Tom Mikkelsen earned Creston’s other scoring medal, placing seventh in the Class 3A shot put at 53-2.75. He qualified as a freshman, finishing 11th at 51-06.

Mikkelsen was seeded second entering state competition based on his winning throw of 55-09 at the state qualifying meet. Earlier in the season he broke the school record at 57-04.5.

Tom Mikkelsen of Creston throws the shot put at the state meet Friday. Mikkelsen placed seventh at 53-2.75. (Larry Peterson)

Mikkelsen said he was trying to correct a technical flaw during Friday’s state meet, eventually improving from an opening throw of 50-02 to his placing throw of 53-2.75 on this third try. He was unable to improve on that in the finals.

“I was opening my hips up early and not getting much torque in my hips,” Mikkelsen said. “I was trying to keep them closed on my last few throws. I was also getting really long with my glide and falling out the front, which I think took away some of my power.”

Clear Creek-Amana’s Landon Prince, who also won the discus on Thursday and will throw at the University of Iowa, had a winning shot put attempt of 60-09.25.

“It’s not really what I wanted and was expecting, but I can’t complain. It feels good to medal,” Mikkelsen said. “Hopefully I can learn to spin and throw it as far as the guy that got first. Just keep grinding.”

“Tom had that issue with the hips about midseason, trying to do too much with his arms,” Maggie said. “But his legs probably aren’t 100 percent, playing in baseball games this week and practicing with us before school. He may have not been super fresh and trying to compensate. He couldn’t quite get in rhythm. Tom went undefeated in the regular season. His only loss was at the indoor invitational at Ames, and (third) at the Drake Relays. So he had a great season. Those guys at the top of the second flight really brought it today.”

Senior Brayden Schoon closed out his track and field career by placing ninth in the discus on Thursday at 157-11, not far off the eighth-place medal distance (158-04).

Brayden Schoon of Creston competes in the Class 3A discus at Drake Stadium. Schoon missed a medal by one place, finishing ninth with a best throw of 157-11. (Larry Peterson)

“Brayden was pretty good today. His last throw in the finals was his best of the day and just a foot and a half from a medal,” Clay Arnold said.

Junior Kadley Bailey ran in three events at state. She led off the 16th-place shuttle hurdle relay, ran the 200 leg in the 23rd-place sprint medley on Saturday and finished 24th in the 100-meter hurdles in 16.65.

“Kadley got some good experience up here,” Maggie Arnold said. “Running an open event is a lot different than being in a relay.”

Overall, Creston had entries in nine different events at state, including junior Seth Gordon in both the 100 and 200 meters. He placed 19th in the 100 in 11.21 after stepping into lane 7 from lane 8 in the 200, leading to disqualification.

Creston junior Kadley Bailey runs the 100-meter hurdles at the state meet Friday. Bailey placed 24th in 16.65 and also ran on the team's shuttle hurdle relay and sprint medley relay at state. (Larry Peterson)

“Overall it was a pretty solid weekend for us,” Clay Arnold said. “We had four kids competing who had been alternates here for us in the past. That’s why we like to bring those other kids up here so they can see what it’s like for the future. We have alternates here this weekend who will have big roles in how we get here next year.”