April 16, 2026
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Panther teams take silver at home invite

By CHEYENNE ROCHE
Cora Smith makes her final leap in the long jump Monday where she placed second.

Creston’s Cora Smith makes her last leap of the night in long jump. She made her best mark of the day, 15-08.75, on her first jump. She placed second behind Atlantic’s Lila Wiederstein. (CNA photos by CHEYENNE ROCHE)

It was a beautiful night for a track meet Monday at the Panther Relays. Creston was able to come away with two second-place finishes as the girls placed behind Atlantic and the boys behind Glenwood.

Girls

The girls scored an impressive 143 points on the back of eight first-place performances and four runner-up finishes.

Creston sophomore Cora Smith scored 28 points on individual performances for the Panthers and contributed to the winning 4x800m relay, adding another 10 to her total for the day.

Smith won the 200m and 400m, running times of 26.62 and 1:00.82. In the long jump, she finished second behind Atlantic’s Lila Wiederstein. Smith jumped 15-08.75.

In the 800m run, senior Maylee Riley took the win in 2:33.97. The 1500m run was won by Creston’s Reese Strunk who ran 5:30.89. Right behind Strunk was Nevaeh Adamson with a PR time of 5:32.24, placing second.

Senior Jaycee Hanson had a great performance behind the track, throwing two personal best marks and takings silver and bronze in shot put and discus, respectively. Hanson threw 34-09 in shot put and 88-10 in discus. In shot put, she was less than a foot away from first.

The Panthers won three relays, including the Steve McDermott 4x800m. That race was ran by Strunk, Hope Henderson, Aubrey Kramer and Smith. The team fell behind Mount Ayr in the third leg, but Kramer was able to make up time down the home stretch. Smith closed with a 2:28 split.

A team of Grace Keeler, Josie Tallmon, Kadley Bailey and Riley won the sprint medley in a time of 2:01.49. The distance medley also took gold, the team of Keeler, Braylee Pokorny, Henley Shinn and Adamson finishing in 4:42.17.

Kinzley Downing, left, takes off on the second leg of the 4x200m relay after Kadley Bailey, right, hands her the baton. The Panthers finished third in 1:58.73.

Kinzley Downing, left, takes off on the second leg of the 4x200m relay after Kadley Bailey, right, hands her the baton. The Panthers finished third in 1:58.73. (CNA photos by CHEYENNE ROCHE)

Senior Avery Staver, a 2024 state qualifier in the 200m dash, placed second in the 100 in 13.28 and took third in the 200 with a 27.96.

The rest of Creston’s relays all placed third.

Boys

Glenwood ran away with the boys’ team race, winning with 71 points. Creston had 38 for second.

Durrell Haynes, left, lets out a yell as he runs the last portion of the 110m high hurdles Monday. Haynes won the race in 16.01. Clarke’s Urijah Fry, right, placed second in 16.11 and Glenwood’s Aaden Lopez took third in 16.55.

Durrell Haynes, left, lets out a yell as he runs the last portion of the 110m high hurdles Monday. Haynes won the race in 16.01. Clarke’s Urijah Fry, right, placed second in 16.11 and Glenwood’s Aaden Lopez took third in 16.55. (CNA photos by CHEYENNE ROCHE)

The Panthers came away with five first-place finishes. Senior Seth Gordon won the 100m dash in 11.34. In the 110m high hurdles, Durrell Haynes won a photo finish, taking the win in 16.01 over Clarke’s Urijah Fry. Freshman Ryder Baird posted a 4:53.35 in the 1600, a new PR. In the shot put, Tom Mikkelsen won with a mark of 54-04.5.

Ryder Baird runs the anchor leg of the winning 4x800m relay.

Ryder Baird runs the anchor leg of the winning 4x800m relay. (CNA photos by CHEYENNE ROCHE)

The boys also won the Steve McDermott 4x800m, the team comprised of Wyatt Goodenberger, Matthew Warner, Jameson Hanson and Baird.

Two Panther relays placed second: the sprint medley relay of Gordon, Brady McDonald, Ryder Sharp and Riggins Hanson (1:43.8), and the distance medley relay of McDonald, Gordon, Sharp and Goodenberger (3:52.59).

Creston senior Seth Gordon, right, crosses the finish line of the 100m dash first in 11.34. In second place was Brody Crozier, left, of Southwest Valley, who ran 11.44.

Creston senior Seth Gordon, right, crosses the finish line of the 100m dash first in 11.34. In second place was Brody Crozier, left, of Southwest Valley, who ran 11.44. (CNA photos by CHEYENNE ROCHE)

Other second-place finishes included Riggins Hanson in the 200m dash, running a PR time of 25.2, and Warner in the 1600 with a PR time of 5:06.55.

Photos from senior night will be in Friday’s CNA.

The Panthers return to action Thursday where the boys will compete in Osceola and the girls will be in Glenwood.

Full meet results are available here.

Cheyenne Roche

CHEYENNE ROCHE

Cheyenne has been with the CNA since 2022, reporting on everything from city government to sports and crime. Originally from Wisconsin, she holds a degree in Communications and Journalism and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She is a wife, mother and avid reader.