March 28, 2024

Bleeker, Harris, Coen, distance medley relay take sixths

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DES MOINES — Sixth-place medals equaled smiles for Newton Senior High athletes Friday and Saturday at the 2014 Iowa State Track and Field Championships.

Drake Stadium was drenched in sunshine all day Friday while Saturday was overcast and cooler in the morning then the sun came out, heating things up overall and on the Blue Oval.

“They’re fast, They’re fast,” were the first words out of junior Deonne Harris’ mouth following a sixth-place finish in the Class 4A 110-meter high hurdle final Saturday. A final he missed by an eyelash a year ago.

“Last year I was so nervous here and I hit that hurdle and it threw me off. I was neck-and-neck with first place in the preliminaries. This year I came here just with qualify, qualify on my mind,” Harris said.

“I feel really good about placing sixth today. My start was really good. They’re fast. I was the only junior in the final so next year is mine,” Harris added with a smile.

Harris posted a time of 14.75 seconds in the hurdle final. Senior Sydne Davis of Des Moines Roosevelt won the gold in 14.21 seconds. There are eight medals awarded at the state meet.

Newton senior Michaela Bleeker had a “great experience” finishing her career in Class 4A state track meet competition. Bleeker, who had finished 16th in the 4A discus event on Thursday, competed in her best event Friday — the shot put.

“Last year I didn’t place here and my goal for this year was to qualify again and place in the top eight,” Bleeker said following Friday’s shot put event. “She beat me by a half-inch for fifth place, but I’m really happy about placing my final year.”

Bleeker made a strong throw of 37 feet, 9 1/2 inches on her final throw in the preliminaries, solidifying a spot in the finals. Her first throw of the finals was two inches further.

Caroline Slaughter of Waukee moved ahead of Bleeker on a 38’1” throw on her first attempt in the finals. Bleeker stepped into the throwing ring for the final time of her career, launching a 38’ 1/2” throw.

Bleeker collected the sixth-place medal in the 4A shot put. She holds the NHS school mark of 40’1/2”, which she set earlier this season.

“It’s a great privilege to qualify for state, You have to work hard to achieve what you want,” Bleeker said. “I set my goals really high this year. I’m happy going out the way I am. In the discus, I did so much better than I did last year. I went out on a throw of 100 feet and that’s good for me.”

Bleeker was one of three Newton seniors to conclude their career competing at the three-day state track meet. Levi Michener ran his final race on Thursday with the Cardinal boys’ 4x110-meter shuttle hurdle relay team, which did not make the finals.

On Friday, senior Amber Karsten ran three relay races for the Newton girls. The first one was the best and netted her a sixth-place medal with her teammates in the distance medley relay finals.

Distance medley relay teams were on the Blue Oval first on Friday morning. Karsten led off for the Cardinals and handed the baton off to sophomore Leela Spencer. Spencer handed it off to sophomore Sydney Jenkins, then sophomore Grace Coen ran the anchor leg.

“We were just going for the school record,” Coen said. “When we looked up and saw our placement, it was tremendous. We were happy to be a team together.”

The Cardinal foursome did establish a new school record — 4 minutes, 9.09 seconds.

Also on Friday, Karsten combined with sophomore Alex Hutchinson, Spencer and Fisher for a season’s-best time of 1:46.88 in the 4x200-meter relay, taking 15th. She combined with juniors Taylor Fisher and Hailey Coy and Jenkins in the 4x400-meter relay preliminaries for a season’s-best 4:07.54, finishing 13th and not advancing to the finals.

Karsten ran her personal best, 26.03 seconds, in Thursday’s 200-meter dash preliminaries. She did not advance to the finals.

Junior Anna Barr ran in the 400-meter hurdle finals Friday. Barr placed 20th in 1:11.13.

Coen picked up one state medal, sixth, Thursday in a school-record performance in the 3,000-meter race. The sophomore came back Saturday to compete in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter finals.

Coen ended up 18th in the 800 Saturday morning in 2:22.07. She came back under warmer weather conditions on the track to run the 1,500 meters in the afternoon.

“I was super light-headed and dizzy after the 800. I couldn’t walk without falling over my own feet, so the fact I could pull through this race, I’m happy with my placement and my time,” Coen said after the 1,500 meter race.

Coen battled on the track to claim the sixth-place medal in 4:42.50.

“It’s taxing to run all three distance races. Right, now I can hardly feel my legs,” Coen said. “I was ecstatic about the 3,000. I did not expect a good time that but that’s my personal record by 14 seconds. Running the the 3,000 is a mental thing.”