Harris, Kemp capture third, fourth at Drake Relays

DES MOINES — Proving once again they are two of the top competitors in Iowa high school boys’ high hurdles, Deonne Harris and Bryce Kemp had a great day on Drake University’s Blue Oval Friday.

Running in the 2015 Drake Relays, Harris of Newton High and Kemp of Collins-Maxwell/Baxter finished third and fourth in the boys’ 110-meter high hurdle final. Harris, who ran just slightly under Kemp’s time in the preliminaries, posted a third-place time of 14.72 seconds. Kemp went 14.83 in the final for fourth place.

“Bryce almost got me at the end. It’s always fun running with Bryce,” Harris said following the race as the two seniors stood side-by-side in the Drake Relays’ interview room.

“It was great to make the finals as a senior after not making the finals last year or my sophomore year here at Drake,” Kemp said. “Deonne and all the other runners are pushing me and bringing me along with them. It was a great race today.”

Harris and Kemp were in their third straight Drake Relays’ hurdle competition. Neither one made the finals of the event as sophomores. A year ago, Harris advanced to the final and finished fourth while Kemp narrowly missed the final.

Friday’s final was the second time this season the two area runners have gone head-to-head. Harris, who is undefeated in the high hurdles at invitational meets this season, beat Kemp at Newton’s Cardinal Invitational. They said they are looking forward to another head-to-head race on May 7 at Newton’s Cardinal Relays.

Connor Ham of Solon won the Drake Relays high hurdle race in 14.31 seconds and Cole Phillips of Mount Pleasant was second in 14.52.

“I was worried going into my preliminary race because it wasn’t a fast heat. I had been drilling myself all week that today I was going to run my best,” Harris said. “I set goals and the biggest goal was to make the finals here.”

Harris won his preliminary heat, but his 14.83 was the fourth-fastest qualifying time going into the final right behind Kemp, who was second in his heat at 14.82.

"Running in the final at Drake is great. All these guys are fast. Connor, Cole and Bryce — I love being pushed by these guys," Harris said. "Now, it's about quailing for the state meet. I've had a better season so far than last year and I'm going to continue to work hard. I'm leading Class 4A right now.
I want to stay up there and also qualify for state in the 400 low hurdles."

As for Kemp, he said he was injured early in the season and has gained a little weight for football. Kemp has signed to play football for NCAA Division I Eastern Michigan University next year as a tight end.

“I’m just trying to get everything back together. Coach (Neil) Seales is a great coach and he is getting back where I need to be,” Kemp said. “I’m going to keep working hard and keep getting better in the highs. There’s always room for improvement. My goal is to get back to state and regain my state title.”

Kemp was the Class 2A state champion in the 110 hurdles as a sophomore. He was the state runner-up in 2014.

Newton High junior Grace Coen competed in the Drake Relays for the third straight year Friday and Saturday. She ran the 800 on Friday, finishing 12th in 2 minutes, 18.78 seconds, and took on the field in the 1,500 meters on Saturday, placing 16th in 4:52.

“The weather was fine. I felt sort of sluggish in my warmups and really didn’t feel comfortable going into the races,” Coen said. “It is mostly about being out of shape coming back from my injury. I just don’t have much endurance or stamina right now.”

Coen said following Newton’s indoor track season, she had pain in her hip which sidelined her early in the outdoor season. She said being out three weeks and only having two weeks to prepare for Drake did not set her up for much of success this season.

“You are going up against a tough field of runners at Drake. I’m just not back yet where I need to be,” Coen said. “I felt better about my 1,500 race than my 800. Now, I just need to build my stamina up again.”

Newton senior Sarah Kalkhoff, who took sixth in the girls’ discus on Thursday, competed in the girls’ shot put Friday and placed 24th with a throw of 34 feet.

“I threw really bad today. Today just was not my day,” Kalkhoff said. “I went to the spin technique because last year I wasn’t getting my hips into the throws with the glides. I’ve had a lot of success with it this year, but the spin in the shot is unpredictable. Sometimes it clicks and sometimes it doesn’t.”

Kalkhoff admitted to being nervous competing in her first Drake Relays’ shot put event. She said it was a good experience for her to get ready for college track next year at Minnesota State in Mankato, Minn.

“I’ll shake off today’s results and keep throwing,” Kalkhoff said.

Newton’s 4x100-meter relay team and Prairie City-Monroe’s 4x100 foursome competed in the high school girls’ preliminaries Friday afternoon. Neither team advance to the finals, but each posted a season’s-best timing.

Newton’s juniors Sydney Jenkins, Alex Hutchinson and Leela Spencer — all running in their second Drake Relays — and freshman Alexis Stout finished 43rd in a field of 80 teams. Their combined time was 51.90 seconds.

“I really enjoy being here,” Jenkins said. “It’s exciting. It’s fun just getting out of school all day and taking in the atmosphere. You get nervous the closer you get to the race, but that’s natural I think.”

“We ran our season’s best,” Hutchinson said. “I felt really good. I thought we had amazing handoffs and that’s key to any spring relay race.”

“The competition is a lot harder,” Spencer said. “We’re not just running against Class 4A athletes, but it’s a fun experience.”

“It’s amazing and more than I expected,” Stout said. “It was a lot of fun running with these girls.”

PCM’s quartet finished 45th in 51.94 seconds. Juniors Emily Hugen and Ashley Van Gorp were joined by senior Mackenzie Clarke and sophomore Jayci Vos.

“We wanted to have smooth handouts and keep dropping time and we did that,” Van Gorp said. “The race went very smooth. The handoffs are really starting to be quicker and more efficient.”

“Being at Drake Relays is a huge honor and it’s a memorable thing to be a part of,” Vos said. “Not everyone gets to experience so we just let it soak in. I was very proud of my teammates and how we ended the day. The sky is the limit for us.”

Friday also saw former Newton High Andrew Clements anchoring the Grand View University men’s 4x100-meter relay team in a preliminary race. Grand View was 25th, 43.18 seconds, in the men’s college division.

“It feels good and a blessing to run at Drake,” Clements said after the race. “God blessed me to represent Grand View and definitely to represent Newton.”

Clements is a sophomore at Grand View and it was his first race as a collegiate athlete at Drake Relays. He competed at the event as a Newton junior and senior.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com