March 28, 2024

PCM’s Vos finishes eighth in 400 hurdles at wet Drake Relays

DES MOINES — Prairie City-Monroe’s Jayci Vos didn’t run her best time. And she didn’t move up from her position in the 400-meter hurdles.

The Mustang junior did give it her best effort, and that’s all she tries to do when she steps onto the track.

Vos finished the 400 hurdles in 1 minute, 6.43 seconds, placing eighth at the 107th annual Drake Relays Saturday. She came into the race with the eighth-best qualifying time and ran in the eighth lane.

“I wasn’t happy with my time, but that’s the best I could do in this weather,” Vos said. “I came in eighth so I just wanted to run my race and try to stick with them.”

It was third time Vos has competed in the Drake Relays, but she was the first female individual qualifier since PCM coach Bridget Martin took over the program four years ago.

The only other female athlete to qualify for an individual event at the Drake Relays for PCM, according to Martin, was Kendra Versendaal. She ran the 3,000 at Drake Relays in the mid-1990s.

“I didn’t really think about that until (coach Martin) told me today. Hard work pays off I guess,” said Vos, who ran in the 4x100 and 4x200 as a freshman and in the 4x100 as a sophomore. “It was a little lonely warming up by myself. I didn’t want to think about not having any here with me. I tried to treat it like a normal race.”

Rain was a big factor on the blue oval Saturday. Vos ran the 400 hurdles during a time where rain wasn’t an issue during the race, but the track was wet from heavy rain that occurred earlier in the day.

“It could have been worse, but I kept slipping on the track,” Vos said.

Pleasant Valley’s Carly Donahue won the race in 1:02.13. The only other Class 2A runner besides Vos was Northeast’s Aleenah Marcucci. Marcucci, who entered with the best time in 2A, finished sixth in 1:05.67.

Vos ranks first in the Heart of Iowa Conference, and she has the top time among other runners in the Van Meter state qualifier.

“My No. 1 goal this year is to give my all every time I step on the track,” Vos said. “In the end, no matter what the results are, I know I gave it my all.”