March 29, 2024

Newton boys’ medley relay team is LHC champion

GRIMES — Shaving off almost two seconds from their time, Newton High’s 1,600 medley relay team captured a 2016 Little Hawkeye Conference event championship Tuesday.

Junior Brennen Dodd anchored the Cardinals’ medley relay race with sophomores Clayton Baltisberger, Matthew Karsten and Jack Callaghan running the other legs. Newton posted a winning time of 3 minutes, 45.59 seconds, which was a season’s best time.

The medley relay was the lone event championship the Cardinal boys had at the 2016 Little Hawkeye Conference track meet hosted by Dallas Center-Grimes.

Dodd came very close to nailing down the 400-meter dash title, but Grinnell’s Sam Allen edged Dodd at the finish line. Allen won in 51.14 seconds and Dodd was second at 51.87. Callaghan placed seventh in 53.76.

In another close race, the Cardinal foursome of Callaghan, sophomore Jaron Roush, Karsten and Dodd finished second in 3:37.26 in the 4x400 relay race. Newton edged Norwalk, which finished third in 3:37.57.

Newton placed sixth with 55 points in the team standings. Pella won with a convincing 183 points to DCG’s 163 points for second. Grinnell was third at 92 followed by Norwalk with 89 points and Oskaloosa with 70 points for fifth. Pella Christian finished seventh with 25 points.

Karsten ran a season’s-best 11.55 seconds for third in the 100-meter dash. Baltisberger finished seventh in 11.97.

The Cardinals’ 4x100 relay team of sophomore Josh Miravalles, freshman Josh Miller, junior Spencer Elbert and Baltisberger took sixth in 48.31 seconds.

Sophomore Landan Hansen’s throw of 47 feet, 8 1/2 inches finished fourth in the shot put. Connor Gholson, a junior, made a leap of 20-1 3/4 for fourth in the long jump.

In the discus, sophomore Jace Lukefahr placed fifth in 120-9 and freshman Jaise Gulling took seventh in 119-9.

Newton competes at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at home in the annual Newton High Cardinal Relays at H.A. Lynn Stadium

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