PCM's Vos runs 3rd at state in 2A 400 hurdles

DES MOINES — Jayci Vos has been one of the top competitors in Iowa Class 2A’s 400-meter hurdles for three years. The Prairie City-Monroe junior ran in her third straight Iowa high school state track meet in that event Friday.

Vos had the third-fastest qualifying time going into the Class 2A girls’ 400 hurdles final Friday at the 2016 Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships. She was in a field with defending 2A state champion Aleenah Marcucci of Northeast Goose Lake, but they were not in the same heat.

Marcucci had the ninth-fastest qualifying time. The senior had posted the top time in Class 2A for the season at 1 minute, 5.17 seconds.

As Vos settled into the starting blocks for the third and final heat of the event, Marcucci had set the bar high by winning the second heat in 1:04.08.

“My coach and I talked a lot about this race Thursday. I told myself to relax and enjoy the experience. I went into it to run my race and whatever the outcome was, I was going to be happy with it,” Vos said after her finals race.

Vos was happy. After missing out on a state medal as a sophomore, Vos captured the 2016 third-place medal in the 400 hurdles, running the race in 1:05.69. Her season’s best was 1:05.67.

Vos battled juniors Hannah Wagner of Central Springs and Sarah Vorwerk of Mediapolis in the third heat. Wagner went over the ninth of the 10 hurdles ahead of Vos. Vos pushed hard to pull even as they went over the final hurdle.

“Her legs were just too long. I’ve got these short, little legs. They can go fast, but going up against the long-legged girls,is tough” Vos said about the 40-meter sprint to the finish line.

It was a close finish with Wagner crossing in 1:05.27, putting her second overall, then Vos. Vorwerk finished fourth overall at 1:05.87.

Collins-Maxwell/Baxter sophomore Brianda Bane also ran in the 2A state 400 hurdles finals Friday. Bane finished 23rd in 1:13.17.

Vos ran at the 2016 Drake Relays along with Marcucci. Vos was eighth and Marcucci finished sixth.

“After Drake, we figured I’d be running against Marcucci again. She’s a good person to run against because she good and the defending state champion. I was with her at Drake until the eighth hurdle, so we’ve working on the eighth hurdle, the eighth hurdle. I paid off for me today — not against her, but the work helped me,” Vos said.

As a freshman, Vos earned the fourth-place medal at the state meet in the event. She finished ninth a year ago.

“I just want to keep moving up. I’m hungry for a state title. I’m working for that,” Vos said.

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