Cardinals are Cardinal Relays champs

Best laid plans paid off for Newton High’s boys on Thursday. They wanted to win their final home track meet — the 2017 Cardinal Relays, which features all five area high school teams in the field.

“It’s been awhile since the boys have won the Cardinal Relays. We planned for it, making our entries so we could score points. It worked,” Newton head coach Tanner Clute said after the Cardinals piled up 150 points to claim the team title.

The Cardinal Relays are special to all the area track athletes. All five area teams won at least one event in Thursday’s edition. Newton, Lynnville-Sully and Prairie City-Monroe each had five event championships while Colfax-Mingo and Collins-Maxwell/Baxter had one event championship apiece.

“Winning here at the Cardinal Relays is a big deal,” PCM’s Noah Anderson said after winning the 200-meter dash and anchoring the Mustang 4x200 relay team to victory. “It’s a bigger track meet. We haven’t had the best of luck on our relay but to get the win here today is special.”

Newton set the tone quickly in the first running event of the meet — the 800-meter sprint medley relay. The team of Jeremiah Johnson, Matthew Karsten, Connor Gholson and Brennen Dodd set a school record, winning in 1 minute, 37.52 seconds. Lynnville-Sully’s foursome of Colten Arment, Kemper Lukehart, Brevin Hansen and Corey McCoy was sec on in 1:40.80.

Gholson wrapped up the next event championship at the long jump pit. He and Keith Steinbach went 1-3 on leaps of 20 feet, 7 inches and 19-3.

“It’s pretty cool to win as a team tonight. The Cardinal Relays have always been a pretty big meet in the state of Iowa,” Gholson said at the end of the competition. “I had to run true sprint medley before I came back to long jump. I had to get my legs under me, and I was able to get a good jump off in the finals to win it.”

Newton won two of the four field events. Jace Lukefahr claimed the gold medal in beating a tough discus field with a top throw of 143-2. PCM’s Noah Clark was second at 137-11, CMB’s Will Clapper was fifth at 132-5 and CMB’s Brady Kemp was sixth at 128-3.

“It means a lot to win at a home meet. It was windier than I like, but I was able to get it out there and let the wind take it,” Lukefahr said of his discus win. “This is a day I can build on for districts.”

Clapper said he returned to form in winning the shot put with a toss of 50-6. Newton’s Landon Hansen was second at 49-3 followed by Kemp at 48-7 for third. Newton’s Jaise Gulling finished fifth with a toss of 45-9 1/2 and PCM’s Clark was sixth at 45-5.

“CMB has been coming to this meet for a long time, and to be the only CMB boy to win an event today is really special,” Clapper said. “I threw pretty consistent today in the shot put. I’m glad I hit 50 again after going through a bit of a rough patch this season. We were working on my form, which put be back a bit.”

Colfax-Mingo’s only event victory was in the high jump with Reegan Van Dyke taking first place, clearing the bar at 5-10. Also over at 5-10 and finishing third was Lynnville-Sully’s Carson Dunsbergen. Lynnville-Sully’s Drake Ehresman and PCM’s Cole Dustin each cleared 5-6 to go fourth and fifth, respectively.

“I thought I took second because of misses, but then they announced I won. That was great,” Van Dyke said. “I didn’t jump very well. I’m glad I was able to win for my school against some bigger schools. I know I need to work on my approach and arching my back as we go toward districts next week.”

Newton’s Karsten and Johnson went 1-2 in the 100-meter dash. Karsten won the race with a personal-best time of 11.24 seconds. Johnson followed in 11.44 seconds. CMB’s Carter Fricke was third at 11.63, PCM’s Peyton Strover took fourth at 11.89 and Lynnville-Sully’s Sage Zylstra was fifth at 11.96.

“It’s an honor to win at home. This was a race I’ve been working for all year. We had perfect weather for it. I’m excited for my time plus we were 1-2 which is even better,” Karsten said.

Lynnville-Sully continues to be strong in the hurdle races. Ryan Hofer won the 110 high hurdles in 15.05 seconds, out running Newton’s Jaron Roush, 15.53. PCM’s Dustin was third at 15.79 followed by Lynnville-Sully’s Gage Vander Leest at 15.81 in fourth. CMB’s Ben Gunderson was fifth in 16.24.

Later, Tyson Vander Linden pulled away from the 400-hurdle field, winning in 55.84 seconds. Hofer was second in 1:03.42 and Newton’s Dylan Farver was third at 1:0425. Gunderson placed fourth in 1:04.69 followed by PCM’s Nigel Sperfslage at 1:04.83 and C-M’s Nick Barnes in sixth at 1:04.97.

Vander Leest, Carson Dunsbergen, Caden Dunsbergen and Hofer combined to win the shuttle hurdle relay race earlier in the meet in 1:02.88. Newton’s foursome of Farver, Steinbach, Cody Satterfield and Roush was third in 1:04.72.

CMB’s team of Marcus Mitchell, Gunderson, Brett Livesay and Joe Keeling was fourth in 1:05.09. The PCM team of Nick Buswell, Preston VanWyk, Nick Dredge and Dustin was fifth in 1:06.18.

“I’ve always pictured this one as one of the more important meets of the year. We have tough competition and really helps us get ready for district,” Hofer said. “In the 110s, PCM’s Dustin is a great athlete and we’ve battled in close races when we’ve met this season. There was a lot of competition here today — Roush from Newton and my teammate Gage pushes me all the time. It’s a fun race.”

Hofer said the Hawks are still figuring things out for the shuttle hurdle relay. He said they are working to get their time down where they want it.

PCM’s Chris Ellens dominated the two distance races, winning the 1,600 in 4:50.57 and the 3,200 in 10:19.64. He anchored the 1,600 distance medley to second place.

Newton’s Jack Callaghan did the same in the 800-meter run. He went to the lead and pulled way in a winning time of 2:05.54. Lynnville-Sully’s Hansen was scone in 1:12.64, CMB’s Jack Cheville was fifth in 2:16.72 and Lynnville-Sully’s Ehresman was sixth in 2:22.35.

“I was expecting to go up against a North Mahaska guy who ran a 1:59 on Tuesday, but he scratched,” Callaghan said. “I knew I had to get out and set the pace early. Fighting the wind on the backstretch was tough.”

Anderson won the 200 meters, edging Newton’s Gholson, 22.71 seconds to 22.86 seconds. Fricke of CMB was third in 23.79 followed by PCM’s Noah Henkenius in 24.30 and Lynnville-Sully’s Nate Stock in 24.43.

“It felt like a good night to run the 200. I had the wind at my back. I’ve been working on getting out of the block better and keeping my head down,” Anderson said. “When I got the baton in the 4x200, I knew I had to catch those guys.”

Lynnville-Sully’s Vander Linden was the 400-meters champion in 51.71 second with Newton’s Dodd in third at 52.73. CMB’s Fricke was fourth in 53.51 and PCM’s Wes Cummings placed fifth in 56.36.

PCM’s 4x100 team of Strover, Henkenius, Van Wyk and Anderson claimed the gold in 45.95 seconds. Newton’s foursome of Johnson, Roush, Josh Miravalles and Logan Cummins was second in 46.75. Fourth went to Lynnville-Sully’s team of Caden Dunsbergen, Zylstra, Hansen, and Stock in 47.58 and CMB’s team of John Newton, Zach Schafer, Alexander Huff and Blake Coughenour was fifth in 48.20.

Henkenius, Van Wyk and Anderson teamed up with Brayton Van Dyke to win the 4x200 in 1:36.09. Newton’s team of Johnson, Miravalles, Clayton Baltisberger and Cummins was third in 1:37.52. Colfax-Mingo’s foursome of Ethan Summy, Adam Teed, Van Dyke and Zarek Hill was fourth in 1:39.22 and Lynnville-Sully’s team of Caden Dunsbergen, Lukehart, Kinnick McFarland and Stock was fifth in 1:49.85.

In the 4x400, Lynnville-Sully’s team of Vander Leest, McCoy, Carson Dunsbergen and Vander Linden nosed out Newton’s team of Callaghan, Karsten, Gholson and Dodd. The Hawks won in 3:31.10 and the Cardinals were second in 3:31.41.

CMB’s team of Braydon Aker, Evan Bianchi, Keeling and Cheville was fourth in 3:41.70. Colfax-Mingo’s team of Summy, Van Dyke, Hill and Teed placed fifth in 3:48.46 and PCM’s Cummings, Brady North, Noah Hirayama and Blake Lee combined for sixth in 3:52.61.

Other results:

1,600: 2. Logan Berg, CMB, 5:06.96, 3. Noah Sander, Newton, 5:06.99, 4. Adam Hunter, Newton, 5:10.02, 5. Alex Lewis, C-M, 5:12.57, 6. Ian Thomason, CMB, 5:12.58.

3,200: 2. Thomason, CMB, 11:01.87, 3. Berg, CMB, 11:10.47, 4. Hunter, N., 11:16.38, 5. Sander, N, 11:22.16, 6. Josh Dunsbergen, L-S, 11:29.99.

Long jump: 4. Brett Livesay, CMB, 18-9 1/2, 5. Ethan Summy, C-M, 18-9, 6. Drake Ehresman, L-S, 18-3.

1,600 distance medley: 2. PCM (Van Wyk, Anderson, Henkenius, Ellens), 3:55.39, 3. CMB (Newton, Mitchell, Ben Huff, Noah Rhoads), 4:04.76; 5. Newton (Spencer Elbert, Steinbach, Farver, Hunter), 4:13; Colfax-Mingo (Andrew Meinhart, Will Dunsbergen, Cauy Fitch, Alex Lewis), 4:20.94.

4x800: 2. Colfax-Ming (Lewis, Trystin Ross, Micheal Loney, KC Huffman), 9:12.17; 3. PCM (North, Lee, Brycen Rogers, Sperfslage), 9:33.09; 4. Lynnville-Sully (Cody Gibbs, Ty Breeden, Luke Jones, Josh Dunsbergen), 9:47.12; 5. Newton (Camden Winther, Blake Robson, Chad Nolin, Dylan Main), 9:51.18.

800 sprint medley: 3. PCM (Strover, VanDyke, Cummings, Hirayama), 1:43.61; 4. Colfax-Mingo (Summy, Jimmy Camp, Hill, Teed) 1:44.69; 5. CMB (Newton, Coughenour, Aker, Keeling) 1:45.74.

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