Tigerhawks punch two tickets to state meet

EARLHAM — Colfax-Mingo sophomore Colbee Cunningham didn’t participate in last year’s state qualifying track and field meet at Belle Plaine. She even started this season as a JV runner on the 4x200 relay team.

Less than two months later, Cunningham eventually worked her way into some varsity relays and she won a spot on one of the team’s best events.

After winning a run-off in practice, Cunningham is headed to her first state meet after the Tigerhawks won the 4x800-meter relay at a Class 1A state qualifier Thursday.

The win in the 4x800 relay was the only victory for the Tigerhawks on the night, but Colfax-Mingo coach Zach Tomas expects to clinch at-large berths in a few other events.

“My teammates and I worked really hard,” Cunningham said. “They really bonded with me and pushed me hard and it worked out for us. I began the season on the JV 4x200 so this feels amazing.

“I am super nervous so Dakota will have to talk us through it.”

Dakota Hostetter will make her fourth trip to the blue oval after anchoring the 4x800 relay team to a comeback win. The Tigerhawk foursome of sophomore Ilia Hostetter, freshman Abbey McConeghey, Cunningham and Dakota Hostetter finished in a season-best time of 10 minutes, 28.97 seconds.

Dakota Hostetter got the baton in second place but rallied with an anchor leg of 2:24.

“It’s really cool. That’s the one I wanted the most. We have been working hard in that one all year,” Dakota Hostetter said.

The Tigerhawk boys got one automatic berth into next week’s state meet. Junior Reegan Van Dyke won the high jump and just missed an automatic berth with a runner-up finish in the long jump.

The top finisher in every event in all Class 1A state qualifiers earn automatic bids into the state meet. The next best 14 times, distances and heights earn at-large bids. Those at-large bids will be announced sometime Friday afternoon.

“I felt good. I just wanted to get to six foot because I knew that height would make it,” Van Dyke said. “ I didn’t go to state last year, and I didn’t go out for track my freshman year so this feels good. I love it. It’s amazing.”

The Tigerhawk boys finished third as a team with 78 points. Host Earlham cruised to the team title with 211 points.

The Cardinals won 14 of the 19 events and went 1-2 in four events. Mount Ayr scored 115.5 points in third. Colfax-Mingo was four points better than Wayne, and Southeast Warren was a distant fifth with 41 points.

Dakota Hostetter led the Tigerhawk girls to a sixth place finish. Colfax-Mingo scored 65 points on the night. The difference between third and sixth was 12 total points.

Mount Ayr (132) completed a perfect team season with another championship. Earlham was second with 103 points, and the remaining top five were East Union (77), Martensdale-St. Marys (76) and Wayne (76).

While Dakota Hostetter is now a four-time state qualifier, the rest of her 4x800 teammates will run inside Drake Stadium for the first time.

“It feels great. I’m so excited to get to go with Dakota again just like in cross country,” said the younger Hostetter. “That was a fun experience, and I am hoping for another fun experience.

“We just want to keep improving our time. This has been a strong event all season.”

The 4x800 likely won’t be the only event the Tigerhawk girls perform at state in.

The distance medley relay team placed third but ran a time that ranks 14th in 1A this season. The team of sophomore Jordan Atwood, Cunningham, Dakota Hostetter and McConeghey ran a season-best time of 4:34.56.

If the Tigerhawks clinch an at-large berth, it would be the fourth straight season for Dakota Hostetter. This time, she’ll be on the 400 leg.

“It would be cool to make it all four years,” Dakota Hostetter said. “I don’t enjoy the individual events as much. They are not as fun. I like being with teammates and passing the batons. Having Abbey to run the mile with me is way more fun that it was the past few years when I had to do it alone, too.”

Speaking of the mile, Dakota Hostetter and McConeghey went 2-3 in the 1,500. Both times though are likely to get an at-large berth. Hostetter was second with a time of 5:14.72, and McConeghey finished in 5:15.62.

Tomas came into the night thinking a sub-5:20 would be good enough to advance. Hostetter was passed in the final 50 meters by Southeast Warren’s Elise Emmick, who Hostetter beat last week at the Cardinal Relays.

“I love her. She is so nice. She is one of those people that you are happy for even though she passed me in the last 50 meters,” Dakota Hostetter said of Emmick. “We are really good friends. We have been running against each other for a long time. I do think all three of us will make it with those times. She had that kick today though.”

Dakota Hostetter came up short of an automatic berth in the 200. She finished second with a time of 27.84. She was .02 seconds off another win.

“It stinks that it was so close. I wasn’t expecting to make it anyway, but it will be cool to go in that if I make it,” Hostetter said.

Junior Rhiannon Haley and sophomore Braedynn Rawlins gave the Tigerhawks a 3-4 finish in the shot put. Haley was third with a toss of 33 feet, 0 inches, and Rawlins placed fourth with a toss of 32-11 1/4.

On the boys’ side, Van Dyke locked up his first state berth with a leap of 6-0 in the high jump.

He then nearly pulled off another automatic berth in the long jump but came up just short, finishing second with a leap of 19-3. The winning jump was 19-4 1/2.

“I was jumping like 17-5 in the preliminaries. Then I popped off a 19-3. They told me 19-4 won, which stinks to be so close,” Van Dyke said. “I know I am going in one event though. Being able to go in two would be awesome.”

Another close call came in the shot put. Senior Jimmy Camp finished second in the event, but he only trailed winner Drew Williamson of Earlham by an inch. Camp’s runner-up throw was marked at 42-11 3/4. Williamson won with a toss of 43-0 3/4.

Two Tigerhawk relays were third on the night.

The shuttle hurdle relay team of sophomore Cauy Fitch, junior Nick Barnes, sophomore Nathan Evans and freshman Trinity Schroeder finished with a time of 1:09.61.

The 4x800 team also was third with a time of 9:28.31. That foursome included Schroeder, Barnes, junior Alex Lewis and freshman Zack Barnes.