Baxter girls finish fifth at loaded home meet

BAXTER — The Baxter and Colfax-Mingo girls’ track and field teams had one final chance to get in times and marks for the Drake Relays on Thursday night.

Unfortunately, the Bolts and Tigerhawks had to do so against some of the best athletes in the state of Iowa.

Baxter senior Sailor Hinegardner claimed the only two wins from the area as she took home gold medals in the long jump and 100-meter hurdles.

That helped Baxter place fifth overall with 54 points.

Class 3A North Polk and 3A Nevada were late additions to the 12-team field. The Comets won the meet with 107 points despite missing several senior athletes due to a class trip. Madrid was the runner-up with 96, Nevada placed third with 74 and 3A Webster City was one point back in fourth.

Colfax-Mingo also competed from the area. The Tigerhawks scored 12 points and finished in a tie for 10th with Pleasantville.

The meet featured the reigning 2A 100 and 200 state champion in Madrid’s Rylan Santi. The Northern Iowa recruit won both events on Thursday.

It also included the reigning Drake Relays and 3A state high jump champion in Maria Gorham of North Polk.

Webster City’s Cassidy Nerland won the shot put and discus with throws good enough to qualify for next week’s Drake Relays. She currently ranks in the top 10 in the state in both events.

Baxter and Colfax-Mingo held their own in several events.

Hinegardner won the 100 hurdles in 16.47 seconds. Her winning leap in the long jump covered 15 feet, 6 inches.

Hinegardner also anchored the Bolts’ shuttle hurdle relay team to third. She combined with senior Mary Schabilion, junior Avery Backus and senior Jordynn Wesselink to finish in 1 minute, 15.49 seconds.

The Bolts were second in a pair of events.

Junior Kaylin Van Ryswyk had a season-best throw in the discus, finishing as the runner-up to Nerland with a toss of 111-0. Nerland’s winning throw covered 128-11.

The 4x800 relay also was second for Baxter. The foursome of junior Lauren Ratliff, freshman Kailee Conradi, sophomore Holly Jessen and senior Ashlee Johnson stopped the clock in 11:10.85.

Colfax-Mingo’s top finish was a third-place performance by junior Jordan Atwood in the 200, finishing with a time of 30.10 seconds.

Junior Braedynn Rawlins took third in the shot put. She inched closer to a school record with a toss of 36-0. Nerland won the event with a throw of 40-0.

Wesselink finished fourth in the high jump for the Bolts. Her best jump was 4-8.

Johnson placed fifth in the 1,500 with a time of 5:40.19 and junior Brenna Thomson was fifth in the 3,000 in 11:55.31.

The Bolts were fifth in the 4x100 relay. The team of sophomore Rachel Kenney, freshman Maddie Pierce, Backus and Hinegardner crossed the finish line in 54.40 seconds.

The Tigerhawks’ sprint medley relay team of junior Samantha Jeter, junior Colbee Cunningham, Atwood and senior Valentine Velghe finished fifth in 2:06.60.

Baxter competes at 4:30 p.m. Monday at Des Moines Christian. Colfax-Mingo goes to the PCM Invitational at 4:30 p.m. Monday in Monroe.