Mustangs lock up 16 state track meet entries

EDDYVILLE — Margo Chipps knew she wasn’t running as well in the 400-meter hurdles this year as she was last year when she finished third at state her freshman year.

Chipps though stuck with the process, something she’s heard Prairie City-Monroe girls’ head track and field coach Eric Karr say several times throughout the season.

And the process took a step in the right direction on Friday when Chipps ran a season-best time in the event and punched her ticket to this week’s state track meet during a Class 2A state qualifier at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School.

“I have tried not worry about how it’s going daily and just trust the process,” Chipps said.

“I have done this so many times before. I tried not to get nervous today and distract myself.”

Morgan Uhlenhopp came in shortly after Chipps to give the Mustangs a 1-2 finish in the event and two automatic qualifications into the state meet.

“I am so proud of her. It’s awesome that we went 1-2. It’s unbelievable,” Chipps said.

PCM’s girls secured nine state-meet entries in all. Chipps and Sierra Foster will both be in four events, while Uhlenhopp and Paytan Schut will each compete in three.

PCM finished third in the 12-team field with 97 points. Williamsburg (145) edged Mid Prairie (142) for the team title.

On the boys’ side, PCM won four events and picked up at-large state berths in three others. The Mustangs tied for fourth in the 12-team field with 86 points.

Williamsburg swept the team races as the boys won with 123.5 points. Davis County (96) and Mediapolis (90) completed the top three.

Aside from the 1-2 finish in the 400 hurdles, the Mustang girls won the shuttle hurdle relay, Chipps was victorious in the 100 hurdles and Lexi Kuecker had a season-best leap to win the long jump.

The top two finishers in each event at each state qualifier lock up auto bids for the state meet. The next best eight in each event clinch at-large berths.

Besides Uhlenhopp in the 400 hurdles, PCM’s girls also were second in the 4x200 and 4x400 relays. They ended up with at-large spots in two events, the sprint medley relay and Foster in the 200.

The PCM boys won three individual events and claimed a win in the shuttle hurdle relay.

Payton Strovers won the long jump, Cole Dustin got a win in the 110 high hurdles and Nigel Sperfslage ran to a win in the 400 hurdles.

“I didn’t have much last year,” Sperfslage said “Before this season, I told myself to use the weight room every day. I really pushed myself this season.”

The at-large spots came from Reed Worth in the 200 as well as the sprint medley and 4x200 relays.

Worth will be in four events for his first-ever state meet. Sperfslage and Strovers are headed to state in three events.

Chipps won the 400 hurdles in 1 minute, 8.30 seconds. Uhlenhopp closed quickly after leaping over the final hurdle and rallied for second in 1:08.38. They will be ranked 14th and 15th, respectively, at state.

“It was so cool. I came into the night in third but I pushed so hard. I wanted it so bad,” Uhlenhopp said. “I had never qualified in an individual event so this one means a lot to me.”

Chipps also won the 100 hurdles in 16.33 seconds. Megan Cowman was third but missed out on state after running a 16.97. Chipps takes the 18th best time into the state meet.

Uhlenhopp, Cowman, Chelsea Bird and Chipps combined to run a season-best time in the shuttle hurdle. They won the race in 1:08.80. That time is sixth heading to state.

Kuecker advanced to state in the long jump for the first time in her career after leaping a season-best 16 feet, 1 inch. That’s the 17th best jump heading into the state meet.

“I didn’t expect that happen. I just really pushed myself and went for it,” Kuecker said. “I never really jump well here. It was good to finally get some good ones. It was a good day to do it. It was a good day to jump my best.”

The Mustangs put together a season-best time in the 4x200 relay with Foster, Regan Freland, Uhlenhopp and Schut. They finished second in 1:48.33, which is eighth best heading into state.

The 4x400 relay team of Delaney Baird, Kate McCarthy, Foster and Schut finished second in 4:16.52, which ranks 23rd in 2A heading to state.

PCM’s girls had to wait until Saturday afternoon to get official word that they clinched two other state spots.

Foster was third at EBF in the 200 with a season-best time of 26.87, but that time is ninth best in 2A heading to state.

The sprint medley team of Chipps, Freland, Foster and Schut also were third in a season-best 1:53.58. That’s 13th in the 2A field going into state.

Sperfslage enters state with the best chance to medal for the boys as his winning 400 hurdle time of 56.39 seconds ranks fifth in 2A.

The next best shot at a state medal comes in the shuttle hurdle relay, which also includes Sperfslage. He was joined by the trio of Nick Buswell, Worth and Dustin, and their season-best time of 1:02.22 ranks ninth in 2A.

Strovers comes into the long jump ranked 11th after winning the event in 20-8. Dustin enters the state meet 12th in the 110 high hurdles after running a season-best time of 15.64.

“I didn’t get to go last year because I was hurt. This feels awesome,” Dustin said. “I had the ride or die mentality. Either you run well today or you don’t get to run again. I was motivated a lot after last year. You just have to be confident and have a strong mind.”

The Mustangs had to wait until the next day to find out they qualified in three other events.

Worth, who also helped the golf team advance to districts earlier in the day, finished fourth in the 200 but his time of 23.48 was good enough to clinch an at-large berth.

The sprint medley relay team was fourth at districts but ranks 15th for state after completing the race in a season-best time of 1:36.71. That team includes Strovers, Preston Van Wyk, Worth and Sperfslage.

Sperfslage anchored the sprint medley with a 50-second 400 leg. The top four teams in the race were separated by only .34 seconds.

“That was such a good race. I loved it,” Sperfslage said. “To go in three events is cool. It feels great. I am so excited.”

The 4x200 relay team of Strovers, Wes Cummings, Jacob Van Winkle and Worth ran a season-best time of 1:33.14 and earned an at-large berth despite finishing fourth.

The 2A portion of the state track and field meet kicks off at 9 a.m. on Thursday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

PCM scored points in several other events. They are as follows:

Girls

800-m: 8. Hannah McCarthy, 2:44.01.

High jump: 4. Celeste Wagaman, 4-10.

4x800-m relay: 5. PCM (Hannah McCarthy, Klaire Jungling, Kate McCarthy, Delaney Baird), season-best 10:39.82.

4x100-m relay: 5. PCM (Kassidy Block, Freland, Kuecker, Bird), 53.65.

Boys

100-m: 6. Preston Van Wyk, 11.96.

1,600-m: 4. Beau Webb, 4:53.45.

High jump: 4. Dustin, 5-8.

Shot put: 5. Isaac Telfer, 45-5 1/2.

4x100-m relay: 4. PCM (Van Winkle, Brayton Van Dyke, Van Wyk, Strovers), 45.81.

4x400-m relay: 7. PCM (Cummings, Aidan Anderson, Connor Bennett, Webb), 3:46.26.

4x800-m relay: 6. PCM (Fabio Sammet, Landon Fenton, Carson Duinink, Ayrton Breckenridge), season-best 9:28.06.

Distance medley: 5. PCM (Sperfslage, Van Wyk, Anderson, Webb), season-best 3:48.06.