March 28, 2024

Newton girls punch five entries into state track meet

Shannon, Terpstra to headline Cardinal contingent at Drake Stadium

BONDURANT — Alyssa Shannon wasn’t interested in finding out two days later if she had qualified for the state track and field meet in the 1,500-meter run.

That’s why when Pella’s Raegan Snider made a late push in the final 25 meters, Shannon turned on the jets and held off the Lady Dutch freshman at the line.

Shannon was second in the 1,500 and locked up her second state event on Thursday during the Class 3A state qualifying track and field meet at Bondurant-Farrar High School.

The Cardinal senior gave it everything she had in that race and on the night as she competed in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000. At the end of the 1,500, she stepped off the track and tumbled straight to the turf.

“I was dying. It was hard to hold her off,” Shannon said of the late-race sprint against Snider. “The heat got to me. I’m glad it won’t be as hot next week. I was trying my best to get second. I knew if I got third, I may not make it. I wouldn’t have been as confident. It’s so much easier to just get top two.”

The top two finishers in each event in 3A automatically qualify for next week’s state meet. The next best eight times and distances earn at-large berths.

Newton’s girls track and field team will have five entries inside Drake Stadium. Shannon will compete in all three distance races after finishing first in the 3,000, second in the 1,500 and fourth in the 800 on Thursday night.

Addy Terpstra takes her top time in 3A in the 100 hurdles to the state meet and she’ll anchor the Cardinals’ shuttle hurdle relay team, which qualified for the second straight spring.

That shuttle hurdle relay squad features Chloe Rorabaugh, JaQuay Priest, Macy Lampe and Terpstra.

The order was switched at the state qualifier because of a strong wind that factors into which athletes three step or not, according to Rorabaugh.

They started with Priest and then went to Lampe, Rorabaugh and Terpstra and they finished first in a season-best time of 1 minute, 7.65 seconds. That’s the sixth best time in 3A this season.

“I finally three stepped. I think that helped,” Rorabaugh said. “Once I start three stepping all of them, we can cut time down even further.

“It’s exciting to be going back. We were confident coming into the year, but you never know how fast other teams got, too.”

Both Terpstra and Rorabaugh competed in the 100 hurdles and Terpstra set a new personal-best time in winning the event. She finished in 15.05 seconds and takes the top time into the 3A state meet next week.

Rorabaugh placed sixth with a time of 17.43. It took a 16.87 to earn an at-large berth.

“It didn’t feel fast because of the wind. It’s really windy tonight,” Terpstra said. “We had our best time in the shuttle hurdle relay, too, but it really didn’t feel like it was our best because it’s really hard against the wind.”

The B-F state qualifier featured the top two 100 hurdlers by time in 3A. Terpstra has defeated South Tama County’s JoJo Tyynismaa multiple times this season, but the gap is minuscule. Tyynismaa, who also qualified in the 100 and 200, ran 15.25 in the event on Thursday.

“JoJo and I were really close early so I think the competition helped me, too,” Terpstra said. “She’s really good so it helps push me. Maybe I can get into the 14s at state.”

The other win for Newton came from Shannon in the 3,000. She won the race in 11:31.08, which was the fifth best qualifying time.

Shannon debuted at the state track meet last year in two individual events and one relay. This year, she adds the 3,000 to her individual slate.

Shannon ran near the front the entire way in the 1,500. Carlisle’s Ainsley Erzen pulled away on the final lap, but Shannon goes in the second auto spot after finishing in 5:10.98. Erzen won with a 5:04.72 and Snider’s third-place time was clocked in 5:11.65, which also earned a top-15 qualifying time in 3A.

Erzen won the 400, 800 and 1,500 on Thursday. She’s a favorite to win all three at the state meet.

Shannon finished fourth in the 800 in 2:33.17. Her best time of 2:19 is top five in 3A, but that came relatively early this season. Erzen won the 800 in 2:24.16.

“I really don’t know what is going on. I thought I was getting there, but it’s just not happening right now,” Shannon said about the 800. “I feel like I got into my head that I was going to stay with (Erzen). That was not a good idea. I like to stay with anyone who is up front, but she’s got insane times and I should know better than to try that. Not sure what I was thinking there.”

The next best individual finish came from Brooklyn Shannon, who was third in the 200 in 27.33. She also placed fifth in the 100 in 13.81.

Alex Riney (4 feet, 8 inches) was fourth in the high jump and Marissa Cunningham (107-9) and Jayden Lukefahr (102-3) were 4-5 in the discus.

The sprint medley relay team of Lola Rivera, Priest, Terpstra and Bella Winther finished third with a time of 1:58.3.

The Cardinals were fourth in the team standings with 106 points. Pella won the team title with 152.5 points and Carlisle (122.5) and Bondurant-Farrar (116) finished second and third, respectively.

Oskaloosa (90) completed the top five and South Tama County (54), Grinnell (38) and Knoxville (31) rounded out the eight-team field.