PCM boys make big statement at Drake Relays

DES MOINES — Griffin Olson ran in the 4x100-meter relay at the Drake Relays for the third time in his career on Friday.

The Mustangs returned to the blue oval as one of the 96 qualifying teams in the event and exited Drake Stadium with a top-20 finish.

Olson kicked off the relay and was joined by Gabe Hobbs, Jacob Wendt and Evan Jones and the Mustang foursome set a new school record with a time of 43.18 seconds.

That was fast enough for a 19th-place finish. It also now puts them second in Class 2A but only .01 seconds behind class leader Shenandoah.

“The weather was awesome today. Our handoffs have been an issue, but they were good today,” Olson said when asked why the team was able to set a season-best time today.

PCM came into the annual meet on the blue oval in the bottom half of the qualifying teams. But with maybe the best weather day of the year so far and an impressive atmosphere around them, the Mustangs had a banner day.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the boys,” PCM head boys track and field coach Logan Bieghler said. “Anytime you run on the blue oval, it’s a special feeling. These boys represented our team, school and community with absolute class and integrity. It was an incredible run by all four runners.”

Hobbs joined Olson as part of last year’s 4x100 team which placed 64th at the Relays. That group posted a time of 44.79. The PCM foursome from 2022 finished 39th in 44.22.

Those times and placings were respectable, but Friday’s performance sends a message to the rest of 2A that the Mustangs are coming back to Drake in May with some high expectations.

“The weather was absolutely incredible, but you also want to give your best performance in front of fans from the entire state,” said Jones, who missed out on last year’s Relays because of an injury. “The warmups are always better. There’s more focus and more energy. The environment is impressive.”

The top eight teams made the finals and the final qualifying time was 42.43.

ADM grabbed the Drake Relays title later with a time of 41.38 and Cedar Rapids Kennedy was second in 41.79.

“It was really cool. The adrenaline rush is real,” said Wendt, who had not run on the blue oval before Saturday. “There’s a lot of hype leading up to it. This is the biggest crowd I’ve ran in front of, too.

The weather was great. This was the best weather we’ve had all season.”

PCM could contend for a state title in both the 4x100 and 4x200 relays later this season. The key to their success just might be their ability to stay healthy.

“We had more rest today so that helped us I think,” Hobbs said. “Our handoffs need cleaned up a bit, but I think being healthy is the most important thing for us.”