PCM boys claim first district title since 2012

MONROE — Another dominating night from the PCM boys track and field led to a seventh meet championship of the season and the Mustangs claimed the district championship for the first time since 2012.

The Mustangs hosted a Class 2A state qualifying meet on Thursday and matched a season-high with 163 points.

They were 61 points better than runner-up Davis County and Pella Christian (93), West Branch (68) and Pleasantville (63) completed the top five.

Chariton (60), Albia (56), Iowa City Regina (48), Central Lee (34), Centerville (21), Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (18) and Cardinal (12) finalized the 12-team field.

“It was an amazing night for the boys track team,” PCM head track and field coach Logan Bieghler said. “The coaches are really proud of the performances from the boys. When you qualify in 13 events that just shows the level the boys are competing at currently.”

PCM’s night was highlighted by eight wins and the Mustangs punched 14 entries into this week’s state meet.

It could be a big weekend inside Drake Stadium as the Mustangs enter the state meet with nine events that have top-10 qualifying marks.

PCM finished 11th in the 2A team standings at last season’s state track and field meet.

The top two finishers in 2A in each event lock up automatic berths and the next best eight performances clinch at-large bids.

“Not that we were looking at scores or anything like that, but when you are district champions by a good amount of points, you know good things are happening,” Bieghler said.

PCM locked up automatic bids in five relays and Riley Graber, Gavin Van Gorp, Jake Winters, Kash Fischer, Chase Wagaman and Alex Wendt are headed to state in individual events.

Van Gorp and Wendt started PCM’s big night with wins in the long jump and discus, respectively.

The Mustangs also won the sprint medley relay in 1 minute, 34.89 seconds. That quartet included Evan Jones, Adrien Robbins, Tad Wilson and Graber.

Jones and Graber were on the Mustangs’ sprint medley relay team that placed seventh last year and their latest time was the fourth-best qualifying mark.

“I wish our time was a little better, but it’s crazy windy,” Graber said. “So it’s hard to get really good numbers. Overall, I’m really happy. Happy with the group we have here, and I think we can do some cool things (this week).”

The foursome has only competed in the sprint medley relay a few times together this spring.

“We ran this early this year, and it felt good,” Jones said. “We ran it at conference again just to make sure we had something closer to districts. I’m just happy we got the baton around the track.”

Wendt punched his ticket to state with a career-best throw of 151 feet, 6 1/2 inches. That won the event and was the 13th-best qualifying toss.

Harlan Shannon turned in a career-best throw of 143-7 1/2 in fifth. He bested a pair of automatic qualifiers, but the final at-large distance was 147-9.

Van Gorp won the long jump with a career-best and school-record leap of 22-1 3/4, which was the third-best qualifying mark.

Finn Wilson placed fifth in the event with a leap of 19-7 and Van Gorp placed seventh in the long jump at last year’s state meet.

Van Gorp also locked up bid in the 110-meter high hurdles as he led a 1-2 finish with Jake Winters. Van Gorp’s career-best time of 15.19 was the ninth-best qualifying time and Winters is headed to state after a career-best 15.58. That’s the 14th-best qualifying time.

Van Gorp qualified in the event for a third time as he was 14th in the 110 highs last spring and 12th in 2023.

Graber joins Van Gorp as a state qualifier in multiple individual events. He won the 400 in 49.74 and placed second in the 200 in 22.29.

Those are the top qualifying time and fifth-best qualifying time, respectively. He was 12th in the 400 last spring.

Wyatt Heater gave the Mustangs double points in the 200 as he was sixth in a career-best 24.12.

The final two individual qualifiers were Fischer in the 800 and Chase Wagaman in the high jump.

Fischer grabbed an auto bid with a second-place finish in the 800. He was clocked in 2:01.85, which is the 18th-best qualifying time.

Wagaman placed fourth in the high jump, but his career-best leap of 6-0 was tied for the 15th-best qualifying mark.

Wendt (career-best 47-7 1/2) and Hayden Shannon (45-10) finished 3-4 in the shot put, Gavin Steenhoek posted a career-best time of 58.42 and placed fourth in the 400 hurdles and Owen Osterhaus (11:33.48) was fifth in the 3,200.

Lewis Daye (11.89) and Heater (11.93) doubled up in the 100 in fifth and sixth, respectively. They were better than two automatic qualifiers, but the final at-large time was 11.43.

Graber will compete in four events at the state meet. He anchored the 4x400 relay to a win. The quartet of Coby DeRaad, Fischer, Robbins and Graber posted a season-best time of 3:26.7, which is the seventh-best qualifying time.

DeRaad and Graber were part of the 4x400 relay that placed 16th last year.

Robbins qualified in four relays. He opened the distance medley relay and was joined by Tad Wilson, DeRaad and Fischer and their winning time of 3:38.29 is the second-best qualifying time in 2A.

The final win came in the shuttle hurdle relay. The foursome of Jaden Houser, Winters, Robbins and Van Gorp won the race in 1:01.47, which was the eighth-best qualifying time.

Van Gorp and Robbins were part of the Mustangs’ state championship shuttle hurdle relay team two seasons and Houser, Winters and Van Gorp helped PCM place fifth in the event last season.

Van Gorp has been on the state-qualifying shuttle hurdle relay team in all four of his prep seasons. The Mustangs placed 22nd in 2022.

“I’m pretty happy we’re going. I think we deserve it,” Robbins said. “We’ve put in a lot of work this year.”

The 4x100 relay team also clinched an automatic bid in second with Daye, Jones, Finn Wilson and Tad Wilson. They posted a season-best time of 43.56, which is the eighth-best qualifying time.

Jones was part of PCM’s sixth-place 4x100 team last season and its 11th-place group in 2023.

PCM locked up one final state berth in the 4x800 relay. The team of DeRaad, Joe Shaver, Carson Hansen and Fischer posted a time of 8:30.61 in third. The at-large time was the 14th-best qualifying time.

It will be the first trip to the state meet for Tad Wilson, Finn Wilson, Wendt, Shaver, Hansen, Wagaman and Daye.

“They left everything they had on the track all night long,” Bieghler said. “There was a lot of heart, grit and determination shown by everyone on the team.

“This was a great way for our seniors to end their last meet on our home track. We can’t wait to see what they do at the state meet.”

Mustangs place third at Pella Dutch Coed Relays

PELLA — The Mustangs were held out of the win column during the Pella Dutch Coed Relays on Monday, but five runner-up and third-place finishes each propelled PCM to a third-place team finish.

The Mustangs scored 115 points and trailed second-place Norwalk by only seven in the final standings. Host Pella won the meet championship with 204.

The rest of the seven-team field included Knoxville (86), Newton (79), Pella Christian (42) and Oskaloosa (17).

The best event for the night was the shot put as Wendt (46-0 1/2) and Hayden Shannon (45-11 1/4) went 2-3.

The Mustangs also doubled up in the 200 as Graber (22.42) was second and Daye (career-best 24.37) placed sixth. Landon Ridgeway (12.26) edged Easton Morris (12.28), too, in a 5-6 finish in the 100.

Van Gorp (20-11 1/2) placed third in the long jump, Steenhoek (59.24) was third in the 400 hurdles, Harlan Shannon (127-11) placed fourth in the discus, Wagaman (5-10) finished fifth in the high jump and Winters (16.04) ended up fifth in the 110 high hurdles.

PCM was second in the 4x200, distance medley and shuttle hurdle relays and took third in the 4x400 and sprint medley relays.

The Mustangs posted their second-best time of the season in the 4x200 relay with Jones, Robbins, Finn Wilson and Tad Wilson. They were second in 1:32.65.

The distance medley relay team of Graber, Finn Wilson, Fischer and Shaver placed second in 3:51.41 and the shuttle hurdle relay team of Houser, Winters, Robbins and Van Gorp took second in 1:01.51.

Brevin DeRaad, Finn Wilson, Joey Ferneding and Heater placed third in the 4x400 with a time of 3:46.12 and Jones, Heater, Steenhoek and Coby DeRaad finished third in the sprint medley relay in 1:38.95.