Record-setting night helps L-S girls win regional championship

SULLY — The Lynnville-Sully girls track and field walked off its home track on Thursday knowing it qualified for the state track and field meet in three events.

Those three events produced three school records and 11 top-three finishes overall led the Hawks to their first regional championship since 2018.

“Doing it at home on the night we hosted our first-ever state qualifying meet was awesome,” L-S head girls track and field coach Kevin Johnson said. “We won Monday here and felt confident in some stuff. We did what we needed to do and got three school records. That doesn’t hurt. It was a good night.”

The Hawks won the regional championship with 106 points. It was their third title in school history and the first regional championship of Johnson’s coaching career.

Johnson thought Cori Fisk sliding into seventh in the 100 and Sophia Squires making the finals and scoring a point in the shot put helped the Hawks get over the finish line in the team race.

“Sophia Squires got us some points in the shot put and Olivia Norrish had a good night, too,” Johnson said. “That’s a good deal for (Squires) because she’s been injured most of the year.”

Lynnville-Sully edged BCLUW (98) by eight points and Baxter and North Mahaska tied for third with 81 points each.

The Bolts also locked three automatic state berths on Thursday night and Camryn Russell, Makayla True and Sydney Hibbs earned at-large berths on Friday afternoon.

The top finisher in each Class 1A state qualifying meet advances to the state meet, and the next best 14 performances from around the state clinch at-large berths.

“I’m so happy with how the kids competed all night,” Baxter head girls track and field coach Josh Russell said. “Field events got us started off well and we went on to break four school records and set at least five more season/personal best performances. I was so happy for the girls who qualified and heartbroken for a few of our other events that were close to making it through.”

Collins-Maxwell scored 75 points in fifth, and the rest of the 13-team field included Iowa Valley (62), Montezuma (62), Colfax-Mingo (57), Melcher-Dallas (39), North Tama (30), BGM (22), Meskwaki Settlement School (20) and GMG (8).

Colfax-Mingo had to wait until Friday to find out if it qualified for any state events. Freshman Ashlynn Hosbond was the lone qualifier as she advanced to state in the 3,000-meter run.

“(Hosbond) has shown great talent and determination throughout the season,” Colfax-Mingo head girls track and field coach Laurie McGhee said. “Her success in cross country has carried over into an impressive performance on the track this spring. She excels at the longer distances and has only begun to tap into her full potential.”

Tatum Huyser highlighted the Hawks’ championship-winning night. She won the 100-meter dash in a school-record time of 12.36 seconds.

Huyser also won the 200 in a school-record time of 25.82 seconds.

Both times are the second-best qualifying times in 1A. The 200 record was previously held by Laurie Sparks, who set the mark in 1977.

Huyser will compete at the state meet in four events as she also anchored the 4x400 relay to a win and clinched an at-large berth in the high jump after her leap of 5 feet, 0 inches was good enough for second at the state qualifying meet.

“It felt really good. Everything finally clicked and it all worked,” Huyser said. “I was mad about the high jump when I ran the 100. The weather was good, and the wind helped me. It wasn’t as beneficial in the 200, but it definitely affected the races.”

Lynnville-Sully ended the night with a win in the 4x400 relay. The team of Isabelle Vos, Kate Harthoorn, Breah Lowry and Huyser posted a school-record time of 4 minutes, 12.39 seconds. The quartet broke a record that was set back in 2013.

The Hawks’ advanced to state in the 4x800 relay, too. L-S settled for second in the event, but the quartet of Harthoorn, Emma Parkinson, Olivia Norrish and Peyton Sharp finished the race in 10:21.48, which ranks 10th among state qualifying times.

“I think we’ll for sure make it, but we want to get in the fast heat to give us more competition at state,” Norrish said. “

The final qualifiers are Mandeesa Vos and Isabelle Vos. Mandeesa Vos (11:45.24) was third in the 3,000 but earned an at-large berth.

Isabelle Vos also grabbed an at-large bid in the long jump. She was third with a leap of 15 feet, 8 1/4 inches. That was the final at-large qualifying mark.

Vos also was second in the 400 in 1:04.09, Harthoorn placed third in the 800 in 2:32.20 and Mandeesa Vos placed sixth in the 1,500 in 5:30.69.

The Hawks’ sprint medley relay team also was second. The team of Morgan Hay, Brilynn Tice, Isabelle Vos and Lowry finished in a season-best 1:57.95. The final at-large time was 1:57.54.

Harthoorn will run at state In both the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. She was happy the team didn’t have to stress about the 4x400. And they also felt great about their time in the 4x800 relay.

“There is less stress knowing we got in automatically,” Harthoorn said. “I’m a worrier and have been stressing all day so it’s nice to go home and know we qualified in something.”

Camryn Russell led the Bolts as she will compete in four events at the state meet for the first time in her career.

She won the 100 hurdles in 15.88 seconds, which is the sixth-best qualifying time.

Camryn Russell finished second in both the long jump and 400 hurdles, but both got in on distance and time. Russell’s long jump distance reached a career-best and school record 16-8 1/2. That was the ninth-best qualifying leap.

Her time in the 400 hurdles was clocked in 1:10.04, which was the final at-large time.

“It felt good because I didn’t jump well at conference,” Camryn Russell said about her long jump mark. “I knew I had a good jump in there so it felt good to finally do it.

“I was happy with how I ran in the 100 hurdles. I want to run a 15.5 at state. Hitting one hurdle can ruin your time, but my goal is top five. I think I can get that.”

The Bolts’ shuttle hurdle relay also is headed to state. They posted a school-record time of 1:10.29 with Kamdyn Krampe, Kendall Brummel, Grace Anderegg and Camryn Russell.

It was the ninth-best qualifying time, and Anderegg made the pass that gave the Bolts the lead for good on the third leg.

Anderegg, Russell and Brummel were on last year’s state-qualifying shuttle hurdle relay team, but they had to wait for an at-large berth last season.

“It was really good. Super exhilarating,” Anderegg said. “We got second last year so we had to find out later. It feels amazing to leave here knowing we are in. That’s definitely way less stressful. Just being able to punch our tickets is great.

“My goal is to get in front of the girl next to me. Then if I can maintain a lead, I think we have a good chance to get first because Camryn always does well as our anchor.”

Avery Wonders got the Bolts’ other win. She won the high jump with a school-record leap of 5-1. That’s tied for the fifth-best qualifying jump, and it bested Huyser, who was a Drake Relays qualifier in the event.

“Lifting up my knee and bringing my arm with it has been something we’ve been working on,” Wonders said. “That’s something my coach has helped me a lot with. There’s a lot of things mentally that I’m working on, too. I can’t stare at the bar before I jump, I can’t tell myself I’m not going to get over it. I try to have a positive attitude.”

True and Hibbs had to wait until Friday to see their names listed as at-large qualifiers. Both Bolts finished fifth in their events, but they got in on time.

True was fifth in the 3,000 with a time of 11:57.69, which was the 23rd-best qualifying time.

Hibbs is headed to state in the 100 after posting a school-record time of 13.34.

“We knew going in that if (Hibbs) had a good start and could sustain her sprint mechanics through the 100 she would have a chance to qualify,” Coach Russell said. “She has a lot of good races in front of her. It wasn’t the time or the finishing place (True) wanted, but she did enough to get through and I’m so happy for her. She has worked hard to get to this point and has earned that race next week.”

Wonders also competed in the 400 and placed fourth in 1:05.49.

Hosbond is the Tigerhawks’ lone qualifier. She was second in the 3,000 with a time of 11:36.98.

She also placed fourth in the 1,500 in 5:25.95 and took fifth in the 800 in a career-best 2:39.6.

“I’m excited. I’ve worked hard at that event all season,” Hosbond said about the 3,000. “At the beginning I didn’t know if I’d even like the event, but it’s turned out to be my favorite.

“I wish I would have pushed more in the third 200 of the 800. I’m stuck at 5:24 in the 1,500, but if I run that one more, I think I can get better at it. It’s not a bad PR, but it can get better. I need be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

The Tigerhawks’ next best finish came in the shuttle hurdle relay. The quartet of Jessa Purdie, Lily Anderson, Evalyn Anderson and Trinity Smith finished the race in 1:17.6.

Smith also was fourth in the 400 hurdles in 1:13.43 and Britney Keeney (86-8) placed sixth in the discus.

Grace Hunsberger (4-10) and Claire Hunsberger (4-8) finished 3-5 in the high jump and Lexie Aller (33-4 1/2) and Emma Cook (career-best 32-7 1/2) were 5-6 in the shot put.

There were four high jumpers who advanced to state with leaps of 4-10. One of them was a regional champion and two of them were runner-ups.