Iowa state track meet: Ankeny boys win first team title since 1972, other team race notes
The 2024 Iowa high school track and field meet has concluded, and there was no shortage of action in Des Moines.
There were 39,537 fans in attendance to witness the thrill of the state environment over the three days at Drake Stadium.
Eight Iowa high school track and field programs, four girls and four boys teams, were crowned champions Saturday. From back-to-back champions to record-breaking performances, here are the team results and analysis from each class at the Iowa state meet.
Class 4A boys- Ankeny wins first state title since 1972
Ankeny- 112
Cedar Falls- 86
Dowling Catholic- 82
Des Moines looked a bit different in 1972. It was the last time that the Ankeny boys lifted a state title trophy. But that all changed Saturday.
The Hawks made a statement. The 112 points by Ankeny was the most scored by any boys team in the history of the state meet, since Valley's 89 points in 2019.
“We took pride in building depth. Most of those kids would be premier sprinters on other teams, but they want to be a part of something special," said Ankeny coach Jordan Mullen. "And the distance program is unspeakable. You’ve got to have depth at this level to continue to do what we want to do. It’s exciting but you’ve gotta want it, and those kids want it.
“I told these kids I didn’t just want to come here. We wanted to come and dominate. For our first one to go over 100 points was absolutely magnificent.”
Ankeny's wins in the 4x400, 4x800 and 1600-meter sprint medley added to the Hawk's championship run. They finished in the top four in the 800 sprint medley, shuttle hurdle and 4x200 relays.
Logan Fairchild, Jackson Belding and Ethan Zuber all earned gold medals in their respective races. Zuber had a state record performance in the 3200 (8:59.66).
According to Mullen, the team came into this year's state meet with a winning mentality. They were motivated to bounce back from their second-place finish at state in 2023, and they did just that.
"It’s been absolutely special. I kept telling these kids, about a month into the season, that they’re the best track and field team I’ve ever coached," Mullen said. "I’ve been around awhile and it’s a very, very special moment for these boys, our coaching staff and the community of Ankeny.”
Class 4A girls- Pleasant Valley reigns supreme
Pleasant Valley- 92
Waukee Northwest- 81
Johnston- 62
For the first time since 2015, Pleasant Valley girls are state champions. Not only did they solidify themselves as the best team in 4A, but they also broke three state records in the process.
Those state-record performances in the 4x800 (8:59.53) and 4x400 (3:48.47) added important points on the last day of the state meet. They also placed third in the 4x100 (47.86).
The Trojans got individual contributions from a bunch of key athletes, including Ani Wedemeyer, Ashley Hansen and Jessie Clemons.
Class 3A boys- Western Dubuque proves they're the best
Western Dubuque- 72
ADM - 71
Pella- 48
The Western Dubuque boys were head-to-head with ADM on the final day of competition. When you're breaking state records and winning medals, you're doing something right.
Sophomore Quentin Nauman set a new state record with a win in the 800 (1:51.60) and also won gold in the 1600. Senior Ashton Hogrefe helped the Bobcats' state run with a win in the 110 hurdles.
The Bobcats' shuttle hurdle team made its mark with a state-record time of 58.06. They also placed first in the 1600 sprint medley (3:28.17). In total, Western Dubuque earned eight top-eight finishes at state.
Class 3A girls- ADM wins gold
ADM- 48
MOC- FV- 43, Sioux Center- 43
ADM was ranked fourth in the team race at the start of the final day of competition, but the Tigers did what they do best: compete.
The Tigers earned top-eight finishes in five team events at state. Their best team finish was a first-place win in the shuttle hurdle relay (1:04.20). ADM's 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams each placed fourth, adding to the team score. A win by junior London Warmuth in the high jump (5 feet, 8 inches) played a big part in the Tigers' overall victory.
Class 2A boys- Mediapolis claims a state title
Mediapolis- 47
Spirit Lake- 43
South Hamilton- 42
Mediapolis earned their 2A state crown thanks in, large part, to three top-six finishes in the 4x800, 4x400 and 1600 sprint medley relay.
Senior Solomon Zuagg added some much-needed points with a victory in the 3200 meters and a second-place finish in the 1600 meters. Junior Noah Schmidgall provided a boost with a second-place finish in the 200 meters.
Class 2A girls- Van Meter defends its state crown
Van Meter - 63
Pella Christian- 60
Tipton- 57
It was a nailbiter in the Class 2A team race, but Van Meter separated itself from the pack to win its second-straight state title Saturday. The team had 12 top-eight finishes to help its state title chase.
Senior Eden Moore powered the individual events with a win in the 400 hurdles and two second-place finishes in the 100 and 200. The Bulldogs won the 4x800 relay as well.
Class 1A boys- Lisbon goes back-to-back
Lisbon - 76
Woodbine - 49
Wapsie - 47
Lisbon wasn't going to be denied another taste of state title glory. The team earned its second-straight title on Saturday. The Lions piled on the points by finishing in the top-eight in 11 events at the Blue Oval.
Lisbon's state-winning 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams added a huge boost to their scoring. The Lions' 4x200 state-winning relay team ran a state-record time of 1:28.46. Senior Baylor Speidel, who ran anchor on both teams, showcased his excellence by earning gold in the 100 meters and 200 meters.
Class 1A girls- Saint Ansgar wins first state title in program history
Saint Ansgar- 40
Nashua-Plainfield- 38
St. Albert - 37
Heading into the state meet, Saint Ansgar had never won a team title. That changed Saturday as the Saints claimed the 1A state championship, topping Nashua-Plainfield, St. Albert and Riverside in a close team race.
A victory in the 4x800 relay moved the needle for the Saints on the final day of competition. A second-place showing in the 4x400 and a third-place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay also boosted the Saints.
Marc Ray is the high school sports reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. He can be reached at MARay@gannett.com, and on X, formerly Twitter, at @themarcszn.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa state track recap: Ankeny boys win first team title since 1972
