Mediapolis has its shining moment on the blue oval at Iowa high school state track and field meet
DES MOINES — Logas Rosas went from the agony of defeat to the thrillof victory in the span of a few short hours Saturday at the state track and field championships at Drake Stadium.
In the morning, Rosas and Okoboji's Drew Sandven's feet got tangled during the second lap of the Class 2A 800-meter run. Both runners tumbled to the ground, their race over.
In the afternoon, Rosas came back to team with Kadin Salek, Levi Arnold and Anthony Isley to win the Class 2A 4x400 in a season-best 3 minutes, 25.36 seconds, edging Denver for the win.
For Rosas, who was emotionally devastated after the fall in the 800, it was just what ghe doctor ordered.
“When I was laying on the track I was so disappointed. I’m so excited right now. I can’t explain how I feel. It’s just so amazing," Rosas said. “This moment for me … I’m never going to be able to explain it all. Everything I’ve been through this year. The 800 this morning was not good. I knew I had to come back and get this. I’m so happy. I’m so proud of these guys.”
“We went over and talked to him and told him he still has two years. He listened to us and came out and competed," Isley said.
It was a special moment for Salek, the lone senior on the team who goes out a state champion in his final race.
“It feels great. This is what we’ve been working all year for. We came out here and showed we are No. 1," Salek said. “I was confident until (Isley) got around that second corner. I got scared for a second, but I knew he would get him in the end.”
“This means a lot. We’ve been working on it all year. My friend, Kadin Salek, he’s a senior and this was his last race ever. I wanted to win this for him," Isley said.
For Arnold, who was forced to run 800s all season, the extra work paid off with a state title.
"I’m so glad my coach put me in those. That helped me so much getting my stamina going. That made me so much better in my 400," Arnold said. “It feels amazing. All the work I’ve put in finally paid off. We were so close last year. We were determined to win it this year and we got it.”
Isley was able to hold off Denver's anchor runner, who made a strong push around the 300-meter mark.
“When I first got the baton I was really confident until I got to the 200 mark," Isley said. "I looked up on the board and saw a kid coming up on me. I got kind of scared. Once I got to the last 100 I was pretty confident. I knew I was going to beat him.”
Mediapolis finished seventh in the Class 2A team race with 26 points.
The Bulldogs started their day on a bright note as the sprint medley relay team of Cole Lipper, Ben Egan, Kadin Salek and Anthony Isley placed third with a season-best 1 minute, 35.06 seconds.
More: New London boys win Class 1A championship at Iowa high school state track and field meet
The Bulldogs ran a near-perfect race.
“I wanted to get out of the blocks well," Lipper said. "The 100 kind of takes care of itself. Ben and I had a good handoff. We hoped to place a little better, but we PRed and we left it all out there. That’s all you can ask for, really.”
“I thought I ran pretty well," Egan said. "Cole and I had a good handoff and I knew if I got it to Kadin we would be in good shape. Kadin got it to Anthony and we got a result we liked. Getting third place was our goal, so we’re pretty happy about it.”
“Ben and I had a great handoff so I could really accelerate," Salek said. "Anthony and I had a good handoff also. I got it to our 400 guy in pretty good shape. We ran well, so I’m pretty happy about that.”
“I was hoping for first, but I was hoping to get up to second," Isley said. "But I can’t complain. It’s still a season PR, so I’m pretty happy about it. I feel like we all ran well and we had good handoffs.”
Isley came back in the afternoon to place sixth in the 200 in 22.60
“I think I got out decent, but coming off the curve I was a little slow. I didn’t PR, so I’m not happy about that. It was still fin. It was a good race," Isley said. "I’m definitely going to work one my block starts and my drive phase, getting my legs up.”
Solomon Zaugg finished 21st in the 1,600 in 4:44.56.
Arrows soar to second
Wapello finished second in the girls 4x100 relay with the team of Ada Boysen, Lindsy Massner, Quinn Veach and Serah Shafer, finishing in 50.27.
It was one spot better than Wapello finished last season, and they did it with Veach on the team this time.
"Our handoffs were terrible early in the season. It was all my fault. I would either take off to slow or start too fast," Veach said. "We worked on our handoffs at every single meet. This is the only relay we ran the same at every meet this year and it paid off."
Falcons flying high again
West Burlington-Notre Dame's boys 4x100 team of Jace Figuereo, Grant Boal, Owen Gulick and Jack Riley finished sixth in Class 3A with a time of 43.93, nearly a half-second slower than their qualifying time Friday night.
But with all four members back next year, the Falcons are ready to chase a state championship.
“Everybody returns next year. We’ll be working hard over the summer and the winter to get better. We’ll be back next year," Riley said. “It felt pretty good. We didn’t to too well today. I think our handoffs were much better (Friday). We surprised ourselves by doing well in the 4x200 and that gave us some confidence coming in. We didn’t perform how we wanted to, but that’s OK. We still have next year.”
A measure of redemption
Tate Johnson was none too happy last year when he didn't make the finals of the 100.
The Fort Madison senior made up for it this time around. Johnson blasted out of the blocks and churned the 100 meters in a personal best 10.89, taking fifth in a field in which all eight participants ran under 11 seconds.
“It means a lot going out my senior year placing in the top five at state," Johnson said. “I’m just happy to place at state. It feels good running in front of all these people and this great competition. Some of these guys are going DI, so that’s fun.”
Jake Gustison just wanted a chance to prove himself against the state's best 1A sprinters.
The Wapello junior did just that, placing sixth in a personal-best 11.15.
“I got out good as I usually do. But everyone else has top speed on me toward the end there. I just have to work on that for next year," Gustison said. “I tighten up a lot when I’m running. My shoulders come up. I have to work on that for next year.”
Burlington, after getting disqualified in the 4x100 prelims on Friday, came back to finish 21st in the Class 4A sprint medley relay in 1:38.36 with the team of Laderrias Shealey, Kanyae Baker, Bryant Williams and Kobe Wyldon.
“I got it a few places back," Wyldon said. "I came in here trying to split a 48, I guess I took out too fast at the start and I couldn’t kick it in like I wanted to at the end.. I finished with all I had. I didn’t have anything left.”
Panthers on the prowl
Mount Pleasant had a banner weekend, highlighted by senior Jadan Brumbaugh's state championships in the shot put and discus.
The Panthers' girls shuttle hurdle relay team was back at it Saturday, placing seventh in Class 3A with a time of 1:09.12 with the team of Jenna Gilmore, Allie Westercamp, Abby Blint and Kenna Lamm.
Will Davidson placed seventh in the 200 in 22.50.
Other area placewinners
Danville's AJ Bonnesen placed sixth in the Class 1A 1,600 in 4:33.77, while teammate Ty Carr was 15th in 4:45.18.
Columbus' Kaden Amigon limped through the 200, finishing seventh in Class 1A in 27.89.
Wapello's Lindsy Massner finished eighth in the Class 1A girls 200 in 27.05.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Mediapolis finishes third in sprint medley relay at Iowa state track
