April in Iowa can make track season exciting … and confusing. The Mount Vernon boys and girls ran in the Williamsburg Invitational on Monday, April 15, a meet that was rescheduled from April 2 because of weather.
Then the Solon Invitational on Tuesday, April 16, was cancelled due to weather.
The Mustang boys finished eighth at Williamsburg with 40 team points. Cedar Rapids Prairie won the event with 145 points, followed by eight WaMaC schools.
“It was a great night, as we had some PRs from some of the guys,” Mount Vernon Coach Ryan Whitman said.
Grady Olberding won the 3,200 in 9:53.30. The Mustangs got a silver effort from the shuttle hurdle relay of Miles Francois, Michael Ryan, Maddox Thede and Jackson Hird.
The Mount Vernon girls finished third at the Williamsburg co-ed with 72 points, behind Maquoketa (95) and Solon (85).
“We only sent a few events,” Coach Kory Swart said.
The Mustangs won three. Libby Dix claimed gold in the discus with a throw of 137 feet, 0 inches. Eastin Whisner won the 400 hurdles in 1:05.92. And the sprint medley team of Lillian Wischmeyer, Lucy Wischmeyer, Kara Swantz and Caliana Whitaker won in 1 minutes, 53.31 seconds.
“Eastin ran the 400 hurdles for the first time in her career, and her performance was incredible,” Swart said.
Swart noted that the 4×100 team of Lillian Wischmeyer, Lucy Wischmeyer, Kara Swantz and Cali Whitaker ran a 51.57, which qualified them for Drake.
Later in the week, the Mount Vernon girls participated in the Wahawk Invitational at Memorial Stadium in Waterloo. The Mustangs finished fifth in the 16-team event. Cedar Falls won.
Mount Vernon got gold medal efforts from Sydney Maue in the high jump (5-2), Libby Dix in the discus (135-5), Claire Jensen in the 3,000 (11:25.39) and Caliana Whitaker in the 400 (1:00.90).
“Claire and Edith Dawson started the meet off right with a 1-2 finish in the 3,000,” Swart said.
The most dramatic finish of the night may have been the 400 hurdles, where the top three runners finished within a half-second of each other. Lillian Olson of Decroah won the race in 1:02.12, followed by Mya Curry of Dubuque Hempstead (1:09.14) and Kiersten Swart of Mount Vernon (1:09.47).
Williamsburg Co-ed Invitational
Boys team scores – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 145; 2. Solon 112; 3. Clear Creek Amana 79; 4. Williamsburg 77; 5. Grinnell 54; 6. Center Point-Urbana 46; 7. Benton Community 44; 8. Mount Vernon 40; 9. Vinton-Shellsburg 28; 10. Belle Plaine 27; 11. Washington 26; 12. Iowa Valley 25; 13. Iowa City Regina 14; 14. Mid-Prairie 12; 15. English Valleys 11; 16. HLV 0.
Winners, Mount Vernon placewinners
Long jump – 1. Aren Schlemme (CCA) 22-1.
High jump – 1. Derek Weisskopf (W) 6-8; 4. Jackson Kutcher (MV) 5-10; 8. Watson Krob (MV) 5-6.
Shot put – 1. Tory Wash (VS) 55-1.75.
Discus – 1. Ben Kampman (S) 181-2.
Sprint medley – 1. Iowa Valley 1:37.40.
3,200 – 1. Grady Olberding (MV) 9:53.30.
4×800 – 1. C.R. Prairie 8:17.03; 8. Mount Vernon (Shelton Poteat, Chasen Caskey, Cole Thurn, Cayden Scheil) 8:59.77.
Shuttle hurdle – 1. Solon 1:01.87; 2. Mount Vernon (Miles Francois, Michael Ryan, Maddox Thede, Jackson Hird) 1:03.71.
100 – 1. Aren Schlemme (CCA) 11.36.
Distance medley – 1. Center Point-Urbana 3:34.13; 5. Mount Vernon (Logan Stanerson, Ethan Wood, Braxton Pitlik, Dawson Scheil) 3:48.54.
400 – 1. Nathan Miller (CPU) 49.61; 7. Seamus O’Connor (MV) 54.03.
4×200 – 1. Grinnell 1:29.90; 7. Mount Vernon (Colin Bentley, Gabe Fairchild, Toby Neal, Evan Brase) 1:34.67.
110 hurdles – 1. Aren Schlemme (CCA) 15.13.
800 – 1. Gage Heyne (EV) 1:58.39.
200 – 1. Mereweneza Byishimo (CRP) 22.82.
400 hurdles – 1. Thomas Stiltner (CCA) 55.76; 6. Miles Francois (MV) 1:00.39.
1,600 – 1. Nicholaus Lee (CRP) 4:29.30; 8. Seamus O’Connor (MV) 4:43.37.
4×100 – 1. Grinnell 43.32; 8. Mount Vernon (Camden Merino, Gabe Fairchild, Jase Jaspers, Colin Bentley) 45.60.
4×400 – 1. C.R. Prairie 3:24.94; 7. Mount Vernon (Braxton Pitlik, Dawson Scheil, Toby Neal, Grady Olberding) 3:34.12.
Girls team scores – 1. Maquoketa 95; 2. Solon 85; 3. Williamsburg 72; 4. Iowa City West 67.5; 5. Mid-Prairie 63.5; 6. Clear Creek Amana 57; 7. (tie) Mount Vernon 53 and Washington 53; 9. Grinnell 38; 10. Center Point-Urbana 34; 11. (tie) HLV 31 and Iowa City Regina 31; 13. English Valleys 28; 14. Vinton-Shellsubrg 22; 15. Cedar Rapids Prairie 8.
Winners, Mount Vernon placewinners
Long jump – 1. Aiden Gosselink (G) 16-11.
High jump – 1. Ema Roberts (HLV) 5-4.
Shot put – 1. Kennedy Axmear (EV) 39-3.5; 5. Libby Dix (MV) 37-1.5.
Discus – 1. Libby Dix (MNV) 137-0.
Sprint medley – 1. Mount Vernon (Lillian Wischmeyer, Lucy Wischmeyer, Kara Swantz, Caliana Whitaker) 1:53.31.
3,000 – 1. Isabelle Hardin (Maq) 10:38.07.
4×800 – 1. Solon 9:47.73.
Shuttle hurdle – 1. Solon 1:08.45.
100 – 1. Taylor Wing (Maq) 12.81; 2. Caliana Whitaker 9MV) 12.93.
Distance medley – 1. Williamsburg 4:30.87.
400 – 1. Gracie Federspiel (S) 57.74.
4×200 – 1. Maquoketa 1:46.21.
100 hurdles – 1. Reese Naeve (ICR) 16.03.
800 – 1. Iris Dahl (Wash) 2:23.69.
200 – 1. Taylor Wing (Maq) 26.32.
400 hurdles – 1. Eastin Whisner (MV) 1:05.92; 4. Kiersten Swart (MV) 1:09.48.
1,500 – 1. Isabelle Hardin (Maq) 4:56.54.
4×100 – 1. Maquoketa 50.23; 3. Mount Vernon (Lillian Wischmeyer, Lucy Wischmeyer, Kara Swantz, Caliana Whitaker) 51.57.
4×400 – 1. Williamsburg 4:03.82.
Wahawk Invitational
Team scores – 1. Cedar Falls 262; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 176; 4. Dubuque Hempstead 121; 5. Mount Vernon 120; 6. Denver 113; 7. Dubuque Senior 92.5; 8. New Hampton 67; 9. Waverly-Shell Rock 65.5; 10. Cedar Rapids Washington 61; 11. Waterloo West 46; 12. Solon 38; 13. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 23; 14. Waterloo East 11; 15. Marshalltown 4; 16. Waterloo Columbus 0.
Winner, Mount Vernon placewinners
Long jump – 1. (tie) Elaina Hildebrandt (Den) 14-11 and Hailey Gammon (CRP) 14-11; 3. Lucy Wischmeyer (MV) 14-9.75.
High jump – 1. Sydney Maue (MV) 5-2.
Shot put – 1. Katelyn Eggena (WSR) 37-3.5; 3. Libby Dix (MV) 35-9.25.
Discus – 1. Libby Dix (MV) 135-5.
Sprint medley – 1. Decorah 1:53.02; 6. Mount Vernon 2:01.19.
3,000 – 1. Claire Jensen (MV) 11:25.39; 2. Edith Dawson (MV) 11:39.37.
4×800 – 1. Dubuque Hempstead 9:31.29; 5. Mount Vernon 9:49.61.
Shuttle hurdle – 1. Cedar Falls 1:06.43.
100 – 1. Asia Russell (CRP) 12.65.
Distance medley – 1. Dubuque Hempstead 4:34.65; 6. Mount Vernon 4:46.99.
400 – 1. Caliana Whitaker (MV) 1:00.90.
4×200 – 1. Decorah 1:49.05.
100 hurdles – 1. Paige Paup (CF) 15.86; 5. Eastin Whisner (MV) 16.61; 7. Olivia Haverback (MV) 17.59.
800 – 1. Gracie Federspiel (S) 2:19.67; 3. Evelyn Moeller (MV) 2:31.06; 6. Sam Schoff (MV) 2:34.21.
200 – 1. Asia Russell (CRP) 26.33.
400 hurdles – 1. Lillian Olson (Dec) 1:09.12; 3. Kiersten Swart (MV) 1:09.47.
1,500 – 1. Leah Klapatauskas (DS) 4:58.71; 7. Madison Hoffert (MV) 5:35.20.
4×100 – 1. C.R. Prairie 50.46.
4×400 – 1. Cedar Falls 4:10.56.
MV girls third at Williamsburg Co-Ed
Ryan Suchomel, Sports Reporter
April 25, 2024
About the Contributor
Ryan Suchomel, Sports Reporter
Ryan Suchomel is a sports reporter for the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Sun.