All four track squads — Mount Vernon boys and girls and Lisbon boys and girls — competed at the Anamosa Co-Ed on Tuesday, April 28, at Downing Field.
With conference and state-qualifying meets the next two weeks, it was the last chance to play with the lineup, and Mount Vernon girls coach Kory Swart did his share of tinkering.
And the Mustangs finished second to Mid-Prairie.
“We wanted to find out where we’re at with some stuff,” Swart said. “The girls took advantage of it.”
The Mount Vernon girls broke two school records.
The distance medley relay foursome of Taylor Franck, Cali Whitaker, Kiersten Swart and Evelyn Moeller finished in 4:04.87, good for first.
“We’d like to run Evelyn and Cali in 72 events … but that’s not reality,” Swart said. “We’re trying to hone in on what we want to get done.”
The 4×100 relay of Lucy Wischmeyer, Franck, Khloe Karminski and Whitaker finished in 49.67, breaking a record from 1985.
“We haven’t always run that one completely stacked,” Swart said. “We loaded that one up.”
There were a few other standout moments for the Mustang girls.
Adrienne Ruhland cleared five feet in the high jump for the first time in her career. “That should give her a bunch of confidence moving forward,” Swart said.
Freshman Khloe Karminski was runner-up in the 100 hurdles with a PR of 16.09 seconds, and ran the anchor leg on the winning shuttle hurdle relay with Kiersten Swart, Ruhland and Cora Smith. “Khloe is a difference-maker and kind of a natural at hurdles.”
Kiersten Swart and Sorell Telecky finished 1-2 in the 400 hurdles. Coach Swart said Kiersten was becoming for a hurdler than a distance runner this spring. “It depends on the meet,” he said.
Caroline Rupe won the open 800 in 2:20.15, a personal best for her. “She’s been stepping up big time,” Swart said.
The Lisbon girls were sixth. Emersyn Reiter led the scoring by placing first in the high jump with a leap of 5-foot-2.
Kooper Martin was runner-up in the shot put.
On the boys’ side, Central DeWitt won the team title. Lisbon was fifth and Mount Vernon was sixth.
Benjamin Brinkmann ran a PR in the open 800 for the Mustangs, finishing second in 2:02.30.
“He started the season a little injured, and it has just taken time working back,” Mount Vernon Coach Ryan Whitman said. “As a freshman, he’s just running exceptional times.”
Dawson Scheil won the 3,200 in 9:38.42 and Stanley Krob won the long jump with a leap of 21 feet, 9.75 inches.
“Stanley finally hit one,” Whitman said. “he broke his PR by four inches.”
Chasen Caskey ran a season-best in the 1,600, placing fifth in 4:29.13.
The Lisbon boys team mixed-and-matched a lot with open races and relays, still looking for the right combinations with the Tri-Rivers Meet and the State-Qualifier the next two weeks at home.
“We always run well at home,” Lisbon Coach Lonnie Speidel said. “Not having to travel, you can’t replace that.”
Justin Snyder won the high jump with a leap of 6 foot, and the Lions won the 4×800 in 8:14.59. That relay includes Sawyer Feldman, Drayden Nunemaker, Brody Speidel, and Anthony Armstrong.
Henry Reiling set a PR in the discus with a throw of 154 feet, 5 inches, good for second.