Once again, the Mount Vernon girls’ track team heads to the blue oval in Des Moines this week trying to run down a Class 3A state title.

The Mustangs finished second last year, to ADM. They were fourth in 2024. And fifth in 2023.

Mount Vernon qualified 13 events (doubling up two) during the 3A State Qualifier on Thursday, May 14, at Armstrong Family Field. The Mustangs then got five more entries once at-large spots were determined.

The Mustangs won the SQM title with 166 team points, topping second-place Williamsburg (139) and third-place Waverly-Shell Rock (111).

Senior Cali Whitaker and junior Evelyn Moeller continued to lead the way for the Mustangs.

Whitaker won the 100, 200 and was second in the 400. She also ran the anchor leg on the winning sprint medley (with Lucy Wischmeyer, Taylor Franck and Grace Hale).

Moeller won the 3,000, 1,500 and 800, and ran the anchor leg on the second-place distance medley (with Courtney Thurn, Khloe Karminski and Eastin Whisner).

Second-place finishers Thursday included Wischmeyer (long jump), Cora Smith (3,000), Franck (100), and Kiersten Swart (400 hurdles).

The 4×800 (Edith Dawson, Swart, Sorell Telecky, Caroline Rupe) also qualified by placing in the top two, and Friday the Mustangs added the 4×200 (Wischmeyer, Franck, Skylar Pasker, Hale), 4×400 (Charlie Stewart, Rupe, Swart, Hale) and shuttle hurdle relays (Swart, Adrienne Ruhland, Annabelle Smith, Karminski) with at-large spots.

That’s 17 different girls earning a spot. The Mustangs are strong at the top of their lineup, but also deep.

Boys

The Mount Vernon boys won’t be chasing a team title, but they could come home with some medals.

Both the 4×800 (Chasen Caskey, Benjamin Brinkmann, Logan Ericson, Dawson Scheil) and distance medley (Toby Neal, Logan Stanerson, Holden Hlavacek, Scheil) relays won gold at the SQM, and both are ranked as the fourth-best in 3A.

“I think their goal is to go there and medal,” Mount Vernon Coach Ryan Whitman said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Scheil also qualified in the 800 by winning the SQM in 1:58.91.

On Friday, the Mustangs added Brinkmann (800), Scheil (1,600), Caskey (1,600) and Leo Tharp (3,200) plus the sprint medley relay of Neal, Teddy Bonewald, Stanerson, Hlavacek.

“I was really happy with the way the guys came in and ran (at the SQM),” Whitman said. “They were focused, and were cheering each other on.”

Waverly-shell Rock won the SQM team title. Mount Vernon was fourth.

Class 3A State Qualifier

Boys team scores – 1. Waverly-Shell Rock 134; 2. Benton Community 122; 3. Vinton-Shellsburg 113; 4. Mount Vernon 89; 5. Williamsburg 86; 6. Center Point-Urbana 81; 7. South Tama 64; 8. West Liberty 43.

Winner, Mount Vernon placewinners

High jump – 1. Eli Patterson (BC) 6-4.

Long jump – 1. Rylan Peters (WSR) 22-6.5.

Shot put – 1. Colson Chvala (VS) 55-5.5; 6. Andrew Dix (MV) 43-4.75; 8. Beckett Curran (MV) 42-10.

Discus – 1. Byron Christianson (VS) 164-4; 5. Andrew Dix (MV) 136-6; 7. Brady Weaver (MV) 127-0.

Sprint medley – 1. Waverly-SR 1:32.88; 4. Mount Vernon (Toby Neal, Teddy Bonewald, Logan Stanerson, Holden Hlavacek) 1:34.84.

3,200 – 1. Cadel Conner (ST) 9:53.84; 4. Leo Tharp (MV) 10:11.30; 7. Danny Dye (MV) 10:53.35.

4×800 – 1. Mount Vernon (Chasen Caskey, Benjamin Brinkmann, Logan Ericson, Dawson Scheil) 8:06.58.

Shuttle hurdle – 1. Waverly-SR 58.27; 5. Mount Vernon (Landon Johanningmeier, Graham Yanda, Tucker Plate, Brogan Meyer) 1:06.64.

100 – 1. A.J. Maloney (CPU) 11.26; 4. Teddy Bonewald (MV) 11.88.

Distance medley – 1. Mount Vernon (Toby Neal, Logan Stanerson, Holden Hlavacek, Dawson Scheil) 3:33.65.

400 – 1. Owen Von Ahsen (BC) 49.42; 8. Ryan Hepker (MV) 55.35.

4×200 – 1. Benton 1:30.02; 4. Mount Vernon (Teddy Bonewald, Gabe Grafft, Joshua Macchione, Landon Johanningmeier) 1:35.21.

110 hurdles – 1. Nolan Johnson (WSR) 15.18.

800 – 1. Dawson Scheil (MV) 1:58.91; 3. Benjamin Brinkmann (MV) 2:01.48.

200 – 1. Rylan Peters (WSR) 22.16; 8. Ryan Hoffman (MV) 24.11.

400 hurdles – 1. Owen Von Ahsen (BC) 53.59.

1,600 – 1. Alex Torres (VS) 4:26.49; 3. Dawson Scheil (MV) 4:28.98; 4. Chasen Caskey (MV) 4:34.89.

4×100 – 1. Waverly-SR 42.35.

4×400 – 1. Benton 3:24.01; 5. Mount Vernon (Logan Stanerson, Landon Johanningmeier, Joshua Macchione, Holden Hlavacek) 3:35.00.

Girls team scores – 1. Mount Vernon 166; 2. Williamsburg 139; 3. Waverly-Shell Rock 111; 4. Center Point-Urbana 106; 5. Benton Community 73; 6. South Tama 55; 7. West Liberty 41; 8. Vinton-Shellsburg 26.

Winner, Mount Vernon placewinners

High jump – 1. Jacelyn Endelman (WSR) 5-4; 4. Adrienne Ruhland (MV) 4-8; 7. Skylar Pasker (MV) 4-6.

Long jump – 1. Sullivan Hall (WL) 17-1.5; 2. Lucy Wischmeyer (MV) 16-11.5.

Shot put – 1. Olive McWilliams (W) 39-4.

Discus – 1. Braylee Plotz (W) 123-8.

Sprint medley – 1. Mount Vernon (Lucy Wischmeyer, Taylor Franck, Grace Hale, Cali Whitaker) 1:45.88. (stadium record)

3,000 – 1. Evelyn Moeller (MV) 10:57.38. (stadium record); 2. Cora Smith (MV) 11:38.02.

4×800 – 1. Center Point-Urbana 9:39.01; 2. Mount Vernon (Edith Dawson, Kiersten Swart, Sorell Telecky, Caroline Rupe) 9:40.91.

Shuttle hurdle – 1. Benton 1:07.40; 3. Mount Vernon (Kiersten Swart, Adrienne Ruhland, Annabelle Smith, Khloe Karminski) 1:09.00.

100 – 1. Cali Whitaker (MV) 12.71; 2. Taylor Franck (MV) 12.98.

Distance medley – 1. Center Point-Urbana 4:12.09; 2. Mount Vernon (Courtney Thurn, Khloe Karminski, Eastin Whisner, Evelyn Moeller) 4:12.73.

400 – 1. Ava Hocker (W) 56.49; 2. Cali Whitaker (MV) 57.07; 5. Annabelle Smith (MV) 1:05.01.

4×200 – 1. Waverly-Shell Rock 1:45.15; 4. Mount Vernon (Lucy Wischmeyer, Taylor Franck, Skylar Pasker, Grace Hale) 1:47.96.

100 hurdles – 1. Scout Ridout (ST) 15.18; 6. Khloe Karminski (MV) 16.59.

800 – 1. Evelyn Moeller (MV) 2:18.29. (stadium); 3. Caroline Rupe (MV) 2:23.08.

200 – 1. Cali Whitaker (MV) 25.27.

400 hurdles – 1. Ava Hocker (W) 1:02.54; 2. Kiersten Swart (MV) 1:06.51; 5. Sorell Telecky (MV) 1:07.80.

1,500 – 1. Evelyn Moeller (MV) 4:42.42 (stadium); 4. Cora Smith (MV) 5:13.89.

4×100 – 1. Waverly-SR 50.51; 5. Mount Vernon (Lucy Wischmeyer, Taylor Franck, Courtney Thurn, Grace Hale) 51.72.

4×400 – 1. Williamsburg 4:01.71; 3. Mount Vernon (Charlie Stewart, Caroline Rupe, Kiersten Swart, Grace Hale) 4:09.86