There’s a reason why the high school track season begins with a few indoor meets.
Nobody wants to run in the snow.
That would have been the case on Monday, when the Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial girls’ teams both competed in the Dickinson Relays at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.
“We had a good night in bad weather,” said Centennial coach Andrew Kruzich. “Thank God for indoor meets.”
Both Ankeny squads turned in some strong performances. The Hawkettes were led by Alex Robran, who placed third in the 3,000 with a time of 11:03.44.
Teammate Eva van de Mortel took sixth in the 60. She was clocked in 8.06 seconds.
“We had a satisfying improved meet from Wartburg,” said Ankeny coach Dennis Adamson. “We are getting a feel for how the freshmen might contribute, but it’s still early and there are still some questions but we will work through them during the indoor season.”
Ankeny also performed well in the field events. Olivia Sharar tied for fifth in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, while Hannah Loftus set a personal record of 4-10 to tie for ninth.
Sydney Flatness placed seventh in the shot put with a throw of 36-3.5.
“That’s only her second time over 36 feet in her career,” Adamson said.
Centennial’s Betsy Ridout tied for sixth in the long jump with a leap of 16-2. She then placed 10th in the 60 in 8.16.
“Betsy and Katie (Saddoris) both had lifetime bests to make the 60 finals, and they are running well,” Kruzich said. “Betsy had to run the 60 final about 5 minutes after her long jump final, so she was especially good there. They’ve been sharp so far.”
Emma Gordon placed ninth for the Jaguars in the 1,500. She turned in a time of 5:04.86.
“Emma continues to impress,” Kruzich said. “She is running very confidently right now and tactically with the intelligence and experience of a senior. She’s going to have a big year.”
Gordon also teamed up with Kathryn Vortherms, Jeanne Peters and Megan Gray for a third-place finish in the 4×800 relay. The Jaguars posted a time of 10:06.65.
“Megan fought off Ottumwa for three laps to get third (and on the medal stand) by a fraction of a second,” Kruzich said. “That’s her first 800 of the year. If you want to know what a competitor she is, consider that she is 6 seconds faster this year than last year at the same meet. What a tough runner.”
Ankeny placed sixth in the 4×200 relay. The foursome of Peyton Daugherty, Malea Daugherty, Mytika Mayberry and Jasmine Rumley was clocked in 1:51.99.
The Hawkettes also had a top-10 finish in the 4×400 relay, placing ninth in 4:23.89. That team consisted of Meghan Trimble, Sydni Wendling, Holly Trimble and Sharar.