Ankeny senior Tyrese Miller will try to accomplish a rare feat at the coed state track meet next week.
The standout sprinter, who won Drake Relays titles last month in both the 100 and 400, will try to capture Class 4A crowns in those two events as well as the 200. He is one of only three athletes in Class 4A to qualify in all three of those races.
Miller is the top qualifier in the 400 with a time of 48.67 seconds. He is seeded second in the 100, where he posted a time of 11.07 at a state qualifying meet on Thursday to edge defending state champion Mikey McClain of Dowling Catholic by .01 seconds, and is ninth in the 200 with a clocking of 22.43.
“That’s my goal–to win all three,” said Miller, an Iowa recruit. “I’m feeling pretty confident.”
NaZion Caruthers of Davenport West and Luke Meyers of Iowa City Liberty are the only other sprinters to qualify in the 100, 200 and 400. Caruthers is the top qualifier in the 100 with a time of 10.99, and McClain is the top qualifier in the 200 with a time of 22.13.
Miller isn’t the only Ankeny athlete with a chance to win a state title. Teammate Carter Accola is the top qualifier in the 110 hurdles with a time of 15.11 seconds, while Jamison Patton is seeded fourth in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet 5 inches.
Ankeny Centennial’s Isaiah Valentine is seeded sixth in the long jump. He recorded a personal best of 22-1.5 on Thursday.
The Ankeny girls’ team boasts a top contender in three of the four field events. Reagan Hanfelt is the top qualifier in the high jump at 5-5.25, while Kendra Winfrey and Ja’Dein Madison are seeded seventh and eighth, respectively, in the shot put. Hannah Baier is seeded ninth in the discus.
Centennial’s Kambria Leazer will be a threat to place in both of the jumping events. She is seeded second in the long jump with a leap of 18-0.5 and seventh in the high jump at 5-1.
Ankeny is the top qualifier in the girls’ distance medley relay with a time of 4:15.43. Centennial is seeded 10th in that event.
Ankeny’s Alli Macke is seeded ninth in the 800, while Drew Beason is seeded ninth in the 3,000. The Hawkettes are seeded ninth in the 4×800 relay and 10th in the 4×400 relay.
Centennial’s Rondi Quass is seeded 10th in both the 3,000 and 1,500. The Jaguars qualified in all seven relay events, but are not seeded higher than 10th in any of them.
“Up and down the lineup sheet, we ran well at the state qualifying meet,” said Centennial girls’ coach Andrew Kruzich. “We don’t have the individual sprint talent this year to score big at state, but I just really love the way our team has grinded out this season, always working through tough weather and cancellations. Eighteen of our 28 relay spots were filled by underclassmen, so the future is bright.”
The Ankeny boys’ team could score a lot of points in the relay events. The Hawks are seeded third in the 4×200, fourth in the sprint medley, fifth in the 4×100 and sixth in the 4×800.
Centennial is seeded sixth in the boys’ shuttle hurdle relay.
Here are the rest of the state qualifiers from both schools:
Girls
3,000: Anika Mohrhauser (AC)
200: Eva Fulk (A)
High jump: Maddy LaVoi (AC)
400: Julia Flick (AC), Morgan Johnson (A)
4×200: Ankeny
400 hurdles: Kylin Smith (AC), Lillian Smith (A), Olivia Kroska (AC)
Sprint medley relay: Ankeny
1,500: Drew Beason (A), Bella Hodges (AC)
Boys
High jump: Cash Schoolen (A)
3,200: Tyler Schermerhorn (AC)
Discus: Josh Binstock (AC)
Shuttle hurdle relay: Ankeny
Long jump: Patrick Westover (A)
400 hurdles: Cooper Majors (AC), Drake Dittmar (AC)
Shot put: Sam Dietz (AC)
Distance medley relay: Ankeny
4×100: Centennial
4×400: Centennial, Ankeny
Sprint medley relay: Centennial
800: Jake Bosch (A), Karsten Peters (AC)
1,600: Levi Hill (A)