The Ankeny boys’ track team didn’t just make a huge statement on Thursday.
The Hawks made several of them.
Ankeny won the first three finals on the track in the Class 4A state meet at Drake Stadium, double-placed in the high jump and took a commanding lead in the team race heading into Friday’s events in the three-day competition. The Hawks have already racked up 37 points, 12 more than Dowling Catholic.
“It was just electric to see,” Ankeny senior Jack Belding said of his teammates’ victories. “They’re all just insane athletes, and they just dominated today. But we all know this weekend isn’t over. We’ve got more work to do. Everything else is just the cherry on top.”
After Ethan Zuber won the 3,200 and also anchored the victorious 4×800 relay, Belding capped off Ankeny’s record-setting day by defending his title in the 400. He won the race in 47.38 seconds, breaking his own school mark and posting the fourth-fastest time ever in Iowa.
“It feels amazing,” said Belding, who also qualified for Saturday’s final in the 200. “Hopefully, we can just keep racking up the points and increasing our lead.”
Belding ran in Lane 6 to the outside of Cedar Falls’ Jordan Townsend and Johnston’s Jashua Anglo, who were in Lanes 5 and 4. They placed second and third, respectively–almost a full second behind Belding.
Belding got off to a fast start and was never challenged down the stretch.
“I knew being in Lane 6 those two guys were inside of me and were going to be chasing after me,” Belding said. “My coach (Jordan Mullen) told me before the race, ‘If you don’t see them, you’re winning.’ That’s kind of the mentality I had.”
The Hawks got off to a great start when Landon Pote and Cash Schoolen both placed in the high jump. They each cleared the bar at 6 feet 3 inches, setting a personal record.
Idris Thomas of Davenport West jumped 6-6 to win the title, edging Valley’s Ben Sorensen by an inch. Pote and Schoolen were among a group of nine jumpers who cleared 6-3, but they placed third and eighth, respectively, based on the number of misses.
“I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t get a good jump at 6-5, but third place is awesome,” said Pote, a junior. “Even if I would have gone 6-5, I would have gotten third. And I have another year to PR again.”
Schoolen was also pleased with his performance.
“I was very satisfied with how I jumped,” said Schoolen, a senior. “Getting a personal record in the state meet is all you can ask for. My goal was to place in the top eight and just get points for my team, which worked out.”
After Pote cleared 6-3, he moved over to the track for the preliminaries of the shuttle hurdle relay. He helped Ankeny to qualify for Saturday’s final, teaming up with Sam Madsen, Hayden Carlson and Gavin Wise to post a time of 57.99 seconds–the seventh-fastest clocking ever in Iowa.
Only Cedar Falls (57.71) ran a faster time.
“We believed in ourselves,” said Carlson. “This squad has been working together all year, and we’ve been waiting for this moment so long. Gavin said we can run faster, so let’s go do it in the finals.”
Pote ran the opening leg for the Hawks, then returned to the high jump area to complete that event. He missed all three of his tries at 6-5.
“I was so pumped about the shuttle because that was a huge PR for us. I could tell I had a good leg, and I knew we were going to go fast,” he said. “But my ankle was just tired, and it kept buckling on me (in the last few jumps). I’ve had a couple meets where I’ve had to go back and forth (between the two events) but not that quickly. I usually have 30 minutes in between.”
Zuber followed with a scintillating victory in the 3,200. He broke away from a pack that also included Jaden Merrick of Cedar Falls, Natnael Kifle of Sioux City North and Tony Anania of Norwalk on the last lap to win the race in a time of 8:59.66, which set a Class 4A meet record.
Zuber edged Kifle by .45 seconds.
“It feels amazing,” said Zuber, a junior. “I know I’m only here because of the great teammates and coaches that God has provided for me. I credit them for all of my success. I wouldn’t be here without their incredible training plan and their belief in me. I wouldn’t be here without my teammates who push me each and every day.”
Merrick led for the first mile with Zuber right behind him. Anania and Kifle joined them in a pack that separated from the rest of the field midway through the race.
“It unfolded a little differently than I thought it would,” Zuber said. “I imagined Merrick going out a little harder, and it being me and him. But fortunately, my coach (Jon) Lindaman talked to me about the possibility of being with a couple of guys that have some real speed and the race unfolded that way, so it prepared me for that. I saw it was Kifle, me and Tony (on the final lap). I knew it was going to be decided in the last 200 meters so I just had to gear up for that.”
Zuber stumbled to the track as he crossed the finish line.
“If I have an embarrassing fall at the end of every race and I win, I’d do it,” he said. “Coming down to the last 100 meters, I got a little worried and just started overstriding and that last overstride kind of caught me and I took a tumble.”
About two hours later, Zuber teamed up with Jake Bosch, Nicholas Robie and Ike Smith to win the 4×800 in a time of 7:40.34. The Hawks nearly matched the school record of 7:39.54 that they set while winning the Drake Relays last month.
“This feels way better,” said Bosch. “I had a Drake (title) before, so I’m happy to be a state champ. And I’ll be happy to get a couple more as the weekend goes on.”
Bosch ran the opening leg in 1:53.8 to put Ankeny into the lead.
“My coach told me we had Ethan coming off the 3,200 so everybody had to step up and be their best,” he said. “We were all in a position to do that with our training, and our coaches know what they’re doing so shout out to them. When you have a group of guys like this, you want to lay it all out there. I’m a senior and this is my last 800 as a Hawk, so no regrets.”
Robie ran the second leg in 1:56.0. After giving up the lead, he moved back in front before handing off to Smith.
The Hawks never trailed again, finishing nearly 4 seconds ahead of Johnston.
“I was totally confident. That was what I planned to do,” Robie said. “I knew if it came down to a 200- or 300-meter kick, I could get the job done. I wanted to feel good at the halfway point and finish strong.”
Smith ran the third leg in 1:57.0. Zuber followed with a 1:54.0 split on the anchor leg.
“They are such strong runners,” Robie said. “I knew they would bring it home.”
Ankeny sprinter Logan Fairchild also had a good day. The junior posted the fastest qualifying times in both the 100 (10.62) and 200 (21.65).
Fairchild ran the 200 after Zuber’s win in the 3,200 and then returned to the track for the 100 after the Hawks claimed the title in the 4×800.
“We just build off each other’s success,” said Fairchild. “It kind of gets you hyped up for a race when you see your team just dominating.”
Fairchild edged Iowa City West star Izaiah Loveless by .04 seconds for the fastest time in both races.
“It’s just kind of reassuring (to have the fastest time),” Fairchild said. “It gives me confidence for the finals.”
Fairchild will be joined in the 100 final by Centennial senior Connor Welsch. Welsch posted the third-fastest time of 10.67.
In the 200, Belding (21.81) and Centennial’s Robert McGhee (21.78) also advanced to the final. It was a personal record for McGhee, a junior.
“My goal was to break 22, and I did that. So I’m happy,” said McGhee. “This is my first year running, and I’m just excited to run. But we definitely want to make some noise and win some medals.”
Here are the rest of the boys’ results from Thursday:
High jump–Kaleb Kruzich (AC), 6-1 (tied for 14th).
Shuttle hurdle relay–Cael Woods, Jeremiah Tamayo-Lopez, Mark Nelson and Cole Pieper (AC), 59.96 (11th).
3,200–AJ Schermerhorn (AC), 9:29.15 (12th).
Discus–Blaine Sandquist (AC), 132-11 (21st).
200–Noah Ross (AC), 22.60 (tied for 17th).
4×800 relay–Brayden Vander Wilt, Cohen Moll, Brendan Owens and Corbin Vander Weerdt (AC), 8:00.37 (13th).
100–Elijah Porter (AC), 10.95 (12th).
400–Chase Bradley (A), 52.25 (19th).