Although the Ankeny boys’ track team didn’t stack its lineup for the Fred Smith Hawk Relays on Tuesday, the Hawks still put up several impressive performances.
Ankeny won five events and placed fourth overall in the 11-team field with 89 points. Indianola won the meet with 117 points, followed by Waukee with 107 and Gilbert with 99.
“It was an awesome team effort!” said Ankeny coach Jordan Mullen. “When these boys focus on being their best and emptying the tank, it’s amazing what they are accomplishing! We have to stay hungry, but we are making big strides at the right time of the year with championship season just around that corner!”
Isaiah Smith provided one of Ankeny’s victories in the 400. He came from behind to win the race in 49.57 seconds, the sixth-fastest time in the state this season.
“I wasn’t really paying attention to the time,” Smith said. “I was just trying to win the race. That was my only goal going into it.”
Smith, who has won a pair of state titles in the 4×800 relay, edged Indianola’s Parker Amos by .15 seconds.
“I knew as a distance guy that those sprinters would take the first 200 out really hard,” Smith said. “I just kind of had to be confident in my kick at the end. I knew that they would most likely slow down, and that was my moment to pick it up and just pass them at the end.”
Smith ran the open 400 for the first time this season and only the second time in his career.
“I was just talking to my coaches, and maybe this is a race that I can do more this year,” he said. “It’s a fun race, and I enjoy it. It’s going to be quite the challenge for my coaches to figure out what they want me to run (at state) this year.”
Smith’s versatility will give Mullen plenty of options for his postseason lineup.
“We are starting to run a few things we needed to see how fast they can go,” Mullen said. “Ike is having an amazing senior season, and we want to keep him rolling. That 49.5 puts him in the top five in Class 4A.”
Smith later anchored the Hawks to another win in the 4×400 relay. He teamed up with Quin Somers, Isaiah Swanson and Caden McDowell to post a time of 3:24.24, the fifth-fastest clocking in Iowa in 2026.
“To cap the night off with a victory in the 4×4 was awesome!” Mullen said. “What was most exciting was the three young bucks on that team–McDowell, Swanson and Somers–all went to the next level and gave us 51 and change splits. Then Ike had another great anchor and brought us home!”
Ankeny captured the 4×100 relay in 42.50 seconds, the second-fastest time in the state this season. The foursome of Finn McClure, Owen Fischer, Cooper McDowell and Treyton Grossman finished .23 seconds ahead of Indianola.
“I am so proud of that group this year,” Mullen said. “They have been working so hard and to finally see them hit the sticks after a lineup change was awesome. That’s going to be a really fun relay the rest the season!”
The Hawks earlier won the 4×200 relay in 1:29.11, which ranks 11th in the state. That team consisted of McClure, Grossman, Hayden Carlson and Fischer.
Ankeny’s other victory came in the shuttle hurdle relay, where Carlson teamed up with Jack Romig, Sam Madsen and Norman Ha to win the race in 59.03 seconds. The Hawks are the defending state champs in that event.
“We’re pretty confident with ourselves,” said Carlson. “That was Sam’s first race back so we’re still getting the feel of things. We’re going to come back and hopefully get some things done. Coach Mullen will coach us up really well. We all enjoy each other so we’ll continue to get better.”
Carlson put the Hawks in front with a strong third leg, despite hitting one of the hurdles.
“I didn’t tweak anything, but I think I hit the eighth hurdle and cut up my ankle,” he said. “It’s all good.”
Carlson owns the state’s second-fastest time in the 110 hurdles (13.99). The Iowa recruit will be one of the favorites to win the event at the Drake Relays later this month.
“I feel confident,” Carlson said. “I feel good with the people around me–coach Mullen, my teammates, my family. They’re all supporting me. It’s not just me running out there. I just do it for them, and everything will be all right.”
Madsen added a third-place finish in the 110 hurdles on Tuesday. He was clocked in a personal-best 15.26.
Ankeny’s Benton Schuchart took third in the 3,200. He posted a time of 10:48.22.
The Hawks will compete in the Waukee Invitational on Thursday at Waukee Northwest.
