It took only 13.52 seconds for Ankeny senior Hayden Carlson to run the 110 hurdles on Saturday at the boys’ Class 4A state track meet.
Nobody in state history has ever run a faster time.
But after winning his first individual title, Carlson tried to deflect the attention away from himself.
“It’s not about me,” he said. “It’s all for the team. They’ve given me everything. This (Hawk) logo right here has given me everything I’ve done out here. This is what I represent.”
Carlson led Ankeny to a ninth-place finish overall. The two-time defending champion Hawks scored 33 points.
Carlson provided 10 of the points with his record-setting victory. He finished well ahead of Blake Ludwig of Waukee Northwest, who took second in 13.85.
Carlson eclipsed the previous all-time Iowa best of 13.55, which was set by Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Quinton Alexander at the 2025 Drake Relays. Alexander also held the previous state meet record of 13.65.
Ironically, it was at last year’s Drake Relays where Carlson fell to the track in both the 110 hurdles and the shuttle hurdle relay. The Iowa recruit has been cruising over the hurdles ever since.
Carlson attributed his success to Ankeny coach Jordan Mullen, who was also a standout hurdler.
“He tells me to be calm through the storm, be tight, and put the blinders on,” Carlson said. “If I do what he tells me to do, everything works out well.”
Carlson, who ran 13.90 in Friday’s preliminaries, took aim at the record after running an even faster split during the shuttle hurdle final about an hour earlier.
“Coach Mullen said it was a 13.1 split in the shuttle, so he instilled all the confidence in me before this race,” Carlson said. “He does that all the way through the season and all the way through the offseason. I don’t talk to him much in the offseason, but he’s always there for me and has my back if I need him. To do it for him just means everything.”
While Carlson was praising his coach, Mullen raced onto the infield at Drake Stadium and briefly interrupted the interview to give his prodigy a bear hug.
“Come on baby!” Mullen yelled.
Carlson also helped the Hawks to a fourth-place finish in the shuttle hurdle relay. He teamed up with Jack Romig, Sam Madsen and Norman Ha to post a season-best time of 56.62 seconds.
Ankeny came out of the slow section, but was pushed to the finish line by Waterloo West–which placed fifth overall in 56.68.
“I’m very happy,” said Romig. “We all knew we had it in us. It was the last run for three of us together, and we left it all out there. Coach told us we had nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Iowa City West won the event in an all-time Iowa best of 55.39. Waukee Northwest (55.52) and Cedar Rapids Kennedy (55.98) also broke the 56-second mark.
Ankeny won the shuttle hurdle last year in 56.06, which was the state’s fastest clocking ever at the time. After Landon Pote and Gavin Wise graduated from that unit, Romig and Ha joined Carlson and Madsen in the lineup this season.
“We had some big shoes to fill, but we knew what we had to do,” Romig said. “I think we proved ourselves.”
Romig and Ha can now focus on another sport.
“I’m going to miss this team,” Romig said. “But it’s time for me and Norm to go to baseball.”
Ankeny also got a runner-up finish from Isaiah Smith in the 800. He posted a time of 1:51.37.
“I obviously wanted to win it, but I gave it all I had,” said Smith. “I left it on the track so I can’t really be mad with it. I’ve got great coaches, and I know they’re up there (in the crowd) super excited right now. I’ve got my head held high.”
Ayden Gabrielson of Waukee Northwest set a fast pace in the race, but eventually faded. Smith was among a pack of runners that challenged for the lead at various times.
“My coach told me where I needed to be at each 100,” Smith said, referring to assistant coach Jon Lindaman. “It was awesome that Gabrielson took it out like that. I think my coaches prepared me well for it.”
In the end, Smith was able to pass Cedar Falls standout Brennen Hoyer but was unable to hold off Sioux City North star Kuma Gutema, who won the race in 1:51.14. Gutema later won the 1,600 as well.
“It was a little bit of karma. I outkicked (Gutema at the state qualifying meet), and I guess that lit a fire under him and he got me this time,” said Smith, who later placed 18th in the 1,600 in 4:22.17. “I thought I had it, but Kuma came around to the right. I didn’t know that there was going to be another guy there, but I don’t know if that changed anything. It might have pushed me to edge out Hoyer, but props to Kuma. He had a good race.”
Smith then closed out his career by helping the Hawks to an eighth-place finish in the 4×400 relay. He teamed up with Isaiah Swanson, Quin Somers and Caden McDowell to post a time of 3:23.14.
Ankeny earlier placed 13th in the sprint medley relay. The team of Finn McClure, Owen Fischer, Somers and Swanson was clocked in 1:33.93.
