Ankeny senior Hayden Carlson raced to an historic victory in the 110 hurdles at the Class 4A state meet on Saturday at Drake Stadium. He pulled away from the field to post an all-time Iowa best of 13.52 seconds, breaking the previous record of 13.55 that was set by Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Quinton Alexander at the 2025 Drake Relays.
Carlson also ran on Ankeny’s fourth-place shuttle hurdle relay and the 10th-place 4×100 relay. He helped the Hawks to a ninth-place finish overall.
Here is some inside info on Carlson:
Congratulations on your victory and setting an all-time Iowa best. Did you do anything special to celebrate after the meet?
Nothing specific. I just spent time with family and friends as I was exhausted following the long weekend.
How confident were you going into the race? Did you think if you just ran your own race that it would all work out?
I was very confident as I focused on my coaches’ instructions vs. the nervousness of the moment. Coach (Jordan) Mullen always says stay tight in my form, and put the blinders on, and sprint. I am thankful it worked out.
You also ran a split of 13.1 seconds to help the shuttle hurdle relay team to a fourth-place finish coming out of the slow heat. Did you realize you were running that fast?
I was just focused on getting to my teammate so he could continue the race.
What did you think of your team’s performance in that event?
We knew we were capable of a great time as a group if we could all run our best. I am very happy with our group and proud we could finish in the top four. We had a big PR and running a mid 56 second time was great.
Overall, your team earned a ninth-place finish after winning the previous two Class 4A crowns. Are you still proud of the top-10 finish considering this was a different team?
I am very proud of this team. We all came together as a group and handled adversity well. It was a great experience to compete with my teammates.
You obviously had to become a leader for this team this season. In what ways did you try to help some of the younger guys?
I think I just tried to be a positive encouragement to everyone. I wanted to just be one of the guys, help the underclassmen find their roles, and help give them the belief that the future is bright here in Ankeny if they just keep working.
After running on the winning shuttle hurdle relay a year ago, you captured your first individual title on Saturday. How did this win compare to the one in the shuttle?
The shuttle championship still is one of the greatest achievements to me, because of how hard we worked as a group, and it took many years together to make it happen. I will remember this individual championship, but it is always greater if you can win something with others (teammates).
You showed a lot of emotion after the race while being interviewed by reporters. Where do you think those emotions came from?
Emotions just came at me from many directions (my last high school competition, all the appreciation of my teammates, coaches, and family), and ultimately I just love my experiences that I have been blessed with.
You’ve talked a lot about how much credit you give to coach Mullen for your success, and you will now be headed to Iowa’s track program where he once starred for the Hawkeyes. What did you like about Iowa, and did coach Mullen give you any advice during the recruiting process?
I came away from my visit at Iowa impressed with the coaches, the facilities, and the opportunity to be a part of something special. I really appreciated how coach (Joey) Woody wanted this to be my choice, and wasn’t just trying to win me over. Coach Mullen was very supportive and helpful to connect me to the program initially. He was great at giving me space though, and wanted what was best for me.
What adjustments do you think you’ll have to make to succeed at the Division I level?
The hurdle height goes up to 42 inches, so that will be a big adjustment. I know being a freshman it will be like starting over. I will need to find how I fit in, and I am looking forward to proving myself every day. I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead.
What are you planning to study?
My area of study will be business. I am not sure what specific work area I will be going into, but for right now I want to start with that major.
