Class 3A District Track and Field: Tigers push seven events to state

The Spencer track and field program combined to send seven events to the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships at Friday's district meet in Orange City where 15 athletes earned the opportunity to compete at Drake Stadium next week.

The Tigers produced three third-place performances in the boys division and put four events through in the girls division.

The top three placewinners in each boys event advance. The girls qualify the top two placewinners in each event and the next eight best times across the state, regardless of district.

Spencer still holds out hope to add at least one more girls event when the state cutoff times are compiled sometime Saturday.

"It was a great night and an awesome job from the whole team. We really stepped up and competed tonight," said Spencer girls co-head coach Kurt Bauermeister. "We have several other races that are going to have to play the waiting game to see if they qualify. I feel really good about some of our times making the cut."

Sophomore Sara Edwardson will compete in a trio of events, qualifying in one relay and two individual events. Edwardson scored a district title in the 800-meter run in 2:29 and finished runner-up in the 400 in 1:00.56.

Edwardson, Clare Goeken, Cassi Wilson and Katelyn McDermott gave the Tigers' their third district title in the night's final event -- the 4x400 -- clocking a winning time of 4:17.

Goeken and McDermott will also be running multiple state events, having qualified prior to the 4x400 as a part of the distance medley relay -- also a district champion. Kelsey Salton and Brittany Peterson ran the first two legs of the race.

Spencer finished third in two relays, the sprint medley and the 4x800, and fourth in three.

"The girls did everything we ask them to do and more," Bauermeister said. "We didn't back down from some of the top competition in the state."

The Tiger boys' state qualifying events all came in relays. Jake Baxter, Brian Davis and Greg Maassen each compete in two events. All three were a part of both the medley relay and the 4x400 relay.

Sean Elliott is the fourth member of the medley relay team, which clocked a time of 3:42.47. Cody Steinkamp will also run with the 4x400 team.

The third qualifying time came in the shuttle hurdle where Chris Fox, Josh Alger, Dakota Baker and Coire Walker clocked a third-place finish in 1:04.57.

"We are very happy, as a coaching staff with all of our athletes," Spencer boys coach Jared Davis said. "We are in a very tough district and they really competed hard.

"We look forward to competing at the state meet to see how we measure up to the best in Class 3A," Davis added.

The Tigers posted a couple of close finishes in other events. The 4x800-meter relay team clocked the 11th fastest time in all of 3A, but missed the cut with a fourth-place finish. Cody Rolfes added the 19th best throw in 3A in the shot put, but finished fifth Friday. Fox added a fourth-place finish in the 400 hurdles, just one spot off the cut.

The Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships begin at 9 a.m. Thursday in Des Moines.

Class 3A District Meet

(at Orange City)

Girls Team Standings -- 1. Spirit Lake Park 139, 2. Storm Lake 108, 3. Sioux City Heelan 102, T-4. Spencer 98, T-4. MOC-Floyd Valley 98, 6. Le Mars 86, 7. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 53, 8. Estherville-Lincoln Central 47.

Boys Team Standings -- 1. Sioux City Heelan 127, 2. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 112, 3. Storm Lake 102, 4. MOC-Floyd Valley 98, 5. Le Mars 91, 6. Spirit Lake Park 90, 7. Spencer 46, 8. Estherville-Lincoln Central 29.