Blue oval on the brain
Lynx to take a bus load of athletes to Drake Stadium, and all are thinking about bringing home medalsBy Troy Banning, DFJ Sports Editor
POSTED: May 14, 2008
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Fact Box
State Meet ScheduleAt Drake Stadium
Des Moines
THURSDAY
Morning Session
Class 2A and 3A
9 a.m. — Girls Shuttle Hurdle Relay prelims
9 a.m. — Girls 2A Shot Put final
9 a.m. — Girls 3A Discus final
9 a.m. — Boys 2A Long Jump final
9 a.m. — Boys 3A High Jump final
9:40 a.m. — Girls 3,000 Meter Run final
10:10 a.m. — Boys 3,200 Meter Run final
10:40 a.m. — Girls 100 Meter Dash prelims
10:55 a.m. — Boys 100 Meter Dash prelims
11:10 a.m. — Girls 4x800 Meter Relay final
11:30 a.m. — Boys 2A Shot Put final
11:30 a.m. — Boys 3A Discus final
11:30 a.m. — Girls 2A Long Jump final
11:30 a.m. — Girls 3A High Jump final
12:00 — Boys 4x800 Meter Relay final
12:40 — Girls 200 Meter Dash prelims
1:00 — Boys 200 Meter Dash prelims
1:20 — Girls 400 Meter Dash final
1:40 — Boys 400 Meter Dash final
2:00 — Boys Shuttle Hurdle Relay prelims
Afternoon Session
Class 1A and 4A
2:00 — Girls 1A Shot Put final
2:00 — Girls 4A Discus final
2:00 — Boys 1A Long Jump final
2:00 — Boys 4A High Jump final
2:40 — Boys Shuttle Hurdle Relay prelims
3:20 — Girls 3,000 Meter Run final
3:50 — Boys 3,200 Meter Run final
4:20 — Girls 100 Meter Dash prelims
4:30 — Boys 1A Shot Put final
4:30 — Boys 4A Discus final
4:30 — Girls 1A Long Jump final
4:30 — Girls 4A High Jump final
4:35 — Boys 100 Meter Dash prelims
4:50 — Girls 4x800 Meter Relay final
5:40 — Boys 4x800 Meter Relay final
6:20 — Girls 200 Meter Dash prelims
6:40 — Boys 200 Meter Dash prelims
7:00 — Girls 400 Meter Dash final
7:20 — Boys 400 Meter Dash final
7:40 — Girls Shuttle Hurdle Relay prelims
FRIDAY
Morning Session
Class 2A and 3A
9 a.m. — Girls Distance Medley Relay final
9 a.m. — Girls 3A Shot Put final
9 a.m. — Girls 2A Discus final
9 a.m. — Boys 3A Long Jump final
9 a.m. — Boys 2A High Jump final
9:40 a.m. — Boys 400 Meter Hurdles final
10 a.m. — Girls 400 Meter Hurdles final
10:20 a.m. — Boys 4x200 Meter Relay final
10:50 a.m. — Girls 4x200 Meter Relay final
11:20 a.m. — Boys 110 Meter Hurdles prelims
11:30 a.m. — Boys 3A Shot Put final
11:30 a.m. — Boys 2A Discus final
11:30 a.m. — Girls 3A Long Jump final
11:30 a.m. — Girls 2A High Jump final
11:40 a.m. — Girls 100 Meter Hurdles prelims
12:00 — Boys 1,600 Medley Relay final
12:40 — Boys 4x100 Meter Relay prelims
1:00 — Girls 4x100 Meter Relay prelims
1:20 — Boys 4x400 Meter Relay prelims
2:00 — Girls 4x40 Meter Relay prelims
Afternoon Session
Class 1A and 4A
2:00 — Girls 4A Shot Put final
2:00 — Girls 1A Discus final
2:00 — Boys 4A Long Jump final
2:00 — Boys 1A High Jump final
2:40 — Girls Distance Medley Relay final
3:20 — Boys 400 Meter Hurdles final
3:40 — Girls 400 Meter Hurdles final
4:00 — Boys 4x200 Meter Relay final
4:30 — Girls 4x200 Meter Relay final
5:00 — Boys 110 Meter Hurdles prelims
5:20 — Girls 100 Meter Hurdles prelims
5:40 — Boys 1,600 Medley Relay final
6:20 — Boys 4x100 Meter Relay prelims
6:40 — Girls 4x100 Meter Relay prelims
7:00 — Boys 4x400 Meter Relay prelims
7:40 — Girls 4x400 Meter Relay prelims
SATURDAY
All Classes
9 a.m. — Girls Sprint Medley Relay final
9:50 a.m. — Girls 800 Meter Run final
10:30 a.m. — Boys 800 Meter Run final
10:30 a.m. — G/B Wheelchair Shot Put final
11:10 a.m. — Girls Shuttle Hurdle Relay final
11:40 a.m. — Boys Shuttle Hurdle Relay final
12:10 — G/B Wheelchair 100 final
12:15 — Girls 100 Meter Dash final
12:25 — Boys 100 Meter Dash final
12:35 — Girls 100 Meter Hurdles final
12:45 — Boys 110 Meter Hurdles final
12:55 — Coach's Recognition Awards
1:05 — Athlete/Hall of Fame Awards
1:15 — G/B Wheelchair 200 final
1:25 — Girls 200 Meter Dash final
1:35 — Boys 200 Meter Dash final
1:45 — Boys 1,600 Meter Run final
2:15 — Girls 1,500 Meter Run final
2:55 — G/B Wheelchair 400 final
3:05 — Girls 4x100 Meter Relay final
3:20 — Boys 4x100 Meter Relay final
3:35 — Girls 4x400 Meter Relay final
4:05 — Boys 4x400 Meter Relay final
NOTES: On Thursday and Friday, in morning 2A then 3A competes; in afternoon, 1A then 4A competes...On Saturday, order is 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A.
The Webster City track teams have it all covered when it comes to this week's state track meet in Des Moines, which will officially kickoff Thursday morning and run through Saturday afternoon inside Drake Stadium. A total of 33 Lynx athletes will make the trek south to take part in 15 events in Class 3A.
Fresh off a runner-up showing at last Friday's district meet, the Webster City boys' squad will take part in eight events and head coach Tony Bussan says now is the time to let it all hang out.
"You go down there and try to control what you can control," the longtime Lynx coach, who has seen his fair share of state success stories, said. "We want to run season's bests, personal records and try to improve upon any previous performances. If that's what we're able to do, then we certainly have opportunities in front of us (to medal) in most of the things that we're in."
Bussan's crew will compete in three relays — the shuttle hurdle, 4x800- and 1,600-meter medley — starting Thursday morning at 9 a.m.
The medley — featuring John Hill, Devan Berglund, Tanner Moen and Ethan Barnes — ran the fourth fastest qualifying time and will thus compete in the fastest of three heats on the blue oval. The 4x800 — Moen, Barnes, Ben Lambert and Jesse Ogg — also owns the No. 4 seed, while the shuttle hurdle foursome — Bret Hilpipre, Jared Wilaby, Colin Ryan and Ross Haren — shattered the school record at districts and dipped below the one-minute mark for the first time. They have the No. 8 seed.
"We feel like all three relays have a chance to earn state medals," Bussan said. "In the medley, all four guys had their best races of the year at the same time at districts. The shuttle hurdle is in the mix too. If we can break the school record again, we feel like we'll have a great opportunity to make the finals. And the 4x8, if we can go sub (8 minutes 10 seconds), then we certainly feel like we can be in the medal mix."
The Lynx 4x800 clocked an 8:12.46 at the district meet.
Ogg, a senior, will put much of his focus on the 1,600 and 3,200, two events in which he is expected to contend for a top five finish. He ran the fastest qualifying time in the 1,600 — 4:27.59 — and had the ninth best 3,200 time (10:12.96), even though he put it on auto pilot for much of the eight-lap race after competing in the 4x800 just 30 minutes earlier.
Lambert will also compete in the 1,600, as well as the 800 for a third consecutive season.
"Both Jesse and Ben have legitimate chances to medal in the 1,600," Bussan said. "In Jesse's case, he's going to try to run to win it."
Winning the 1,600 will be anything but easy. Also in the field is Charles City senior Isaac Wendland, who will attempt to become the first four-time state champion in the event, and he was the only 3A runner to finish ahead of Ogg in the 1,600 at last month's Drake Relays. Still, Ogg says he won't back down from the challenge.
"I'm gunning towards the (1,600) because that's my favorite race," Ogg said. "Right now Isaac's three seconds ahead of me and I'll do what I can, but he's a three-time state champion for a reason. He's really good."
Wilaby will also get the chance to shine on his own in two events. He's seeded 10th in the 110 high hurdles and 17th in the long jump.
The Webster City girls' squad will take seven events to Des Moines. The Lynx will compete in four events on the track and three field events.
Senior Jess Fevold will compete in the shot put for a fourth time and she already owns a pair of medals. She was eighth as a sophomore at Iowa Falls-Alden and then fifth last year as a member of the Webster City team. She enters this year's meet seeded sixth, although her qualifying throw at the regional meet was more than three feet short of her season's best toss.
Fevold and teammate Megan Brandt will also take part in the discus, and fellow Lynx team member Maddie Maharry is entered in the long jump.
On the track, the girls' squad is all about the relays. The Lynx are seeded No. 6 in the shuttle hurdle relay, No. 11 in the 4x800 and No. 14 in both the 4x400 and distance medley.
"We're running now to get our names up on the board at state," Webster City girls' head coach Duane Harding said last Friday following the regional meet. "If we can get some girls fresh, then I really think we can do some things down at state."
Senior Christine Monson, who will compete on both the medley and 4x400 relays, agrees with her coach.
"We've got big goals this year," she said. "We want to go down there and place."
Monson will be joined on the 4x400 by Mikaela Pruismann, Paige Bonjour and Brianna Carlberg. Carly Tindall, Kari Peterson and Britney Roberts make up the final three legs of the medley. Megan Wood joins Bonjour, Roberts and Pruismann on the 4x800.
The shuttle hurdle quartet — Maharry, Kristen Peterson, Sarah Pagel and Jewel Nuehring — just missed out on winning a regional title, but their qualifying time of 1:07.07 gave them a prime position for the preliminary round. The Lynx will be in the middle of the track in lanes 3 and 4.
