CHAMPS AT LAST
Lynx surge past North Polk late in meet to claim first title of season
Webster City junior Lincoln LaSourd leads the field by a significant margin as he sprints down the straightaway on the anchor of the 4x200-meter relay at Tuesday’s North Polk Comet Relays in Alleman. LaSourd ran on two winning relays and claimed two silver medals to help the Lynx win their first meet title of the season. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
ALLEMAN — If lurking was a track and field event, Webster City would certainly be a state medal contender.
The Lynx have made a living this season out of hanging around the top of meet leaderboards, but prior to Tuesday had been unable to break through that glass ceiling.
That all changed with one North Polk slip up, and there the lurkers were, ready to pounce.
North Polk led its Comet Relays through 17 events, but a dropped baton in the 4×100-meter relay — the second-to-last event — cost it vital points. WCHS, which trailed the Comets by as many as 19 points early in the evening, seized upon the opportunity and won the 4×100 to vault to the top of the team standings for the first time. A fourth-place finish in the 4×400 sealed the first meet championship of the season for the Lynx.
“Going into the meet we talked about how it would be between us and North Polk,” WCHS head coach Chad Hisler said after his crew out-pointed the Comets, 161-155. “The kids all knew it was going to be close and they wanted to get a win. They were pumped because we’ve gotten second a bunch of times.”
Webster City’s Garrett Whitmore fires out of the blocks to start the 4x200-meter relay at Tuesday’s Comet Relays in Alleman. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
Four times this spring, to be exact.
Boone (102) was a distant third, while East Marshall (84) and BCLUW (77) rounded out the top five. Eight teams took part in the meet.
Taking home a team title was one thing, but it was the way that WCHS did it that had Hisler excited. The Lynx double-placed in nine of the 12 individual events, won three of the seven relays, and left personal-best performances littered around the stadium. And from this group, Hisler didn’t expect anything less.
“This is just a really fun team to be around,” Hisler said. “They work hard, they listen to their coaches and they just keep getting better.”
WCHS collected 13 medals in all, including four golds. Max Harfst, Garrett Whitmore, Carson Struchen, Trey Mathis and Lincoln LaSourd all pulled in a pair of gold medals either as individuals or as part of relays.
Tucker Judkins (right) guts out the final few meters ahead of teammate Alex Hooker (left) in the 400-meter dash on Tuesday in Alleman. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
Harfst’s victory in the 800 was particularly captivating, as he crossed the finish line in 1:59.94, the first time he’s clocked in under two minutes in the individual event.
Harfst also joined forces with Alex Hooker, John Piaszynski and Tucker Judkins to win the 4×800 (8:30.24) by seven seconds over North Polk. WCHS led at every exchange, but it was close until Harfst put the hammer down on the anchor.
Whitmore, Struchen, Mathis and LaSourd blew away the competition in the 4×100 (45.09 seconds) and 4×200 (1:34.80) relays. They won the 400 relay by more than a second, the 800 by almost four seconds.
But WCHS did its most damage by piling up six second-place performances, keyed by LaSourd’s silver medals in the 100 (11.49) and 200 (23.17). Freshman J.J. Moore added two runner-up efforts as well in the shot put (47 feet, 11⁄2 inches) and discus (131-3), the latter being a personal best.
“J.J. wasn’t all that happy with the shot put, but he threw his best ever in the discus,” Hisler said. “He’s got the potential to be really good. He’s getting better all the time.”
WCHS senior Austin Lampman heaves his third of four attempts in the shot put at Tuesday’s North Polk Comet Relays in Alleman. He won the bronze medal; teammate J.J. Moore was the silver medalist. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
Piaszynski was the silver medalist in the 1,600 (4:47.88), and Jose Ramirez (4:58.67) was sixth in the event. WCHS outscored North Polk 11-4 in the mile and closed the deficit to one point with the final two relays on deck.
Whitmore’s individual silver medal came in the 400 low hurdles (56.73).
Bronze medals went to Austin Lampman in the shot put (45-9), Judkins in the 400 (54.63) and Kaiyu Levongkhom in the 110 high hurdles (15.99).
“Tucker Judkins had a very good night with his best 400 ever and his best split of the year in the 4×800,” Hisler said. “(Harfst) had a great night, Piaszynski and (Ramirez) both PR’ed in the mile, (Levongkhom) had his best time in the hurdles … it was just a great night.”
And just like that, the Lynx are no longer lurkers. They’re champions.
Webster City’s Malachi Montes runs the third leg of the shuttle hurdle relay in front of the grandstand at Tuesday’s North Polk Comet Relays in Alleman. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
North Polk Comet Relays
Tuesday at Alleman
Team Standings
1. Webster City 161; 2. North Polk 155; 3. Boone 102; 4. East Marshall 84; 5. BCLUW 77; 6. Carroll Kuemper 71; 7. Ballard 46; 8. Saydel 29.
Webster City Results
Lynx senior Trace Kepler competes in the long jump during the early stages of Tuesday’s meet won by Webster City in Alleman. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
Discus — 2. J.J. Moore 131-3; 8. Austin Lampman 93-4.
Shot Put — 2. Moore 47-11⁄2; 3. Lampman 45-9.
Long Jump — 6. Kaiyu Levongkhom 17-81⁄2; 9. Trace Kepler 17-01⁄2.
High Jump — 10. Malachi Montes 5-2.
100 Meters — 2. Lincoln LaSourd 11.49; 4. Garrett Whitmore 11.79.
200 Meters — 2. LaSourd 23.17; 4. Trey Mathis 23.84.
400 Meters — 3. Tucker Judkins 54.63; 4. Alex Hooker 55.62.
800 Meters — 1. Max Harfst 1:59.94; 5. Parker Rossing 2:12.39.
1,600 Meters — 2. John Piaszynski 4:47.88; 6. Jose Ramirez 4:58.67.
3,200 Meters — 4. Jacob Willson 11:14.57; 6. Cole Reiling 11:46.81.
110 High Hurdles — 3. Levongkhom 15.99.
400 Low Hurdles — 2. Whitmore 56.73; 4. Kasey Porter 1:01.39.
4×100 Relay — 1. Webster City 45.09 (Whitmore, Mathis, Carson Struchen, LaSourd).
4×200 Relay — 1. Webster City 1:34.80 (Whitmore, Mathis, Struchen, LaSourd).
4×400 Relay — 4. Webster City 3:44.59 (Harfst, Hooker, Judkins, Rossing).
4×800 Relay — 1. Webster City 8:30.24 (Hooker, Piaszynski, Judkins, Harfst).
Shuttle Hurdle Relay — 4. Webster City 1:08.03 (Levongkhom, Porter, Montes, Chris Martinez).
Sprint Medley Relay — 5. Webster City 1:45.06 (Struchen, Mathis, Porter, Jack Van Diest).
Distance Medley Relay — 7. Webster City 4:08.88 (Struchen, Van Diest, Rossing, Ramirez).
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- Webster City junior Lincoln LaSourd leads the field by a significant margin as he sprints down the straightaway on the anchor of the 4×200-meter relay at Tuesday’s North Polk Comet Relays in Alleman. LaSourd ran on two winning relays and claimed two silver medals to help the Lynx win their first meet title of the season. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
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- Tucker Judkins (right) guts out the final few meters ahead of teammate Alex Hooker (left) in the 400-meter dash on Tuesday in Alleman. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
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- Lynx senior Trace Kepler competes in the long jump during the early stages of Tuesday’s meet won by Webster City in Alleman. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
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- WCHS senior Austin Lampman heaves his third of four attempts in the shot put at Tuesday’s North Polk Comet Relays in Alleman. He won the bronze medal; teammate J.J. Moore was the silver medalist. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
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- Webster City’s Malachi Montes runs the third leg of the shuttle hurdle relay in front of the grandstand at Tuesday’s North Polk Comet Relays in Alleman. DFJ photo/Troy Banning
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- Webster City’s Garrett Whitmore fires out of the blocks to start the 4×200-meter relay at Tuesday’s Comet Relays in Alleman. DFJ photo/Troy Banning