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DFJ GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE OF THE DECADE: CASSIDY NERLAND

Cassidy Nerland, Webster City, the Daily Freeman-Journal's Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Decade.

Stability — that’s what Cassidy Nerland provided for Webster City over her four-year track and field career. What does that mean? Let’s put it this way — for four years, at every single regular season meet, the Lynx exited the field events near the top of the team standings. And Nerland was the reason.

She rarely got beat in the shot put and discus during the regular season. Did it occur from time to time? Sure, but it was a surprise when it happened.

And when it came time for the postseason, she was just as good.

Her consistency and her overall achievements made this decision easy — Cassidy Nerland is the Daily Freeman-Journal’s girls’ track and field Athlete of the Decade.

After a standout middle school career at Northeast Hamilton, Nerland had no trouble making the jump to Webster City as a freshman. She got better and better as her career progressed too.

Nerland lived at the Drake Relays every April from 2015-18, and she was an eight-time Class 3A state qualifier and four-time state medalist in the shot put and discus.

Early in her career, she was most successful in the shot put with a pair of eighth-place state finishes as a freshman and sophomore. But over the back half of her time in a Lynx uniform, it was the discus that brought her the most success. And in 2018, as a senior, she challenged for a state championship in the discus, as she claimed the silver medal with a heave of 128 feet, 5 inches.

Nerland is currently a standout on the women’s track and field team at Grand View University in Des Moines. She’ll be a junior in the fall.

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