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LYNX GOOD, ’CATS BETTER AT CHARLIE BUNN RELAYS

WCHS brings home 15 medals, including 5 event victories

WCHS sophomore CJ Hisler makes the sand explode as he lands during the long jump at Friday’s Charlie Bunn Relays in Humboldt. He finished second in the event and scored a team-high 231⁄2 points for the Lynx, who were second in the team race. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

HUMBOLDT — Chad Hisler looks at his Webster City boys’ track and field team and likes what he sees. The Lynx have depth in the field events. They’re loaded with sprinters and have plenty of distance talent as well.

But he’s also a realist. As good as his team is — and it’s dang good — he accepts Humboldt is just a little bit better.

And that was evident again on Friday.

For the second time in as many outdoor meets, the Lynx played second fiddle to the Wildcats at the Charlie Bunn Relays. The two North Central Conference powers combined to win 15 of the 19 events, but Humboldt doubled up WCHS, 10-5, en route to a 43-point victory.

“I think we’re as balanced as we’ve been, but (Humboldt) is the gold standard of the conference,” Hisler said. “They have a really good program and we’re trying to close the gap, but it’s not easy.”

Webster City’s Kaiyu Levongkhom (center) and Humboldt’s Caden Matson (second from right) go hurdle for hurdle down the straightaway during the 110-meter high hurdles at Friday’s Charlie Bunn Relays in Humboldt. Levongkhom won the event and Matson finished second. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Humboldt tallied 188 points and WCHS finished with 145. Clear Lake (1031⁄2) was well back in third; a total of eight teams took part.

One thing Humboldt has that WCHS doesn’t is Quinton Orr — one of the state’s premier distance runners who showed off his versatility on his home track en route to a meet-high 25 points accrued for his team. Not only did Orr win the mile and two mile, as expected, but he also rallied the Wildcats’ distance medley relay to victory on the anchor 800 and put together a strong leg on the winning 4×400.

Orr is the state leader in the 3,200, but he used that as a virtual warm-up on Friday. He leisurely toured the track for eight laps and even offered encouragement to runner-up Parker Newcomb of Boone as the two ran side-by-side 100 meters into the seventh lap. Orr implored Parker to keep up and told him he was putting together a great time.

But at the bell, Orr dropped the hammer and eventually won by seven seconds.

“He’s outstanding and he’s elevated some of their other kids,” Hisler said of Orr. “They’re well-coached, they really believe in track and they’ve got a lot of kids out.”

Webster City’s Riley LaSourd dominates his heat of the 400-meter dash at Friday’s Charlie Bunn Relays in Humboldt. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

CJ Hisler, the sophomore son of the Lynx head coach, was the top point-getter for WCHS with 231⁄2. Kaiyu Levongkhom (201⁄2) and JJ Moore (20) were also huge contributors to the runner-up effort.

Moore again dominated the throws with wins in the shot put (52 feet, 3 inches) and discus (140-6). But he had plenty of familiar company near the top of the leaderboards. Jaxon Cherry was second in the discus (135-6) and Neven Stark was third in the shot put (43-111⁄2). Had WCHS been allowed three entrants in the shot put, it would have had three in the top four. Cherry’s best heave (43-2) won the JV competition.

CJ Hisler threw in a runner-up finish in the long jump (18-111⁄2) to add to the Lynx field events haul of 43 points.

“All of our throwers did really well,” Chad Hisler said.

Levongkhom had the strongest night on the track. He out-sprinted pre-race favorite Caden Matson of Humboldt over the final 10 meters of the 110-meter high hurdles to win in 15.36 seconds. Matson had a slight advantage as they navigated over the final hurdle, but Levongkhom got the better lean at the finish.

Neven Stark lets out a scream while competing in the shot put at Friday’s Charlie Bunn Relays in Humboldt. He won the bronze medal. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Levongkhom later took second in the 400 hurdles (1:00.24) — an event he’s new to. Matson won the race.

“It’s definitely a huge confidence booster for him,” Hisler said of Levongkhom. “We knew he was a good hurdler and he works really hard. He wants to do well.”

Levongkhom and CJ Hisler were joined by Keegan Hisler and Riley LaSourd on the winning 4×100 relay (45.43). LaSourd was another bright spot for the Lynx, as he out-dueled CJ Hisler to finish third in the 100 (11.74), one spot ahead of Hisler.

WCHS also grabbed gold in the 4×800 (9:10.30). Jacob Willson gave the quartet the lead late in his lead-off leg, and the final three runners — Brayden Henely, Tristen Maxwell and Cole Reiling — maintained the advantage.

CJ Hisler (23.62) and Jose Ramirez (4:49.28) claimed silver medals in the 200 and mile, respectively. The distance medley (3:54.00) was also second.

Cole Reiling (front) takes the baton from Tristen Maxwell during the 4x800-meter relay on Friday, one of five event wins for Webster City at the Charlie Bunn Relays. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

WCHS added a pair of bronze medals in the shuttle hurdle (1:10.13) and sprint medley (1:42.79) relays.

“We’re doing really well, and we can cover all of the events and cover them well,” Chad Hisler said.

WCHS will attempt to win its first meet title of the season again this evening when it heads to Gowrie for the Southeast Valley Invite.

Charlie Bunn Relays

Friday at Humboldt

Team Standings

1. Humboldt 188; 2. Webster City 145; 3. Clear Lake 1031⁄2; 4. Pocahontas Area 84; 5. Boone 78; 6. Algona 63; 7. Emmetsburg 44; 8. Eagle Grove 281⁄2.

Webster City Results

Discus — 1. JJ Moore 140-6; 2. Jaxon Cherry 135-6.

Shot Put — 1. Moore 52-3; 3. Neven Stark 43-111⁄2.

Long Jump — 2. CJ Hisler 18-111⁄2; 8. Kaiyu Levongkhom 17-9.

High Jump — 10. Keegan Hisler 5-4.

100 Meters — 3. Riley LaSourd 11.74; 4. CJ Hisler 11.84.

200 Meters — 2. CJ Hisler 23.62; 6. Skyler Scott 24.73.

400 Meters — 6. LaSourd 54.78.

800 Meters — 9 Cole Reiling 2:27.04; 11. Tristen Maxwell 2:31.99.

110 High Hurdles — 1. Levongkhom 15.36; 11. Treyton Sinclair 18.80.

1,600 Meters — 2. Jose Ramirez 4:49.28; 5. Jacob Willson 5:06.62.

3,200 Meters — 9. Codey Berg 12:04.12.

400 Hurdles — 2. Levongkhom 1:00.24.

4×100 Relay — 1. WCHS 45.43 (LaSourd, Scott, K. Hisler, CJ Hisler).

4×200 Relay — 4. WCHS 1:38.56 (Carson Koeppen, Jack Van Diest, Charlie Stansfield, Scott).

4×400 Relay — 7. WCHS 3:52.35 (Stansfield, Scott, Maxwell, Van Diest).

4×800 Relay — 1. WCHS 9:10.30 (Willson, Brayden Henely, Maxwell, Reiling).

Shuttle Hurdle Relay — 3. WCHS 1:10.13 (Levongkhom, Koeppen, Chris Martinez, Sinclair).

Sprint Medley Relay — 3. WCHS 1:42.79 (LaSourd, Brendyn Carlsen, Stansfield, Van Diest).

Distance Medley Relay — 2. WCHS 3:54.00 (K. Hisler, Stansfield, Carlsen, Ramirez).

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