And roughly 36 hours later, that total had nearly doubled.

Thank you, wildcards.

The final list of state qualifiers — announced Saturday morning by the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union — included nine events for the South Hamilton girls’ team. The Hawks will be in competition on all three days of the meet that will get started on Thursday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

“It’s pretty cool for the girls,” South Hamilton girls’ head coach Dan Brodie said. “To get nine events, I think it’s going to make for a special week for them and it’s going to be a great experience for some of the girls that haven’t had a chance to run down at state.”

South Hamilton sophomore Ashlyn Erickson stands by her blocks prior to the start of the 400-meter dash earlier this season. She’ll compete in three events at the state meet later this week. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

South Hamilton’s wildcard entrants included sophomore Grace Neuberger in the high jump, the 4×200- and 4×800-meter relays, and the sprint medley relay.

“When the 4×200 came off the track (on Thursday) they were a little disappointed they got clipped at the end, but when I saw their time I knew that was a top-10 time,” Brodie said. “There was no real concern with that one. But we were sitting on pins and needles with the sprint medley and 4×800.”

Two South Hamilton sprinters — junior Kate Barkema and senior Kelbe Krumm — will compete in four events. Sophomores Ashlyn Erickson and Makena Galetich will be on the blue oval for three separate races.

The Hawks’ 4×100 quartet of Barkema, Erickson, Galetich and Krumm enters Friday’s prelims seeded fourth, the highest of any area events on the track. The 4×200 — Galetich, Krumm, Tanna Thompson and Barkema — waited until Saturday to learn it was in the field, but it wasn’t a nail-biter. Sure enough, that group finds itself seeded eighth in the field of 24 teams.

The South Hamilton boys’ team was unable to snag any of the wildcard entries, but the small contingent of two competitors are expected to contend for three medals. Austin Busch, the current Drake Relays champion in the shot put, is seeded No. 2 in the shot put and discus. Tanner Blue is seeded fourth in the 110 high hurdles.

South Hamilton’s Kelbe Krumm (left) and Kate Barkema (right) will both compete in four events at the state track and field meet later this week in Des Moines. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Likewise, Webster City will take to state what it automatically qualified through Thursday’s 3A meet in Gilbert.

Thrower JJ Moore owns the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds in the shot put and discus, respectively. The 4×200 group of Jaxon Cherry, Keegan Hisler, Charlie Stansfield and CJ Hisler is seeded 15th.

Adeline Tesdahl will be the lone individual in the field for the WCHS girls’ team. She’s seeded 15th in the girls’ 400 hurdles.

In all, 17 area athletes — 11 from South Hamilton and six from Webster City — will compete at the state meet.

State Track and Field Meet

Thursday-Saturday

Drake Stadium

Des Moines

Area Events Schedule

THURSDAY

2:00 — 2A girls 200 meters (Kelbe Krumm, South Hamilton).

4:30 — 2A boys shot put (Austin Busch, South Hamilton).

4:30 — 3A boys discus (JJ Moore, Webster City).

5:00 — 2A girls 4×800-meter relay (South Hamilton — Anna Lammers, McKenna Miller, Kailyn Northrop, Madison Beaune).

6:30 — 2A girls 100 meters (Kate Barkema, South Hamilton).

7:00 — 2A girls 400 meters (Ashlyn Erickson, South Hamilton).

FRIDAY

2:00 — 2A girls discus (Mackenzy Grady, South Hamilton).

3:20 — 2A boys 110-meter high hurdles (Tanner Blue, South Hamilton).

4:00 — 3A boys 4×200-meter relay (Webster City — Jaxon Cherry, Keegan Hisler, Charlie Stansfield, CJ Hisler).

4:30 — 2A girls 4×200-meter relay (South Hamilton — Makena Galetich, Kelbe Krumm, Tanna Thompson, Kate Barkema).

4:30 — 2A girls high jump (Grace Neuberger, South Hamilton).

4:30 — 2A boys discus (Austin Busch, South Hamilton).

4:30 — 3A boys shot put (JJ Moore, Webster City).

5:20 — 3A girls 400-meter hurdles (Adeline Tesdahl, Webster City).

6:20 — 2A girls 4×100-meter relay (South Hamilton — Kate Barkema, Ashlyn Erickson, Makena Galetich, Kelbe Krumm).

SATURDAY

9 a.m. — 2A girls sprint medley relay (South Hamilton — Kate Barkema, Makena Galetich, Kelbe Krumm, Ashlyn Erickson).

*Potential for additional events during Saturday’s finals if athletes qualify through the prelims on Thursday and Friday.