District Track Preview: 1A-11 (West Harrison)
NOTE: This is the first of a three part preview of the district track meets. We will also be posting preview meets for Mount Ayr and Treynor.
It's a loaded field for 1A District 11 as teams vie for spots at the state track meet in Des Moines next weekend.
The lone area team competing in the district will be East Mills. They have their competitors though as Fremont-Mills, Sidney, St. Albert, Tri-Center, Westwood, Whitling and West Monona are among the teams competing.
One likely contender for a state qualifier is Sam Rew. The Corner Conference champion in high jump has been outstanding for the Wolverines this season.
Rew's best shot is in the high jump, but he'll face a tough competitor in Fremont-Mills' Parker Powers.
Both Powers and Rew have been competitive against each other this season, most recently at the Corner Conference meet last Tuesday. Powers is first in the district with 6'4", while Rew is second with 6'2". In the rest of Class 1A, Rew is tied for ninth, while Powers is tied for fifth.
Also possible contenders in the field include Fremont-Mills' Mackenzy Lang (5'10" in 3rd) and Alec Moorman of East Mills (5'6").
Rew also has a chance in the hurdles, specifically the shuttle hurdles. Rew, Moorman, Dylan Schroeder and Ben Christensen have the second best time in the district with 1:05.89 at Underwood.
Schroeder meanwhile has a shot in the 400-meter hurdles. Schroeder's best time is 1:02.21 (hand time conversion) at Tabor, which puts him seventh in the field. William Parsley of Whitling has the best time in the district with 57.74 at Sloan.
East Mills also has a shot in the 4x400. The best time was from the team of Noah Meyer, Miguel Sanchez, Austin Edmunds and Josh Hopkins as they ran a 3:40.83 (hand time conversion) at the Corner Conference meet last week. It's second in the district behind St. Albert and 31st in Class 1A.
Meyer himself is a potential contender in the 400-meter dash. The senior ran a 53.81 at Underwood (55th in Class 1A), which puts him fifth in the district field. Glen Bertlesen of St. Albert is first with 52.59.
The other relay contender for the boys team will be the 4x100 team for East Mills. Josh Hopkins, Christensen, Cavin Darnold and Nick Perkins posted a time of 47.14 (hand time conversion) at Tabor, which places them fifth in the district.
Darnold is a 100-meter dash candidate for the boys team. His time of 11.86 at Shenandoah (hand time conversion) is seventh in the district.
The girls team for East Mills has a couple of contenders in the field for West Harrison.
Sarai Waddell is one of the contenders for the Wolverines. Waddell has been the top high jumper for the team and is second in the district with 5'. Waddell is second behind Fremont-Mills' Kelsey Hurley.
Waddell also has the eighth fastest time in the 400-meter hurdles with 1:14.38.
Kelsey Croghan will be a potential contender for the girls team. Croghan has the sixth fastest time in the 100-meter dash field with 13.60. She'll have to contend with Sidney's Lexy Larsen and possibly Hurley, as well.
The meet in Mondamin starts at 4 p.m.