Five Waukon boys track seniors wrap up careers among Class 3A elite at State Track Meet
The four members of the Waukon boys track team 4x800 relay pictured above ran to the Indian boys’ best overall placewinning in the Class 3A competition at the Iowa High School State Track Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines Thursday, May 21, placing 16th overall out of 24 teams in a clocking of 8:32.81. The foursome placed fifth in their initial 12-team heat but had their time bettered by 11 out of the 12 teams in the second heat to end up 16th overall. Pictured above in the two photos, left to right, are seniors Adam Benzing and Marshall Lyons working the initial exchange in that 4x800 and junior Peyton Hesse and senior Landon Sivesind working the final exchange. That foursome also qualified in the same event last year, although Hesse was unable to compete in that State Meet due to a hip injury. Lyons also returned to the track Saturday morning, May 23 to place 21st overall in the Class 3A 800 meter run with a time of 2:07.30, finishing ninth in his initial 12-runner heat. View and find out how to purchase these photos and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link.
The Waukon boys track team ended its season where every high school track program dreams of, competing among the state’s elite in the Class 3A field of the Iowa High School State Track Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines Thursday through Saturday, May 21-23. Within the four events that qualified for this year’s season grand finale, the Indians performed to placewinnings within the Class 3A top-20 in three of them, just missing that mark in the fourth as well.
This end to the 2015 campaign was unique in that it saw every senior member on this season’s Waukon boys track team qualify in at least one even for this year’s State Track Meet. Four of those five seniors competed in the Thursday, May 21 opening day of events, including the veteran trio of Marshall Lyons, Adam Benzing and Landon Sivesind that teamed up with junior Peyton Hesse to record the Indians’ highest finish at the meet. That foursome clocked in at 8:32.81 to finish fifth in their 12-team heat and 16th place overall in the 24-team Class 3A field. Gilbert won the Class 3A 4x800 relay championship in a time of 7:56.68, with that team including the senior pair of Wyatt Rhoads and Thomas Pollard, sons of Iowa State University football coach Paul Rhoads and Athletic Director Jamie Pollard.
Also competing Thursday was senior Jake Ronan, who ran to a 20th-place overall finish in the Class 3A 400 meter dash with a time of 53.53 seconds, placing seventh in his eight-runner flight. The Class 3A 400 meter dash title was won by Will Ontiveros, a junior from Davenport Assumption in a time of 48.82 seconds.
Fellow senior Travis Herman was the only Indian competing Friday, May 22, making a return trip in the long jump. Herman marked two jumps of 19’4.75” and 18’9.75”, the first of those placing him ninth in his 12-team flight and 18th overall out of 24 Class 3A long jump competitors to miss out on the top-eight finish that is required to advance to the event finals. Senior Ty Cassutt of West Delaware won the Class 3A long jump championship with a leap of 21’11.5”.
Lyons wrapped up the Indians’ State Meet effort, competing in the Class 3A 800 meter run Saturday morning, May 23. The senior’s final two laps around Drake’s big blue oval resulted in a time of 2:07.30 that placed Lyons ninth in his 12-runner heat and 21st overall out of 23 Class 3A runners. Creston senior Jay Wolfe won the Class 3A 800 meter championship in a time of 1:55.18.
