Sports

Kee boys track and field junior Justin Wagner makes his way around the Drake Stadium track competing in the 3200 meter run at the Class 1A State Track & Field Meet in Des Moines Thursday, May 22. Competing for the second consecutive season among Class 1A’s distance-running best in that season grand finale, Wagner equaled his 17th-place finish from last spring in the 24-runner field, clocking in with a personal-best time of 10:15.90. The Class 1A 3200 meter run State Championship for 2025 was won by North Iowa senior Gavin Grunhovd in a time of 9:22.99. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on The Standard website, www.waukonstandard.com.

Winters claims bronze medal in close 100 meter hurdles finals, soars to fourth place in long jump

The 2025 Iowa High School State Track & Field Meet was a bit of a rollercoaster ride for the four young ladies representing the Kee girls track and field program at this season’s grand finale held at Drake Stadium in Des Moines Thursday-Saturday, May 22-24. When that ride finally came to an end, a pair of bright, shiny medals were earned, and the promise of an even brighter future also shined through, as all four of those Lady Hawks are underclassmen who are eligible to return for anywhere from one to three more seasons of competition.

Lady Indians qualify their 4x800 and 4x400 relays, sophomore Blythe Bucknell also advances in shot put

The Waukon girls track and field team was trying to take advantage of the opportunity to keep its season alive for one more week in as many events as possible when the Lady Indians competed in their Class 2A State Qualifying Meet hosted by Crestwood in Cresco Thursday, May 15. For three events that opportunity became reality, as the Lady Indians recorded the top-two event placewinning required to automatically qualify for this season’s State Track and Field Meet in Des Moines in both the 4x800 and 4x400 relays, in addition to the shot put.

Winters qualifies in four events, joins Mudderman, Strong and Mohn in earning shuttle hurdle relay berth

The Kee girls track and field team had the opportunity to lengthen its season by another week to every high school track and field athlete’s ultimate destination when the Lady Hawks competed in their Class 1A State Qualifying Meet hosted by Edgewood-Colesburg on an initially warm and very windy Thursday, May 15. Kee’s girls made the most of that opportunity in four different events, automatically qualifying for this season’s State Track and Field Meet with two event championships while also earning at-large qualification in two more by having their performances be one of the top-14 non-championship efforts put forth at Thursday’s 10 Class 1A State Qualifying Meets held across the state of Iowa.

Junior Justin Wagner runs to second consecutive at-large State Meet qualification in 3200 meter run

The Kee boys track and field team was competing to try and extend its season as much as possible when the Hawks took part in the Class 1A State Qualifying Meet hosted by Edgewood-Colesburg in Edgewood on an initially warm and very windy Thursday, May 15. That extension of the season was achieved by one of this season’s team members, as junior distance specialist Justin Wagner ran his way to a second consecutive qualification for the Class 1A State Track and Field Meet in the 3200 meter run with a fourth-place finish that earned him an at-large State Meet berth. For the rest of this season’s Hawks, their season came to a close as Kee finished 13th in the final 14-team standings at Thursday’s meet.

Shuttle hurdle relay earns automatic qualification; 4x800, Reisinger in the 3200m and Leppert in the 800m also advance

The Waukon boys track and field team was looking to extend its season as much as it could when the Indians competed in their Class 2A State Qualifying Meet hosted by Crestwood High School in Cresco Thursday, May 15. Following immediate completion of that qualifying event, the track Tribe knew the season would continue on for one event after the shuttle hurdle relay squad claimed a required top-two placewinning, but as the dust settled over the next couple days it became clear that three other events also earned their way to the season grand finale by way of at-large qualification by virtue of one of the next eight-best performances at the eight Class 2A State Qualifying Meets from across the state of Iowa.

Members of the girls and boys track and field teams from all five schools still in the Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) came together for this group photo at the end of this year’s NEIC Meet hosted by Waukon High School Thursday, May 8. This 2024-2025 school year marks the end of the Northeast Iowa Conference, which started in 1920 as the state of Iowa’s first interscholastic conference. The NEIC had been a seven-team athletic conference since 1970, when Waukon joined the conference, and remained that way until Oelwein departed in 2022. Waverly-Shell Rock was voted out of the conference and ceased membership at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, with Waukon, New Hampton and Crestwood now joining the Upper Iowa Conference for the 2025-2026 school year, Charles City joining the North Central Conference this next school year as well, and Decorah and Waverly-Shell Rock remaining as independent schools without any conference affiliation for the upcoming school year.
 

The Waukon girls golf team played in a pair of final dual or invitational events this past week, coming up shy of recording a win over any of its three opponents faced. The Lady Indians played their final dual meet and home event Monday, May 5, hosting Class 2A fourth-rated New Hampton and falling by a 224-175 final result, before finishing third at the 18-hole Turkey Valley triangular Thursday, May 8.

The Waukon girls were next scheduled to wrap up their regular season with the Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) Tournament at Charles City Monday, May 12 before playing in their First Round Regional Tournament Friday, May 16 at New Hampton.

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The Waukon boys golf team played in a pair of multi-team events this past week and came out on top of both of those competitions, leaving all five of the teams they competed against behind to play to an undefeated week. The Indians won a four-team quadrangular of nine-hole competition at New Hampton Tuesday, May 6 before doing likewise against two other teams in 18 holes of play at the Turkey Valley triangular Thursday, May 8.

The Waukon boys were next scheduled to wrap up their regular season playing in the Northeast Iowa Conference Golf Tournament hosted by New Hampton Monday, May 12. They will then prepare for their Class 2A Sectional Tournament being played Wednesday, May 14 at North Fayette Valley.

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The Kee boys track and field team brought its regular season schedule to a close this past week with a pair of final meets, both of them hosted by MFL/MarMac in Monona. The Hawks finished sixth at the MFL/MarMac Invitational Monday, May 5 before claiming a seventh-place finish at the annual Upper Iowa Conference Meet held Thursday, May 8.

The Hawks are next scheduled to try and extend their season as much as they can when they compete in their Class 1A State Qualifying Meet scheduled for Thursday, May 15 at Edgewood-Colesburg.

For more complete coverage, pick up this week's print edition or subscribe to our e-edition or print edition by clicking here.