Daily Newsletters
Account
Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
Heyne makes splash in opening week
English Valleys, Iowa Valley and Williamsburg all compete in first week of indoor season
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Outdoor track and field meets are just a couple weeks away, but the short indoor season kicked off this week in the state of Iowa.
Several area teams competed this week at the Dickinson Relays, held by the University of Northern Iowa, and the IATC Indoor Championships, hosted by Iowa State University.
English Valleys’ Gage Heyne made the biggest splash in week one, reaching a new 1600-meter personal best of 4:25.64.
Dickinson Relays
CEDAR FALLS — Boys competed Monday and girls Tuesday in the big UNI track meet last week.
The English Valleys’ boys competed in 10 events. Heyne had the highest individual finish in the 1600, placing sixth in a mostly Class 4A field.
The Bears totaled six personal bests to kick off their season.
On Tuesday, the Williamsburg girls kicked off their season, competing in 12 events and producing 15 personal bests.
Ailea Wetjen had the highest finish, making the finals in the 60-meter and placing 16th.
IATC boys indoor championships
AMES — The IATC Indoor Championships were also a two-day event.
The English Valleys’ boys took a full squad to Ames Thursday and scored 26 team points, playing sixth in Class 1A.
The Bears’ distance medley relay of Ben Coffman, Deshon Anderson, Braydon Anderson and Heyne placed second in a time of 3:42.43.
Heyne finished runner-up in the 800-meter with a time of 1:57.95, and, to end his day, Heyne won the 3200 in a time of 9:58.72.
The Bears’ senior qualified in four events at state last season and is coming off a fourth-place finish at state cross-country last fall.
Kane Axmear threw a personal best in the shotput.
The Iowa Valley boys also competed Thursday, placing fourth as a team with 32 team points.
Nolan Kriegel, with a jump of 20 feet, was runner-up in the long jump, and Caleb Haack placed third in both the 60-meter and the 200-meter.
The 4x400 relay team finished fourth.
IATC girls indoor championship
AMES — The English Valleys’ girls kicked off their season Friday, returning a youthful squad that took home the team conference title in outdoor track last season.
The Bears scored 27 team points in 1A and had a runner-up finish in the 4x800 relay with a time of 10:45.85 from Addison and Aubrey Achenbach, Kaylynn Caster and Anna Luers.
Luers is coming off a stellar freshman season in cross-country, leading the Bears to the state meet and a fifth-place finish.
Ava Gehrking, returning state medalist, made the finals in the 60-meter and placed third in a time of 8.06. Gehrking also placed third in the 200 and fifth in the long jump.
Iowa Valley took three athletes to the indoor championship Friday. Lydia Kriegel placed fourth in the shotput.
In 3A, Williamsburg scored 9 1/2 team points.
Wetjen placed eighth in the 200-meter in a time of 26.52.
The Raiders placed in the top eight in two other field events. Ellie Nielsen high jumped over five feet, one inch (1.55m) for sixth place, and Lilly Ness placed third in shotput with a throw of 35 feet, five inches (11.11m).
Indoor meets continue for two more weeks as teams get prepped for the outdoor season the end of the month.
