Tigers capture 8 titles at East Marshall

The first full week of the outdoor track and field season saw chilly weather and some canceled and postponed meets for area schools.

Here is a look at some area results this week:

Benton Early Bird

VAN HORNE — The Belle Plaine boys track and field team opened its season Monday at the Benton Early Bird.

The Plainsmen placed sixth, scoring 46 team points.

Lane Vokoun took home the title in the boys long jump with a mark of 20 feet and 10 3/4 inches.

Vokoun’s night did not stop there. The Plainsmen senior also set a personal best in 110-meter high hurdles (15.30), placing second and anchored the team’s fifth place 4x100 relay.

The Plainsmen were third in the sprint medley relay, anchored by Sam Demeulenaere. Demeulenaere added a runner-up finish in the 400 in a time of 52.37 and was fourth in the 800.

Meskwaki Co-ed Relays

The BGM and HLV-TC track and field teams were set to open their outdoor seasons Monday at Meskwaki, but the meet was postponed.

Ruritan Relays

PACKWOOD — The English Valleys boys track and field team placed second out of six teams Monday at Pekin.

The Bears scored 134 team points, right behind Pekin with 143.

As a team, the Bears won four events and added runner-up finishes in three more.

Everett Bender won the high jump, clearing five feet and seven inches, while Gage Heyne won the 3200-meter and the 1600.

The Bears won the distance medley relay and were second in the 4x200.

Braydon Anderson was runner-up in the 100 and 200.

Belle Plaine Girls Invitational

The Belle Plaine Girls Invitational scheduled for Tuesday was canceled due to the weather.

Wind chills in the 20s and wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour prompted officials to cancel the meet, the first of the outdoor season for six area teams — Belle Plaine, BGM, English Valleys, HLV-TC, Iowa Valley and Montezuma.

Bullette Invitational

MEDIAPOLIS — Ava Gehrking of English Valleys opened her outdoor season with two golds in Mediapolis Thursday.

Gehrking won the 100-meter in a time of 12.81 and the 200 in 26.59.

The English Valleys girls track and field team placed fourth with 60 team points.

Kailor Lown added another gold for the Bears in the 100 hurdles in a time of 17.37.

The sprint medley relay finished runner-up.

The Iowa Valley girls had one athlete in action, Lydia Kriegel, who scored 14 team points for the Tigers.

Kriegel placed runner-up in the discus with a throw of 126 feet, 7 1/4 inches and was third in the shot put.

Gassman Early Bird

LA PORTE CITY — In a 15 team field at the Gassman Early Bird, the HLV-TC girls finished second behind Class 3A West Delaware with 92 1/2 team points.

The Warriors won five events.

Ema Roberts, who has already hit the Drake Relays blue standard, won the high jump, clearing five feet, seven inches again. She added a victory in the 200-meter.

The returning state qualifying quartet of Lily Randall, Aaliyah Cooper and Emery and Ayla Hall won the sprint medley in 1:52.47 and finished runner-up in the distance medley.

Raelene Hawkins added a victory in the discus as the Warriors had a solid showing in their outdoor opener, with nine total top three finishes.

The BGM girls totaled eight team points on the night. Those points came from fifth-place finishes in the shuttle hurdle and from Emersyn Minnaert in 100-meter hurdles.

East Marshall Early Bird

MARSHALLTOWN — Due to weather, the East Marshall Early Bird meet was moved from Tuesday to Friday. Both the Iowa Valley and BGM boys track and field teams were in action.

The Tigers took home the team title with 115 points, a day after competing at Belle Plaine.

Tigers dominated the relays as they took home titles in the 4x100, 4x200, 4x400, 4x800 and sprint medley relays.

Jeffrey Crawford added a victory in the 400, Nolan Kriegel in the long jump and Mason Hoyt in the shot put.

BGM scored 52 points as a team.

Dakota Heisman won the 110 hurdles in 15.82.

The Bears also had some solid performances in relays, finishing runner-up in the 4x100 and third in the 4x200, 4x800 and sprint medley.

Nathan Findlay added a runner-up finish in the long jump.

Montezuma was set to compete at East Marshall, but because the meet was moved to Friday, the team didn’t make the trip.

Vinton-Shellsburg Early Bird

VINTON — The Williamsburg boys placed sixth with 63 team points at Vinton Friday.

Rayce Heitman won the 200-meter in a time of 23.17. Heitman also ran with the runner-up quartets in the 4x100 and 4x200.

Ambert Bamrick cleared five feet, 10 inches in high jump for third place.

The Raiders placed fourth in several events.

HLV-TC scored 18 team points.

The Warriors had two fifth-place finishers: Peyton Roth in the 800 and Sean McCulloch in high jump.

Liberty Co-ed Inviational

The Williamsburg girls track and field team was set to open its outdoor season Saturday at Iowa City Liberty.

The meet was canceled due to weather conditions, and the Raiders will turn to their home meet Tuesday to open their outdoor season.