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Warriors cap state meet with 4x400 title
Gehrking places in top 4 in 100 and 200
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DES MOINES — HLV-TC’s Emery Hall had to give everything she had, and then some, on the homestretch.
But it all paid off, as the HLV-TC girls were crowned champions in the Class 1A girls’ 4x400-meter Saturday to cap of Saturday’s 1A girls’ competition at the State Track and Field meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Emery Hall out-kicked all her competitors in a tight finish as the Warriors ran a big season best of 4:02.22, edging AGWSR by .48 seconds.
“We knew going in we had the confidence we could win,” Emery Hall said. “Last year we ran 4:19, so to come out this year and run 4:02 and be state champs, it means a lot,” Ema Roberts said.
The Warriors merger with Tri-County has made all the success from this year’s state meet even more special.
“Being able to be together these past two years and build our relays and relationships, it means so much more,“ Roberts said.
HLV-TC concluded with two state titles and six state medals out of seven qualifying events.
“As soon as we merged, we merged to make sure we had enough to play sports,” Ayla Hall said. “I didn’t think anyone ever could have imagine what we’ve done.’
The Warriors tied for fifth in the team race, scoring more points than any other area team at this year’s state meet — 31.
“This year I knew from the get-go, we needed to show people what we are capable of, and I think we just did that,” Aaliyah Cooper said.
Earlier in the day, Roberts placed seventh in the 200-meter final, and Emery Hall broke the 2:20 barrier to finish eighth in the 800. It was Hall’s first individual state medal.
“It feels really good after coming in 18th last year,” said Emery Hall. “I’ve been practicing a lot this year and it’s been fun to work on with my teammates”
English Valleys’ Ava Gehrking improved on her fifth place finish as a freshman in the 100, running a new personal best of 12.38 to finish runner-up at state this weekend.
“It felt pretty good,” Gehrking said. “I just got to remember to power out really hard between steps.”
Gehrking ran the 200 later and nearly made the podium again, coming in fourth.
To start the day, Gehrking ran a leg on the team’s 12th-place sprint medley relay. Gehrking was responsible for all of the Bears’ 13 team points.
“It feels really great to accomplish such great things,” said Gehrking. “I couldn’t do it without my peers and coaches.”
Belle Plaine’s Kennedy Coover ran a personal best in the 800 to cap of the Plainsmen’s qualifying events.
After a strong state-qualifying meet, the Plainsmen competed in five total events at this year’s state meet on the girls’ side.
Area results
Class 1A Girls
Sprint medley — 12. English Valleys (Lown, Koehn, Gehrking, Luers), 1:53.93
800 — 8. Emery Hall (HLV-TC), 2:19.37; 23. Kennedy Coover (Belle Plaine), 2:32.28
100 — 2. Ava Gehrking (English Valleys), 12.38
200 — 4. Ava Gehrking (English Valleys), 25.97; 7. Ema Roberts (HLV-TC), 26.83
4x400—1. HLV-TC (A. Hall, Roberts, Coop, E. Hall), 4:02.22
