Brumbaugh blasts past competition to win Drake Relays title

DES MOINES — Jadan Brumbaugh, last one out. Jadan Brumbaugh first at Drake. She became the first female shot put Drake Relays champion Thursday.

There is a saying at Mt. Pleasant that the state champion locks the gate, meaning the one who works the longest is the one who’s going to do the best.

“Jadan is that person, first one there and last to leave,” Panthers throw coach Shawn Striegel said. “It is so fun working with her and she is such a great kid.”

After she threw her second-best put, Striegel asked her, ’What do you do?’ Not happy with the answer he received, he asked again. She said, “I forget it” and he replied, ’That’s right because you can always do better.’

And she did, winning with a toss of 43 feet, 3 inches to better second place by nearly two feet.

Mid-Prairie’s Tori Boyse was 21st at 35-11¾.

Brumbaugh improved on nearly every throw starting at 41-3, then 41-3¼, a drop to 39-8¾, then 42-4¼.

"It’s just exciting to go up more with each throw,“ she said. ”When one is down, it’s not discouraging, its just another reason to go up.“

The winning throw was her fifth and her final throw was 42-11½.

“It was exciting and thrilling to put one out there at the end to win it all,” Brumbaugh said. “It feels really good and makes me excited for the rest of the year and then next year.”

She is just a junior and although she missed her sophomore season because the coronavirus shot it down, she thinks it helped.

“My technique this year has been better than ever,” she said. “It was terrible last year.”

Striegel said the weight room is led by some genius people: Rocco Russo, Thayer McElhinney and Mike Beason.

“This has always been a possibility for me,” she said. “It was just about putting the work in and doing it. But also having people behind my back and helping me along the way. Coaches have helped me a lot with everything.”

Brumbaugh likes throwing so much that she would throw “seven days a week if I let her,” Striegel said. “You put that much time and effort into something you’re going to get great results.”

Like the result of being a state champion with the title of Drake champion, essentially the best in the state regardless of class. Steve English (1994) was the last Mt. Pleasant shot put champion at Drake.

“We have some things to do to help her keep improving and make sure she has not reached her peak yet,” Striegel said.

Although she came in with the best throw of the season, she did not expect to win. “I knew there’s other people that want it as much as I want it, so I could’ve gotten beat. That’s just another reason to work harder.”

Brumbaugh would like to continue throwing at the University of Iowa.

“The girl there right now is throwing 50, but it’s all about the technique and the work you put into it and having a positive mindset.”

She has all of those things and a Drake Relays championship as well.