Friday’s field events: Benjamin takes fourth in high jump

DES MOINES — It was a busy Friday morning for the area’s field stars as the throws and jumps began bright and early at Drake Stadium.

The best result of the day went to New London junior Kade Benjamin, who kept his hot streak alive with a fourth-place finish in the boys’ high jump.

Benjamin cleared 6 feet, 7 inches on his first try, another big mark for a leaper who has cleared 6-foot-6 five meets in a row. He did so indoors, as the high jump competition was moved to the field house due to rain.

“ (My confidence) is starting to go up a lot, especially with the consistency,” Benjamin said. “The four meets before this, 6-6, 6-7, 6-9, 6-6 and now 6-7. Consistency is key.”

Benjamin’s fourth-place finish was tops among all Class 1A-3A jumpers. The only jumpers higher were from Class 4A schools.

Benjamin says his 6-for-7 jump felt sharp.

“The 6-7 jump felt like the best jump I had today,” Benjamin said. “It was just all clicking.”

Benjamin wasn’t the only Top-10 high jumper for the Union coverage area. Mid-Prairie’s Cain Brown cleared 6-foot-3, tying him for 10th-place.

As Benjamin hit the field house for the high jump, Pekin’s Kerrigan Pope was pulling off a fantastic outing in the girls’ discus throw. Pope made the finals from the first flight and walked out with a fifth-place finish.

The Pekin senior launched the discus 123 feet in her third attermpt to make the finals. On her second extra throw, Pope threw her day’s best, a toss of 124 feet, 9 inches.

It was a a good day for small schools in that event. English Valley’s Kennedy Axmear won the event with a throw of 131 feet, 6 inches. Nashua-Plainfield’s Breanna Hackman finished fourth, with a throw of 127 feet, 4 inches.

New London’s Carter Allen finished his Drake Relays with a 10th-place finish in the boys’ shot put. He was knocked out of the Top-9 on the last throw of the day, narrowly placing him outside of the finals-qualifying spots.

“I felt OK in the shot put, but I know I have a lot more in the tank,” said Allen, who threw 50 feet, 9.5 inches. “I'm hoping to work on form and better myself in this next week.”

It was Allen’s second event of the weekend. On Thursday, he finished 15th in the discus throw.

“It was a really good experience just kind of chilling in the hotel and having fun,” Allen said. “Just knowing you made it is a great feeling.”

Allen, along with Washington’s Brayden Hartman had to shoot in rough conditions. Rain came down throughout the shot put competition, effecting throw after throw.

“Water is not my friend,” joked Hartman, who finished 24th, with a throw of 46 feet, 8.75 inches. “I had a bad day. You can have those, but it's OK.”

Like Allen, Hartman reflected on what it meant to be a qualifier for the most elite meet of the year.

“I'm proud to be here,” Hartman said. “I put in a lot of work this year, and now I know what I need to work on.”

There were no finals for the area’s girls long jumpers. Highland’s Sarah Burton lept 16 feet, 3.25 inches, for 14th. Fairfield’s Kelsey Pacha jumped 16 feet, 2.25 inches, to tie for 18th.