Golden Hawks crowned state champions for 4th time in a row

DES MOINES — Winning has always been in the Mid-Prairie’s girls track and field team’s DNA.

Championship DNA is a thing, and the Golden Hawks have it.

On Saturday, the Golden Hawks of Mid-Prairie won their fourth consecutive 2A Iowa High School State Track and Field state championship.

They’re the first 2A girls’ team to win four in a row since Tipton from 2004-07.

It’s becoming routine for the four time champions.

The black and gold Golden Hawks racked up 65 total points, 10 more than second-place Van Meter to win the title.

The championship run was in large part due to the star quality of senior Mitzi Evans and sophomore Danielle Hostetler.

Over the course of the three day championships, the Golden Hawks accumulated a total of five state titles.

Hostetler continues a tradition of winning in her family.

The young standout got the Golden Hawks going with her second straight 3000-meter title on Thursday.

She now shares an outstanding 16 total state titles with her two older sisters Marie and Anna.

“First of all I just want to say all the glory to God,” Hostetler said. “I was injured at the beginning part of the season. God just gave me the strength to come back and do the best that I can.”

“It’s the best feeling in the entire world” she said. “To go through all that pain and then to just be able to win.”

Her sisters returned home from college to show their support.

“Just trying to make me not be so nervous,” she said. “It’s just special to have them here.

Sydney Yoder also had herself a great showing the 3000-meter with an fourth-place finish. Both her and Hostelter ran personal best.

Evans opened her outstanding final state championships with a blistering performance in the 400.

The star mid-distance runner crossed the line in personal record time of 56.36 for the Golden Hawks first ever state title in the 400.

“I’ve been wanting this for a long time,” she said. “I was really happy and thankful to God, because without him, there would be none of this.”

Mid-Prairie not only won its fourth straight state championship, but also the fourth consecutive distance medley title as well with Madeline Schrader, Amara Jones, Evans and Hostetler at the helm.

As the time whisked away, the Golden Hawks embraced knowing that their 4:07.96 time would be safe.

“That was amazing,” Hostetler said. “That was nerve-wracking watching the whole race. It was an amazing feeling.”

“I was trying to decided if I was more nervous watching that, or right before I started,” said Schrader.

Jones said watching the past distance medley teams and now winning was a great feeling.

“Just being able to watch those distance medley’s before and to be part of one, it’s just exciting,” Jones said.

Evans and Hostetler struck again in the 800-meter final.

At the start, Evans got pinched between two runners, but was quick to make her move.

By the end of the race, it was Evans crossing the finish line first in a personal record time of 2:12.56.

Hostetler followed her Golden Hawk teammate with a fourth-place finish in the event, clocking a personal record of 2:21.66.

Evans capped off her final state championship run with a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash. She posted personal record time of 25.26.

“I feel great,” Evan said. “It’s been such a great weekend. I’m so happy and thankful to God that he’s given me such a great weekend with a lot of victories and good times.”

The final event of the championships for the Golden Hawks was the 1500-meter.

Hostetler and Yoder started the Golden Hawks off strong and they did the same in the end.

Hostetler crossed the line in 4:42.95 for third and Yoder eighth in 5:00.10.

“Glad to be done,” Hostetler said. “All the glory to God for this whole weekend. We knew we couldn’t do it without him.”

“I was super nervous before the race,” Yoder said. “I was fearful and he helped me overcome that. In my weakness he is strong.”

The Golden Hawks great outcomes across the board over the three day event.

In the 4x100, the Golden Hawks just missed the final finishing ninth with a season-best of 51.18. Schrader, Alyssa McDowell, Tabitha Evans and Jones ran the event.

Madeline Nonnenmann placed 10th in the discus with a toss of 112 feet, five inches.

Ella Groenewold also finished 10th in high jump, clearing five feet.

In the 4x200, Schrader, Jones, Ella Groenewold and Tabitha Evans finished 11th.

The girls shuttle hurdle of Jones, Nora Pennington, Emily Schlabach and Behla Schmidt finished 13th.

Schrader, McDowell, Groenewold and Tabitha Evans were 14th in the sprint medley.

Emma Lueck was 21st in the long jump.

Greta Sieren, Annika Poll, Phoebe Shetler and Abby Fleming ended in 24th in the 4x800.

“We placed about where we thought we would in most things,” Mid-Prairie head coach Chris Tyler said. “The kids did an outstanding job. They came to perform, they were ready to go. They knew exactly what they needed to do, and they went out and did it.”