Hadley pounces on state opportunity

DES MOINES — The future sure is bright for the Pekin girls track and field team.

This weekend, the Panthers flexed their young muscles, scoring 25 points to tie for ninth in the Class 1A girls’ race.

Pekin's Anna Hadley raises her arms as she celebrates her winning throw during the 1A discus at the 2023 Iowa high School State Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, May 19, 2023. Hadley threw 134-10. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Freshman Anna Hadley had a big hand in those 25 points, scoring 16 from the throwing events. In just her first year at state, Hadley made her mark by winning the discus throw and finishing second in the shot put.

Hadley’s winning throw in the discus was 134 feet, 10 inches, which helped her win the competition by over three-and-a-half feet. English Valleys’ Kennedy Axmear threw 131-02 for second.

“I think they mismarked it, honestly,” joked Hadley after the win. “I did not think that was 134. I threw 126 earlier, and I thought that was the greatest thing ever.”

Hadley’s big throw came on her fourth attempt. She also threw 134-04 on the fifth, which also would have been good enough for the state title.

Hadley had quite a threw big time throwers right behind her. She had to sweat out not only Axmear, but Saint Ansgar’s Madison Hillman, who took third, and shot put champion Audi Crooks of Bishop Garrigan, who came in fourth.

“I was so happy,” Hadley said. “I was praying that they wouldn't pass me.”

Pekin's Anna Hadley throws during the 1A discus at the 2023 Iowa high School State Track & Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Friday, May 19, 2023. Hadley threw 134-10. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Hadley’s throw came in front of a large Pekin viewing gallery, filled with coaches, teammates and family.

“Usually, all throughout the season, there's nobody there, because the running events are all going on at the same time,” Hadley said. “It felt pretty great having a lot of people there.”

Hadley was almost eliminated from the shot put competition before the extra throws, sneaking by North Union’s Olivia Merrill for the final spot, with a throw of 36-04.50. Hadley improved to 39-00 on her fourth, and then 39-01.75 on her fifth to skyrocket to third place.

“Getting third in shot, I wasn't expecting,” Hadley said. “I didn't even think I made it to the finals.”

Fellow freshman Chloe Glosser joined the scoring barrage, finishing fifth in the 1500-meter run. in her first-ever solo state event, Glsser scored four points for the Panthers, finishing in 4:49.57.

The Pekin girls’ 4X800 team of Audrey Fariss, Alex Parsons, Brooke Miller and Glosser took fifth, finishing the race in 9:56.31. The Panthers grabbed another point in the high jump, where Kayse Miller was in a three-way tie for seventh, clearing 5 feet even.

The Panthers nearly had some more points in the form of the 4X200 squad of Claire Roth, Lilly Reneker, Fariss and Sabrina Reneker, and the distance medley team of Rneker, Reneker, Fariss and Glosser, but both of those quartets finished one spot away from scoring, in ninth.