Hostetler and Evans pace Golden Hawks at Drake Relays

DES MOINES — Mid-Prairie has long been know for its outstanding runners, whether that be in track and field or cross-country.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday during the famed Drake Relays in Des Moines, they proved it once again.

The Golden Hawks represented in four total events.

Mitzi Evans, who has been dominant all season when gracing the track, led Mid-Prairie, representing in all but one event and she did not disappoint.

Evans got the ball rolling for the Golden Hawks in the 400-meter dash. She came into the competition holding the ninth best time in the state, a 57.80.

The run on Friday was anyone’s race, with less than a second separating one through four. Evans finished with a season best 56.98 for a fourth-place finish, matching her 2021 finish.

Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Gabby Cortez took the title with a 56.15.

Now with state right around the corner, that’s the focus.

With a fourth-place finish in the event at the state meet a year ago, Evans showed she’s in the conversation for a title this season.

Sophomore Danielle Hostetler, like Evans ended her day with a fourth-place finish. Hostetler’s finish came in the 1500-meter.

Hostetler has been spectacular in the event this season thus far and after an injury that put her season in doubt, Hostetler said shes glad to be back.

“All the glory of God,” she said. “Honestly, I don't know how I came back from an injury like that. I worked in the pool and cross training for so many hours a day. But honestly, when it comes down to it, it was a god thing.”

Coming into the race, she held the best time across the state, 4:41.71.

Hostetler led straight out of the gates, up until the 700-meter mark. It was then a battle between the top four finishers. The top two runners pulled away in the final 100-meters and Hostetler missed out on third by just over one second, finishing with a time of 4:45.99.

“I wanted to get out of the pack,” Hostetler said. “I know there's so much commotion back there that you can get pushed and fall. And so I was just trying to get out and away from all that. And then just do what I could from there.”

At the finish, it was Carlisle’s Ainsley Erzen taking the title, posting a new state season best 4:36.27. Erzen bested her previous time by eight seconds.

It was big improvement for Hostetler, moving up six spots from last year, in which she finished 10th.

Hostetler, who was last years 1500-meter state champion, said she just wants to run as best as she can.

“My goal’s for state are to just run as hard as I can and just see where I end up,” she said.

The Golden Hawks also put together a brilliant showing in the 800-meter sprint medley.

A group made up of Madeline Schrader, Amara Jones, Tabitha Evans and Mitzi Evans picked up a fifth-place finish in the event.

Their previous time of 1:50.22 was the fifteenth best in the state, but quartet posted topped that on Friday with a new personal best of 1:48.97.

The Golden Hawks were just under three seconds behind top finishers Western Dubuque, 1:46.01.

Mid-Prairie finished 21st in the sprint medley at state last year. They’re on pace to contend for a title this season.

Emma Lueck, Alyssa McDowell, Tabitha Evans and Mitzi Evans also represented in the 4x100. The group ran hard, but fell short of a spot in the finals. They finished with a time of 51.69 in the qualifying round.

When the Golden Hawks return to the Blue Oval for the Iowa State Track and Field Championships, they will be searching for their fourth straight track and field championship.