Mid-Prairie boys have good weekend at state track

DES MOINES — It wasn’t what sons of Mid-Prairie fathers wanted, but it was a good weekend for the Golden Hawks at the Class 2A state track meet in Drake Stadium.

Cain Brown had hopes of winning a state title at most and at least, breaking the tie he has with his father, Stacey Brown, for the school record of 6 feet, 6 inches in the high jump.

“I started the high jump in middle school, and I’ve always had the goal of my dad’s record,” Brown said. Neither was accomplished, but Brown earned a medal with his eighth-place finish Friday, clearing 6-3.

“I was hoping to do better. At least I placed. It was tough conditions with water all over. I still felt I should’ve done better, so I am a little disappointed. On a couple of jumps my foot gave out in the water but what can you do?”

At his second attempt at 6-1, a photographer was chased out of the area so Brown’s one minute clock was restarted. “It kind of got in my head, but I decided to wipe it away. I just cleared my brain before I jumped. he used all of the time he had, running up to the bar but not jumping, then restarting. He cleared the height with a second on the clock.

Brown ran to the stands a number of times to talk to his coach.

“He was telling me to keep my curve and do my lean to launch myself up over the bar. My form was not great. I was just running straight at the bar instead of keeping my curve toward it.”

Thaddeus Shetler had the best finish of the Golden Hawks boys with his seventh place in the 1600 meters Saturday, finishing in 4 minutes, 27 seconds flat.

Jamison Stutzman finished 10th in the 800 Saturday in 2:01.43, and he was eighth in the 3200 Thursday in 9:58.14.

Thursday saw Clarke Latcham lead the shuttle hurdle relay with Luke Albright, Kaden Meader and Brown, placing 17th in 1:05.19. Shetler, Chandler Hershberger, Meader and Stutzman ran the 4x800 to a 16th-place time of 8:34.79. Josh Wallington was 24th in the shot put at 40 feet, 7 1/4 inches.

Friday the 4x100 meter relay placed 19th in 45.35 seconds with Nathan Quinby, Will Cavanagh, Latcham and Brown. Latcham, Caleb Thomas, Cavanagh and Carter Harmsen were 14th in the 4x200 relay in 1:33.16. The distance medley was 18th in 3:47.53 with Quinby, Harmsen, Cavanagh and Shetler.

Latcham qualified for state in the 400 hurdles but hurt a muscle in a relay and did not run.