Millikin, Stutzman earn 2A medals in 3200

DES MOINES — Sibling rivalries can last a lifetime.

Pekin’s Brady Millikin now has the upper hand in his rivalry with his older brother. Millikin set the Panthers school record in the Class 2A 3200 meter race Thursday at the state track meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

“Not to brag or anything, but it was my brother’s record,” Millikin said. “He is going to be a little upset.”

Washington’s Lance Sobaski ran his personal best time by two seconds to finish 10th in Class 3A. Jamison Stutzman of Mid-Prairie was eighth in Class 2A to earn a medal.

Brady Griebel of Bellevue won the 2A race with a time of 9 minutes, 22.83 seconds. Millikin ran 9:47 flat, and Stutzman was at 9:58.14.

The 3A winner was Nate Mueller of ADM in 9:13.84. Sobaski was 9:53.88.

Millikin has always had a powerful kick, and it made the difference Thursday. He was in second place on the first lap, fell to eighth by the second lap. He was 11th, Stutzman 12th on the third and 12th and 13th halfway through.

No one’s final lap of the eight the race requires was quicker than Millikin’s, who’s final circle was run in 63 seconds, faster than any of the other 23 2A runners’ first or final lap.

“I have a general idea where I am at in the race, and I knew to make my goal of placing in the top eight I had to pick it up,” Millikin said.

It means a little more to break a school record held by a relative. Ryan Millikin set the Pekin record at the 2017 state meet when he finished third in Class 1A. Brady Millikin bested it by two seconds Thursday and improved his own best time by six seconds.

”I grew up watching him, and I know he worked hard so to get to that level is reassuring.“

Millikin has saved his best for the final meets of his senior year. His qualifying time to the state meet was his best time by 11 seconds. Thursday he bettered that by another six seconds.

Millikin ran anchor on the Panthers 4x800, which earned a sixth-place medal in 8:24.89. Freshman Jaedon Wolver ran lead, then Brayden Sobaski and Zach Wise got the baton to Millikin.

Stutzman just missed his PR by a second in the 3200.

“I would have liked to finished top five, but it was a tough day to race. It could have been better, but I gave it all I had. The pack broke up more than I wanted, but I wanted to pass as many guys I could at the end.”

He caught and passed a couple and out-leaned another for the medal.

Stutzman ran anchor on the 4x8 with Chandler Hershberger, Thaddeus Shetler and Ben Meader for Mid-Prairie, which was 16th in 8:34.79. Stutzman was helped from the finish area by his teammates.

Sobaski spent a couple laps in the top four but was crowded by the finish line on the sixth lap.

“I would have liked to have stayed up front longer,” Sobaski said. “My last lap, I used all the cheering from the high jump to get the adrenaline flowing.”