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Panther girls score 7 in 3A team race
Mt. Pleasant finishes just outside of Top-25; Washington’s Messinger scores 3
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DES MOINES — All three of the Union area’s big schools had competitors in the Class 3A girls competition at the 2025 Iowa High School State Track and Field Meet. It was Mt. Pleasant that fared the best, scoring seven total team points.
The Panthers scored three of those points in the school’s final race. The 4X100-meter relay squad of Kynlee White, Alex Scott, Taylor Williamson and Kiyah Sanders finished sixth, in 49.11 seconds.
“It’s fun to be able to get to get the opportunity to compete at the state level,” said White. “And to have my girls here with me.”
It’s a young Panther squad, as White and Scott are both juniors while Sanders is a sophomore, and Williamson was making her first run at state, as a freshman.
“It’s a little bit of pressure, honestly,” Williamson said. “But it’s pretty fun.”
The 4X200 team of Ellie Freeman, White, Sanders and Scott missed the finals by two in the preliminaries, but the 4X100 was able to take sixth in both the preliminaries and the final race.
“As a whole, I’m grateful for the whole opportunity,” said Sanders. “It’s wild. Everyone’s up in the stands yelling, and I just like to pretend it’s me they’re yelling for.”
Scott, who qualified in four events, scored three more points with a sixth-place 100-meter dash finish. She was involved in every point but the one Ella Ensminger scored with an eighth-place performance in the shot put.
“The girls are so fun,” Scott said of her teammates. “They’re fun to hang out with outside of the track, on the track, everything. They bring good vibes.”
Washington’s three points came in the 400-meter hurdles. Leighton Messinger dominated the first heat, crossing in 1:06.58, and ended up sixth overall.
“I just knew to give it my all,” the Demon junior said. “I didn’t look back.”
Messinger said she was happy to make up for a missed final in the 100-meter hurdles, and reflected on her friendship with Southeast Conference rival Lilly Bergren of Fairfield.
“Lilly is a great athlete and an amazing person,” Messinger said. “We support each other no matter what.”
Bergren and Messinger were 10th and 17th in the 100-hurdles, and Bergren took 22nd in the 400-hurdles.
“(Leighton) is such a great person and a great competitor, and she’s always kind,” Bergren said. “We have one of the best competitions ever, and it’s never malicious. We’re so grateful for each other.”
Bergren, a senior, qualified in three events but was unable to score.
