Pekin boys lead area teams with 13 qualifiers

By head coach Davis Eidahl?s own admission, the Pekin boys? track and field team lacks in starpower this season.

Relatively speaking, that is.

No longer do the Pekin boys have state champion Bryce Sines, nor do they have Derek Morales or Trey Sathoff. Still, thanks to depth at nearly every position, the Panthers are primed to make a splash when they compete later this week at the Iowa state track and field championships.

Pekin will be represented by 13 athletes in eight events on the famous blue oval, and expectations appear highest for the top-seeded medley relay team of Chase Copeland, Quentin Garrels, Christian Wittrock and Eli Harper. The relay won in 3:44.59 at the district meet last Thursday and shaved more than two seconds off their previous best in the process.

Copeland, Garrels and Christian Wittrock are set for a busy weekend as they will also represent Pekin alongside freshman Keaton Winn in the 4x100 and 4x200. The 4x200 automatically qualified with a win in 1:34.34, and the 4x100 finished third in 45.64 to sneak in the back door.

?It?s such a young group with two freshmen and a sophomore, but Quentin has done a real nice job as the senior leader of the group,? said Eidahl.

Graham Wittrock, Cade Millikin, Austin Fariss and Harper also have their eyes on a medal in the 4x800 after running a season best of 8:28 at the district meet. Graham Wittrock and Harper just missed out on scoring for Pekin at last year?s state meet, finishing ninth in 8:32 along with Tyson Lamb and Tim Murray.

Cory Loyd, a senior, will be competing in two events for Pekin. Loyd qualified in the 400 hurdles (58.60), and Loyd, Colton Lanman, Tanner Adam and Chase Earnest posted a state-qualifying run in the shuttle hurdle relay (1:02.42).

In the field, Pekin?s Eric Adam qualified in both throws. Adam made it in the discus at 126-feet, 9-inches, and the junior qualified in the shot put at 45-feet, 1.5-inches.

Cardinal and Van Buren will be represented at the state meet, as well. Brayden Starnes, Wyatt Cole, Garrett Saunders and Thomas Fitzsimmons qualified Van Buren in the 4x800 with a time of 8:37. The shuttle hurdle team of Jonathan Pedersen, Tyler Albert, Neil Urtado and Charlie Rachford will be representing Cardinal after running to a 1:02.23 finish at their Class 2A district meet.

The state track meet kicks off at 9 a.m. Thursday.