Trojan girls prep for busy weekend in Des Moines

Few Trojans ever have an opportunity to defend a state title, let alone two.

But Fairfield senior Sydney Howard will get that chance in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with the start of the Iowa state track and field championships today.

Howard opens the 100-dash prelims at 4:20 p.m. today and follows with the 200 prelims at 6:20 p.m. She is seeded third in the 100 behind Davenport Assumption?s Rose Ripslinger and Emma Bassier, and she holds the sixth fastest time in all of Class 3A in the 200 this season.

?One thing I can tell you about Sydney is she?ll be a different runner on the blue track,? Fairfield head coach Ron Hunerdosse said. ?I think you?ll see a different girl up there. I?m not predicting a victory ... but all I want her to do is compete like a champion and act like a champion.?

Over the years, Drake Stadium has been a home away from home for Howard, who is looking to become a rare four-time place winner. She finished fifth in the 100 and sixth in the 200 as a freshman and improved her position each of the following seasons. Howard took home second place in the 100 and third in the 200 as a sophomore before capturing the two titles last spring.

Howard, who also will be anchoring Fairfield?s 4x100 and 4x200 relays, is one of 11 Trojans set to compete at the state meet in Des Moines this weekend. The Trojans have qualified in nine events.

Howard will be joined by Mackenzie McClure, Marisa Repp and Alexis Ring in the 4x100. She also will anchor the 4x200 relay, which includes McClure, Repp and Cierra Bielinski.

As long as the baton exchanges are clean, Hunerdosse expects both relays to be among Fairfield?s top events this weekend.

?It?s all about the handoffs there. We?ve got a shot to get into the finals. We?ll have to run well, but we?ve got a shot,? Hunerdosse said.

Like Howard, senior teammate Jessica Lamb is no stranger to the state meet and will be making her fourth straight appearance in Des Moines. Lamb will be running two events, the 4x800 relay and the open-800, in her finale.

?I?m not going to predict a placement, but I would not put it past her,? said Hunerdosse. ?She?s been one of the toughest-nosed kids I?ve ever coached. She?s one tough girl.?

As a junior, Lamb finished seventh in the Class 3A 800, and she enters the meet seeded ninth overall in 2:23.26.

In the 4x800, Hunerdosse moved Lamb up to the opening leg of the race in the hopes of giving the relay a shot of momentum to start. Lamb will hand off to freshman Taylor Ferrel, and junior Sesali Martin and senior Hannah Sobaski will finish the race.

?If you can?t win, sometimes the best thing is to go out with the leaders and hang on as long as you can. You?ll run better because the other kids will run better,? explained Hunerdosse. ?We learned that a long time ago the hard way.?

Hunerdosse added he believes the 4x800 has the ability to run even faster, and the lineup maneuvering might be just the thing to give the foursome a kick in the right direction. Although the team set a season best of 10:00 at the regional meet, he thinks they could potentially shave another five seconds off that time.

?I don?t know if we can place, but I look for us to run faster. I think we?ll beat 10 by quite a bit to be honest with you,? said Hunerdosse.

Lamb and Sobaski have both been on the state-qualifying 4x800 the past four years, while Martin is on the relay for the second year in a row. Ferrel may be the lone rookie in the group, but she makes up for the inexperience with her ?bulldog mentality,? Hunerdosse said.

Breaking 10 minutes would be a first for Lamb and Sobaski on the blue oval. The closest they came was in 2011, when they finished 14th in 10:00.10.

Lamb has also been taken out of the sprint medley and replaced by Repp. The reason, Hunerdosse explained, is because the sprint medley and open-800 are back-to-back on Saturday.

?I knew this was going to be a problem, but I was determined to get the team there,? said Hunerdosse. ?Jessica can not anchor that relay because the 800 run is right after it.?

Hunerdosse looks for the relay, which includes McClure, Erin Thompson and Bielinski in addition to Repp, to win their heat.

?I think going in with the idea to win that heat would be a great accomplishment for that group,? the head coach said.

In the high jump, Repp is one of several Class 3A girls to qualify at 5 feet. The Trojan junior has flirted with the 5-foot, 1-inch mark all season long, and Hunerdosse said another inch or two would earn Repp a state medal.

?The high jump is just who?s hot on that day. Marisa has been very consistent, and if she jumps 5-foot-2 she places, I think. And she?s fully capable,? said Hunerdosse.

Sidney Baumann is back on the state?s highest stage and looking to improve on last season?s 13th place finish. The senior most recently qualified with a throw of 107-feet, 2-inches at the rainy regional, but Hunerdosse expects that number to only go up as long as the weather cooperates.

?She?s a finesse thrower, and with the rain I think it made it difficult for her to do her spin. I fully expect her to throw better. She?s got a shot to place,? said Hunerdosse.

Baumann opens the state meet for the Fairfield girls at 2 p.m. today in the discus throw.

Pekin kicks off state with shot put, 3000

Shelbie Williams, Maranda Baker, Gwynne Wright and Taylor Lock all open the state track meet early today for the Pekin girls? track and field team.

Williams, a freshman, and senior teammate Baker are competing in the shot put while Wright and Lock open up the Drake-hosted meet in the 3000.

The 3000 will be the start of a big, lengthy weekend for the freshman Wright. The Panther is also scheduled to compete in the distance medley Friday as well as the 800 and 1500 runs on Saturday.

Other Panthers competing in Des Moines include Mallory Reed in the 100-hurdles, Samantha Wright in the 400-hurdles, and Baker in the discus. Maleaha Earnest, a senior, will run with Gwynne Wright in the 1500.

Pekin is also scheduled to run in the 4x100, 4x400 and 4x800 relays as part of an 11-event weekend.

For Van Buren, Hanna Haynes and Unity Daugherty are both making return trips after qualifying in 2012.

Daugherty opens her state meet in the 3000-meter run today. The junior placed 23rd in the Class 2A 3000 last year. Daugherty also will appear in the 1500 on Saturday.

Haynes, a senior, runs Friday in the 110-high hurdles. Haynes finished 14th last season in the Class 2A hurdling event.