Trojans just fine with second at conference

FORT MADISON ? In the final testament to show how far they have come first taking to the track in March, the Fairfield boys? track team put in another solid performance at Tuesday?s Southeast Conference meet in Fort Madison.

The Trojans scored 96 points to easily slide into second place behind Mount Pleasant (125) with plenty of cushion between third-place Fort Madison (61). Washington came in third while Keokuk took fourth.

?Mount Pleasant wasn?t to be denied, and there?s definitely no shame in coming in behind a team like that,? said Fairfield head coach Brian Dunlap. ?There were some really nice performances again and between getting some guys healthy and the young guys developing, we?re really starting to come on.?

That development has led to a stellar slate of Trojan relays that once again ran strong Tuesday. Fairfield won the 4x200 as well as the 4x400 and picked up a runner-up finish in the 4x100 as part of a lineup that hopes to get as many events qualified to the state meet at Friday?s districts.

?There?s going to be 4-5 teams fighting for those three spots in just about every relay Friday,? Dunlap said. ?We?re going to need to run those well again if we?re going to get in.?

As they displayed Tuesday, those sprint relays have been the most impressive all season starting with the Drake Relays-qualifying 4x100 foursome of Max Johnson, Austin Atwood, Michael Hammes and Lani Eversage that ran second in 44.57 Tuesday. Johnson, Zach Vivier, Heath Jackson and Hammes won the 4x200 in 1:35.

Grant Curran also hopes to duplicate his season-best time of 56.26 in the 400-hurdles in addition to his strong leadoff leg in the 4x400. Hammes, Travis Schombert and Jason Davis carried Curran?s lead to the win with a time of 3:40.

Junior Michael Smithburg ?did his damage as usual? and easily proved to be the best thrower in the Southeast Conference. Smithburg won both the shot put (47? 0.5?) and discus (161? 3?), and along with Daniel Schwarz?s second-place result in the high jump (6? 1?) ? just one inch off the top spot taken by Washington?s Jake Redlinger ? the field events provided another quick start for the Trojans.

Marcus Clark (2:09) and Alex Love (2:12) double-placed in the 800 to lead the improved middle-distance crew that has helped the Trojans to its late-season success.

Atwood added a fourth-place finish in the 100 (11.35) and fifth in the 200 (23.20) as a final tune up for the district meet where he hopes for yet another state meet appearance.

Friday?s meet is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. in Mount Pleasant.