Rams tout three individual champions at HOIAC Championships

By TYLER ANDERSON tanderson@iowainformation.com

The Heart of Iowa Activities Conference is a very stacked league. When the eight schools – the Greene County High School girls’ track and field team included – get together, there are several state qualifiers and potential high placers within the Blue Oval within the crowd.

When the dust settled on the HOIAC Track and Field Championships, which took place last Thursday at the Mike Penning Athletic Complex, the Rams left with three individual champions, one league runner-up and two third place finishers.

Sophomore Kaycee Pitmann raced to gold in the 800-meter run, with a season best time of 2:28.06, as junior Dani Madsen won the shot put with a personal record of 35 feet, three inches. Junior Emma Ewalt topped the field in the discus with a distance of 113 feet, six inches, as the distance medley squad of sophomore Addison Gannon, senior Kaylee Stalder, sophomore Lila Osterson and Pittman took second with a time of 4:36.75.

Junior Payton Kokenge went third in the high jump (four feet, 10 inches), as the team of sophomore Savannah Lansman, Gannon, junior Hailey Carman and Pittman acquired a season best in the 4x400-meter relay, finishing with a time of 4:24.51.

Roland-Story won the meet with 160.5 points, followed by West Marshall’s 117 points and host South Hamilton’s 113.5 points. PCM took 98 points, while the Rams filled out the league’s top five teams.

Perry (67 points), Nevada (64 points) and Saydel (15 points) rounded out the pecking order.

At 4 p.m. today, the Rams will look to send several representatives to the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships by competing at the Class 2A-District 4 State Qualifying Meet at the Keith Hart Athletic Complex in Manson. There, the red and black will run, jump and throw against a loaded field consisting of Cherokee Washington, East Sac County, Forest City, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, Hinton, Kingsley-Pierson-Woodbury Central-River Valley, Lawton-Bronson, host Manson-Northwest Webster, Ogden, Ridge View and South Central Calhoun.

Carman also raced in the 800-meter run, putting in a personal best of 2:42.38 – which was good for fourth overall. Ewalt picked up a PR in the shot put, finishing fifth with a distance of 32 feet, four and one-quarter inches, as Madsen landed fourth in the discus with a distance of 86 feet, three inches.

Stalder, Gannon, sophomore Calleigh Fitzpatrick and Kokenge teamed up for the 4x200-meter relay, taking fourth with a time of 2:00.46, as the group of Gannon, Osterson, Lansman and Pittman took fourth in the sprint medley with a season best time of 2:00.75.

Freshman Bellah Johnson went sixth in the 400-meter hurdles (1:21.66), followed by sophomore Jennifer Robbins’ ninth place performance (1:32.09). Johnston also took seventh in the 100-meter hurdles (18.94), while Robbins clocked 10th in the same event (20.95 seconds).

Stalder, Kokenge, freshman Sara Molan and Osterson ran in the 4x100-meter relay, taking sixth with a time of 56.32 seconds. Freshman Evelyn Snyder was seventh in the 3,000-meter run (14:38.09), as sophomore Sadie Shannon (seventh, 1:10.79) and Morlan (10th, 1:18.10) raced in the 400-meter dash. 

Stalder (12th, 29.96 seconds) and Fitzpatrick (14th, 32.10 seconds) participated in the 200-meter dash, as junior Ava Binkley (14th, 16.10 seconds) and freshman Makenna Dzuris (16th, 16.60 seconds) competed in the 100-meter dash.