Track & Field: Stalder’s top 10 paces Rams in return to Drake Relays

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor
sports@beeherald.com

The clouds gave way early last week, producing a gorgeous day for the long-awaited return of the Drake Relays.

Greene County’s Bryce Stalder certainly didn’t allow the opportunity slip away, as he became perhaps the biggest benefactor at the state’s grandest track field showcase. The junior enjoyed a magnificent debut Thursday, April 22 in Des Moines, placing top 10 in the long jump.
Stalder’s top leap of 21-04.25 secured him eighth place overall while competing against 23 of the state’s top athletes, regardless of class.

Stalder qualified for the long jump finals after placing sixth through the first two flights. He momentarily held onto first place after the first flight, but was eventually surpassed by one of Iowa’s best all-around athletes in Cooper Dejean, of OA-BCIG.
The senior won the Drake Relays title with an impressive leap of 22-11.25, just edging out Charles City’s Ian Collins, who jumped 22-11.

Stalder was pivotal in Greene County’s respectable showing last week at Drake Stadium. The Rams qualified in four events, placing top 15 in three of said specialities. The shuttle hurdle relay quartet of Stalder, Nate Black, Jaxon Warnke and Jackson Morton placed 11th while Morton also placed 12th in the 110-meter hurdles.
Black’s high jump was the only event not to place, failing to clear the opening height in the boys’ division Thursday afternoon.Greene County head coach Chad Morton was pleased with the effort, especially a year removed from a spring with no track and field competitions. It was good to be back at it on the brightest stage Iowa has to offer.

“Our kids can compete at the highest level of track and field in the state,” Morton said. “I was very happy with our athletes’ performances. These will be memories that will last for a lifetime for these kids.”

Stalder scratched on his opening jump of the day, but recovered well enough to produce his best leap of the morning his second time around. The junior also captured a jump of 20-3.75 in his third attempt of the first flight. Stalder once again faulted in the opening jump of the finals, but regained enough composure to leap 20-8.5 and 20-9 in his final two attempts.

Stalder was one of only two 2A athlete to place in the Drake Relays top 10.
Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Drew Bartels, the 110-meter hurdles champion, finished third (22-09.5) while Tay Norman of Waterloo West (22-2.75) and Waukee’s Malik Allen (21-10.5) rounded out the top five. Lisbon’s Kole Becker finished sixth (21-7) while Carroll’s Tory Feldman came in seventh with a top leap of 21-5.75.

HURDLERS HOLD THEIR OWN

Greene County’s four hurdlers displayed impressive resilience in Des Moines. The Rams’ quartet of Stalder, Nate Black, Jaxson Warnke and Jackson Morton won their heat in the shuttle hurdle relay, producing a time of 1:02.76.
The performance out-paced North Polk (1:02.84) by a few steps while Mason City (1:04.18) and Lisbon (1:05.67) finished well behind. The Rams finished 11th overall in the four heat finals event, a shade behind 10th-place Western Dubuque (1:02.31).
Greene County entered the Drake Relays as the fastest quartet in Class 2A, and backed up that claim, finishing higher than any other school in their division.
Class 4A’s Cedar Rapids Kennedy won the shuttle hurdle title with a blistering time of 57.95, the quickest time in the state this year. Cedar Rapids Prairie finished second with a time of 58.56 while Dowling Catholic (59.92), Carlisle (1:00.37) and Iowa City High (1:01.03) rounded out the top five.

Jackson Morton was also impressive in the 110-meter high hurdles, finishing 12th overall and third overall in his heat with a time of 15.65.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Drew Bartels captured the event title with an impressive mark of 14.40 (the second-fastest time in the state this spring), out-lasting 31 other runners.
Western Dubuque’s Logan Brosius won heat three with a time of 15.50, which earned him eighth overall while North Polk’s Hunter Manock was runner-up in heat three (15.60) despite a slight head wind.
Dowling Catholic’s Adam Wright finished second overall, just a few steps behind Bartels (14.55) while Ankeny’s Mason Thompson (14.71), Cedar Rapids Prairie’s Ceondee Adams (14.82) and Dowling’s Koah Thompson (14.99) rounded out the top five.
Morton was the highest-placing Class 2A athlete, while eight of the top 10 were from Class 4A.

Greene County’s Nate Black also performed in the boys’ high jump, but failed to clear the opening height of 6-01 on any of his three attempts. The junior did not place.

Charles City junior Ian Collins won the event title by clearing 6-07 on his third attempt. Treynor’s Noah James finished second by clearing 6-05 while Ames’ Tate Zalasky also cleared 6-05, finishing third.
Black was one of 21 athletes to compete in the Drake Relays high jump.

While Greene County’s showing last weekend was impressive in its own right, the Rams have their sights set on gold next month. GC has a legitimate shot at securing several championships at the state co-ed meet May 20-22. The boys’ shuttle hurdle is tops in 2A while second in the 110-meter hurdles. Stalder’s top jump of 22-00.25 has him ranked third in the state.

“I think the Drake Relays experiences will be very helpful to our athletes,” Morton said. “For them to have to perform under pressure and at the pinnacle of all track and field environments. That is something that you can not create in practice.
The kids’ good performances against all levels of 1-4A competition will also give them confidence that will go a long way.”

Rams take home first

Greene County used last week’s momentum to secure a team title April 27 in Woodward. The Rams tallied 185 points to win the Hawk Relays, thanks to 11 gold medals. Greene County won titles in the 110-meter hurdles (Jackson Morton), the 800-meter run (Ethan Larsen), the discus (Josh Ewalt), the high jump (Nate Black), the long jump (Bryce Stalder), the shuttle hurdle relay, the 4-by-200-meter relay as well as a distance sweep from Logan Woodruff, who won both the 3,200-meter run and the 1,600-meter run.
Host Woodward-Granger finished runner-up with 172 points while Glidden-Ralston placed third with 96 points.

Greene County begins preparing for the postseason with the Heart of Iowa Conference meet next Thursday in Monroe. The Rams will then compete in a Class 2A state qualifying meet May 13 in Manson along with Eagle Grove, East Sac County, Emmetsburg, OA-BCIG, Pocahontas Area, Ridge View, South Central Calhoun, Sioux Central and Southeast Valley.