PELLA — The Iowa Association of Track Coaches held a state pentathlon at Central College Monday, with Panorama sophomore Lydia Knapp finishes eighth. A total of 27 girls from all classes competed in the one-class event.
The pentathlon is a five-event series, requiring athletes to compete in the high jump, long jump, shot put, 100 hurdles and 800-meter run. Seventh in the Class 2A State Meet last Friday in the discus as 120 feet, 6 inches, the quintet of events at Central was a first for Knapp.
“This was Lydia’s first pentathlon,” Panorama head coach Greg Thompson said. “She did very well in the field events. Lydia not not long jumped in competition before and rally had only jumped a few times in a practice we had a few weeks ago.”
Knapp covered 14’6-1/4 in the long jump, cleared 4’9 in the high jump and heaved the shot put 29’3-1/4.
She finished with 100 hurdes in 19.58 seconds and crossed in 2 minutes, 48.69 seconds in the 800.
“She battled and did the best she could in the hurdles and 800,” Thompson said. “The hurdles were .08 from a personal record and she was just a couple of seconds slower than her personal best in the 800.”
Three seniors — Kiki Pingel of Pella, Jayci Vos of PCM and Lauren Nelson of Waukee — claimed the top three spots. Freshmen Lydi Berns-Schweingruber of Gilbert and Mya Moore of West Des Moines Valley were fourth and fifth, respectively, with Waukee junior Anna Keplinger sixth and Waukee freshman Addie Drees seventh.
Knapp held the next spot, with Malory Jones of Fairfield and Kaitlyn Severson of Waukee — all three sophomores — rounding out the top 10.
