HUXLEY — The Perry boys earned three conference championships and the Perry girls one Saturday at the Raccoon River Conference track meet.
Carlisle won the boys team title with 145 points, with Carroll second at 100 points and Boone third at 93. Winterset (69) was fourth, followed by Bondurant-Farrar (55), Perry (42), Ballard (38) and ADM (16). Boone topped ADM, 149-134, for the girls crown, with Carlisle (87.5), Ballard (86), Winterset (50), Bondurant-Farrar (39.5), Perry (30) and Carroll (13) completing the field.
Bluejay head coach Ben Coy said he was pleased with the effort of his squad.
“I was happy with the way the boys competed today, especially the seniors,” Coy relayed. “Keegan Pfau ran a very smart meet. He broke the two-minute barrier as a split in the 4×800, which was a goal of his. His split was 1:59.67. Then he ran a smart race in the mile running a time of 4 minutes, 41.48 seconds, which placed him first.
“He knew he just needed to win the race and did not have to run a personal record considering he had a quick turnaround for the medley 800 leg, in which he ran a split of 2:00.89 to help the medley team win,” he added. “His strength and confidence as a runner has progressed significantly throughout the season and that showed today.”
Joining Pfau for the win in the medley, which finished in 3:41.89, were seniors Nic Wilhelmi and Scott James along with freshman Reece Dunlap.
“Scott (James) had another good meet,” Coy said. “He won the high jump at 6 feet, 2 inches, then came back and ran two very good 400’s. He ran a 51.99 split in the 400 leg of the medley, and then ran a 53-flat to anchor the 4×400 team that placed fourth as a team, but ran a best time for the year at 3:35.95.
“Marcus Meri and Adan Medina both ran good legs in the 4×400 as well which was good to see,” the coach stated, noting that Dunlap ran the other leg of the relay. “We have a few practices where we will take the opportunity to fine-tune a few things before we compete at the state qualifying meet Thursday at Norwalk.”
Also scoring for the Bluejays was the 4×800 unit of Dane McCarty, Zachary Thompson, Alex Long and Pfau, which finished second in 8:39.57.
The Jayettes earned a conference title in the 4×800 when Sidney Vancil, Breanna Penenger, Mariah Duffy and Emma Olejniczak cut 17 seconds off their previous best time this season to finish in 10:24.25.
Grace Stewart and Leah Reuter each ran personal-best times in the 3000, with Stewart third in 11:55.84 and Reuter fifth in 12:10.16.
Olejniczak and Vancil were 4-5 in the 800 in a pair of personal-best clockings of 2:34.99 and 2:35.64, respectively.
Duffy added to the list of personal marks when she placed fifth in the 1500 in 5:37.6, with Johanna Diw and Haileigh Kenyon joining Olejniczak and Vancil for fifth in the 4×400 in 4:32.42.
Taylor Lathrum added to her personal best mark in the shot put for the third consecutive meet. The junior finished fifth with a heave of 34’7-1/2.
Both Perry teams will compete Thursday at Norwalk in a State Qualifying Meet, which is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
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RACCOON RIVER CONFERENCE MEET
at Huxley, May 9
Boys Team Standings — 1. Carlisle, 145; 2. Carroll, 100; 3. Boone, 93; 4. Winterset, 69; 5. Bondurant-Farrar, 55; 6. Perry, 42; 7. Ballard, 38; 8. ADM, 16.
Individual Results (Perry placers only)
HIGH JUMP — 1. James, 6’2.
4×800 — 2. PRY (McCarty, Z. Thompson, Long, Pfau), 8:39.57.
1600 RUN — 1. Pfau, 4:41.48.
1600 MEDLEY — 1. PRY (Wilhelmi, Dunlap, James, Pfau), 3:41.89.
4×400 — 4. PRY (Meri, Dunlap, Medina, James), 3:35.95.
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Girls Team Standings — 1. Boone, 149; 2. ADM, 134; 3. Carlisle, 87.5; 4. Ballard, 86; 5. Winterset, 50; 6. Bondurant-Farrar, 39.5; 7. Perry, 30; 8. Carroll, 13.
Individual Results (Perry placers only)
In-story and slideshow photos courtesy of Lynn Ubben.
