PELLA — Every year the Iowa Association of Track Coaches holds a special pentathlon on the Monday following the state track tournament. The five-event meet is open to boys and girls from any class.[wpedon id=”82220″ align=”center”]
Last season Panorama sophomore Lydia Knapp finished eighth overall. She was 11th this year, with teammate Morgan Johnk claiming the state championship.
Also in action for Panorama was Gracen Welberg, who finished 17th among the 31 boys who finished all five events.
The victory for talented Panther junior Johnk follows an outstanding personal effort at the state track meet that helped Panorama claim third place in Class 2A. Johnk was second in the 100 hurdles in 15.46 seconds and anchored the shuttle hurdle team to second place in 1:07.53. She was fourth in the high jump at 5 feet, 5 inches and also ran on the 4×100 team.
A total of 20 girls competed in all five events, with Panorama and Logan-Magnolia (both 2A) far and away the smallest schools represented.
Johnk compiled her winning 2,739 points Monday by winning the 100 hurdles in 15.78 and the high jump at 5’1-3/4. She was fourth in the long jump at 14’5-3/4 and fifth in the 800 in 2 minutes, 40.98 seconds. Her push of 22’7-3/4 was 10th in the shot put.
Knapp is no stranger to the throwing events. Seventh at the state meet in the discus as a sophomore, she spun the flat weight 130’2 to place fourth Friday. Her experience helped her win the shot put (29’10-3/4), with a sixth-place long jump (14’3) and an eighth-place 800 (2:45.85) giving Knapp three top-10 event finishes.
She cleared 4’4 for 11th in the high jump and completed the 100 hurdles in 19.64 for 17th place.
Mya Moore of West Des Moines Valley was second overall and Waukee’s Addie Drees third. The pair was fifth, and seventh, respectively, last year. Emma Kelderman (Oskaloosa), Carly Boss (Waukee), Emma Nau (WDM Valley), and Olvia Diggins (Lo-Ma) were 4-7, with Fairfield’s Malor Jones eighth after placing ninth last year. Waukee’s Ella Huisman and Gilbert’s Lydi Berns-Schweingruber (fourth in 2017) completed the top 10, with Knapp 11th.
Iowa City West teammates Austin West and Cole Mabry seized the top two spots in the boys competition, with Gilbert’s Will Greder third.
Welberg, who competed at the state meet in the high jump, finished second Monday in the discipline by clearing 5’9-3/4. He flew 17’1-1/4 in the long jump and pushed the shot put 30’11 while running the 100 hurdles in 18.1 ticks and the 800 in 2:27.6.
