The Spartan track and field squads will be well represented in Des Moines this weekend for the 2024 Drake Relays. The high school division kicks off this afternoon (Thursday) and continues through Saturday.
Headlining the Spartans’ Drake contingent is double qualifier and state discus leader senior Ben Kampman. He will also compete in the shot put with the state’s 23rd ranking in the 24-man field. Boy’s individual event competitors include senior Brick Kabela running the 3200 meters (19th of 21), senior Marcus Richard in the shot put (20th of 24) and Kaden Hoeper in the high jump (20th of 24). Hoeper is the only freshman male in the state to qualify in an individual event for this year’s Drake meet.
The Spartan distance medley team comes in as the 11th ranked squad in Iowa. Qualifiers in the 24-team event were junior Eddie Johnson and seniors Milo Ashbacker, Rhett Mesch and Kabela. Solon’s shuttle hurdle team didn’t make the normal 16-team cut line but will participate since they met the Drake blue standard mark of 1:01.00 along with 18 other teams in the field. The veteran foursome of seniors Nash Kotar, Charlie Brandt, Ben Duckett and junior Cole Carney are slated to compete.
The 4×400 meter unit of seniors Mesch, Grant Knipper, Mike Yeomans, and sophomore Eli Kampman enter Drake ranked 19th of 24 competing teams. Rounding out the boys team will be the 45th ranked 4×100 meter relay team of Eli Kampman and seniors Austin Knight, Brayden Moore and Ashbacker.
The boy’s and girl’s teams will continue their seasons together with the WaMaC coed meet Thursday, May 2 in Marion and state qualifying meet Thursday, May in 9 in Solon.
-30-