COLFAX – In one of the most competitive track meets in recent history, the top four team were separated by 15 points at the South Iowa Cedar League meet in Colfax Tuesday. HLV won the team title with 116,5 points followed by English Valleys (104), Lynnville-Sully (103) and North Mahaska with 101.
Nataliya Linder, Kieren Perez and Emmerson Jedlicka accounted for three-fourths of the North Mahaska point total. Linder led with 28 points with a first, second, third and fifth; Perez accumulated 26 points with a first, fourth and sixth; Jedlicka won two events for 20 points.
Linder earned the first gold medal for the Warhawks with four jumps over 17-feet in the long jump. She broke her own school record with a meet-winning leap of 17-4.75. It was the first time this season she had topped 17-feet after hitting the mark at the 2024 Summer Games.
Linder has yet to not win the event this season.
“I only hit 17 over the summer,” said Linder. “All my jumps were over 17 tonight. I hit 17-2, 17-4 ¾, 17-3 then 17-2 again. It is good to get ready for districts.”
Linder was second in the 400 hurdles in 1 minute, 8.02 seconds. She ran third in the open 400 in 1:02.46. She said it was a tactical error that kept her from winning the 400 hurdles, which she has done this season.
“It was terrible,” said Linder. “I took too much off on the backstretch. I shouldn’t have taken that much of a break at the 300 mark. It is what it is.”
Linder said the open 400 has been another of her strong races and hopes to qualify for state in the event.
“I got off strong again and I was just thinking I had to beat Tatum (Huyser). She’s at our district and if I beat her, I have a shot at state as she’s my competition at districts. So, I wanted to stay with her, and it worked.”
Huyser and Linder will meet at Lynnville-Sully for districts on May 15. Huyser will have a slight advantage running on her home track. Linder added a fifth place finish in the 100 meters in 13.31.
Perez had one of the most eventful moments of the night in the 100 hurdles. She said while at the finish line just as the gun went off her thumb slipped and her back arched forcing a recall.
“I was in the blocks and my thumb gave out and made my butt go up, but I didn’t fall forward,” said Perez. “He (starter) came up to me and said, ‘you didn’t leave, but this is your warning.’ I was so scared. I am always nervous before I race, and I think it (recall) got it out of my system.”
Perez clicked off a 16.73 time to win the race by .44 seconds over English Valleys’ Kailor Lown. Perez was poised to run the event a year ago, but a back injury prevented her from competing.
“That’s a record by .2 seconds. I ran a 19 at the last meet but I was in a really bad state of mind. I really wanted it tonight. I missed this last year.”
Jedlicka posted a meet record in the 3,000 meters with a time of 11:13.02. She was battling Ashlynn Hosbond of Colfax-Mingo and the Yates sister from Sigourney along with Lynnville-Sully’s Mandeesa Vos. Jedlicka and Hosbond traded leads in the final 520 meters before Jedlicka secured the win by five seconds.
“That was tough when you have someone that close,” said Jedlicka. “I don’t like to change my strategy during the race, I think that does more harm than good. I want to run my own race and see how that compares with everyone else. In that final 120, I had to get a good start, and I think I gave it everything.”
In the 1,500, it was Jedlicka being chased by Sigourney’s Ellie and Addison Yates. Jedlicka took the title in 5:23.37 Ellie was second in 5:25.62 and her sister finished in 5:27.78.
Ava Huffman ran fifth in the 800 in 2:34.55 and Jayden Hiner tied for fifth in the high jump at 4-8.
North Mahaska picked up double placements in three events to help their cause. The sprint relay team of Addison Terpstra, Perez, Alivia Schock and Aly Steil had the best group run in 1:58.67.
Amber Knockel, Allie Veiseth, Abby Van Weelden and Schock ran third in the 1,600-meter relay. Knockel, Veiseth, Knockel and Ava Huffman placed fourth in the 3,200-meter relay with a time of 11:06.94.
The girls return to action Friday at Newton and Lynnville-Sully Monday to complete the regular season. They will compete at districts on Thursday, May 15 for a chance to run at state.
Team scores: 1. HLV 116.5; 2. English Valleys 104; 3. Lynnville-Sully 103; 4. North Mahaska 101; 5. Colfax-Mingo 62.5; T6. Belle Plaine, Montezuma, Sigourney 56; 9. Iowa Valley 45; 10. BGM 32; 11. Keota 7.
