The Cedar Falls boys track team is one of the contenders to win the team championship at the state track meet, which opens today in Des Moines. The Tigers put on a very good showing at the Drake Relays three weeks ago, and Tiger coach Jeff Hartman says that his team has been a favorite to win the Class 4A title since that trip to the capital city.
He says that Drake performance put a target on their back and he says if they do what they are capable of, they have a chance. Hartman says there are a lot of other good teams that will challenge them.
The Tigers are taking twenty events to the state meet, and Hartman says that each of those events will need to perform well for the Tigers to get enough points to compete for a championship. He says it’s part of how many events you score in, but also the quality of the events you perform in, and he likes their depth.
Junior sprinter James Harrington won four championships at the Drake Relays. He says that while the Tigers were excited about their earlier performance in Des Moines, the State Meet has been their focus all season. Harrington says they’ve been focused on the state meet since the start of the season.
Marshal Hill is one of the seniors that will be competing at State for Cedar Falls this weekend. He says winning a state title would be a great way to cap his high school career. Hill says it would be unbelieveable to win the school’s first state track title in his senior year.
The state meet opened this morning with preliminary events in Classes 2A and 3A. Classes 1A and 4A get started this afternoon.
By Jesse Gavin KCNZ Cedar Falls