Ideal conditions and a large crowd at Drake Stadium greeted the opening session at the State Coed Track Meet as distance champs were crowned in 2A and 3A.
Marion’s Myles Bach did not wait until he crossed the finish line to celebrate. The sophomore was pumping his fists as he ran down the home stretch to capture the class 3A 3200 meter run. His winning time was 9:38.36.
“I got warned about celebrating too much but man I was really excited”, said Bach. “Not many people get to win a state championship and it is an honor to be a state champion in Iowa.”
After winning a cross country title last fall Aplington-Parkersburg senior C.J. May dominated the class 2A 3200 meter run in a winning time of 9:39.94. He finished second in the event last year.
Ballard senior Abby Kohut-Jackson has been a regular at the state track and cross country meets. She is also now a champion. Kohut-Jackson broke away from a pack that included defending champion Julia Schumacher of Davenport Assumption with 300 meters remaining to win the class 3A 3,000 meter run.
“It makes it all worth it”, said Kohut-Jackson. “I would have been so proud to set a personal record no matter where I ended up but knowing that I finally got first place makes me feel like all the training and all the hard work is completely and 100 percent worth it.”
Durant senior Alyssa Williams sprinted past Mid-Prairie sophomore Anna Hostetler in the home stretch to win the class 2A 3,000 meter run. Her winning time was 10:19.19.
“I was really giving it all I have got the whole time so I did not expect to have it at the end”, said Williams. ” I tried it and thought she was going to come with me and I really surprised myself.”
It was the first track title for Williams, who won a state cross country championship last fall.