Friendly rivalry produces unforgettable 800 race

“Tonight, Creston was Tracktown, Iowa for the 800.”

That’s how Mount Ayr head boys track coach Brad Elliott described an historic 800 meter race at Thursday’s Panther Relays.

Creston seniors Jay Wolfe and Bryce Briley, along with Mount Ayr junior Kyle Dolecheck made a big statement on the last night for Drake Relays qualifying, as all three ran 1:57.23 or better.

Wolfe entered the night fifth in the state for Drake Relays qualifying, with Dolecheck ninth and Briley tied for 16th. The top 16 times statewide, all classes, qualify for next weekend’s Drake Relays.

All three runners ran under Wolfe’s meet record of 1:57.97, which he set last year.

After Thursday’s race, there was little doubt that all three southwest Iowa harriers would be competing in the Drake Relays.

Wolfe recorded the fastest time in the state to this points with a 1:54.75, with Dolecheck crossing in second place in 1:57.04 and Briley coming in third at 1:57.23. As of press time, that ranked Dolecheck seventh and Briley 10th in the state.

Anticipation for Thursday’s race grew after all three ran sub-2 minutes Tuesday at Chariton.

Somehow, they topped that performance.

“It was the most anticipated race of the night,” Creston head coach Pat Schlapia said. “How that race finished up, I would put that race against any other race in the state as one of the best races across the whole state of Iowa. This was round three with those three guys.”

“Not to compare it to a boxing analogy, but round three between these guys was even better than round two, and I didn’t think that was possible,” Elliott said. “Hopefully we get a round four up there on the Blue Oval at Drake Stadium to see what they can do.”

Big-time atmosphere

With the crowd anticipating the race all night, even the runners could sense it was turning into a big-meet atmosphere.

“When we were warming up today, I was talking to Briley and he was like ‘this is just like a state meet,’” Dolecheck said. “I was nervous, too. I was like, ‘wow, this is big!’”

As the race unfolded, the crowd became more electric.

“It felt like I was running at state,” Briley said. “It was a pretty awesome crowd tonight.”

“I feel like we had a good crowd here to kind of witness three of the best,” Wolfe said. “I don’t think we disappointed at all. It’s just special to be able to run against two other really good competitors.”

Dolecheck said the noise from the crowd on the homestretch of the first lap was louder than any other race he’d run in this year. By the time they came off the final curve in the final 100 meters, it was even louder.

“We knew it was going to be even louder on the last lap,” he said. “It was just crazy. I couldn’t hear anything on the homestretch.”

Historic race

To further put the magnitude of the race into perspective, Briley’s time of 1:57.23 ranks him as the second-fastest 800 runner in Creston history, behind only Wolfe.

Dolecheck’s time of 1:57.04 ranks him second on Mount Ayr’s all-time performance list, behind Elliott.

“I think a lot of kids in our area, hopefully, were inspired by seeing that,” Elliott said. “Other than Nathan Brotherton, it had probably been a pretty long time since somebody had broken 2 minutes in this area. Then to watch three guys in the same race go sub-1:58, it’s just phenomenal.”

“When you finish second and third and you’re still running 1:57, that shows you what type of race it is,” Schlapia said. “They brought it. All three of them left it out there on the track. That was cool to see them push each other. That’s what athletic competition is all about.”

The three runners began their friendly rivalry last year and have carried it over to this season.

“I think we’re all just pushing each other to be as good as we can be,” Wolfe said. “We’re three of the best in southwest Iowa. We just want to qualify for the Drake Relays and show the rest of the state what southwest Iowa has to offer.”

Having that type of competition in close proximity has made all three runners better.

“Anytime you sit there and you can say within a 40-mile window you’ve got three of the best 800 runners in the state, I always like to think competition breeds success with other runners,” Elliott said. “It took a Jay Wolfe for a Bryce Briley and a Kyle Dolecheck to emerge, too.”

It was an unforgettable race for those who witnessed it.

“That was absolutely one of the best races I’ve ever seen,” Elliott said. “Especially the best race I’ve ever seen in high school, locally.”