Track team recaps season of growth

Sunday the Panthers came together to celebrate a fruitful season of track and field. They also used the time to say farewell to their six graduated seniors.

Girls

The Panther girls sent two events to the state meet, the first events to qualify since Kelsey Fields in 2021. The 4x800m relay team of Maylee Riley, Hope Henderson, Avery Staver and Payton Davis placed ninth in their heat, 21st overall with a 10:15.98. All four starters and the alternates return next season. The relay alternates were Karter Clayton, Braylee Pokorny, Reese Strunk and Ella Turner.

Staver earned an at-large berth in the 200m dash, placing 24th in her first appearance at state in a time of :26.88. Creston co-coach Clay Arnold recognized Staver as the team points leader for the season with 239.

Senior Grace Travis was honored as a four-year varsity letter winner and the senior class career points leader with 315.5.

“We have made huge strides in getting the girls track and field program back to where it needs to be,” co-coach Maggie Arnold told the runners and their families. “The only way we can continue to grow and to have success in not only track and field, but all female athletics at CCHS, is to have everyone out again next season. You have to compete for your school in order to have success, which will, in turn, create a positive culture in the school.”

All members of the team were presented with distinguished academic honors from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union for a 3.77 cumulative GPA.

Maggie and Clay gave special thank you to assistant coaches Taylor Tanner and Brian Morrison as well as the parents.

“There are a lot of bad experiences coaches have with parents, but that is certainly not the case with the track and field parents,” Maggie said. “Thank you for letting us coach your child, teaching them life-long lessons and growing them as athletes.”

Boys

The boys team boasted 35 members including five seniors. The team sent five events to state and brought home the first medal since 2015.

Three relays qualified, the distance medley relay performing the best with a ninth-place finish and a new school record. The DMR was ran in 3:34.64 by Casen Dryden, Seth Gordon, Austin Evans and Brandon Briley. Alternates were Tyler Riley, Davin Wallace, Colby Brammer and Wyatt Goodenberger.

The 4x800m relay comprised of Evans, Riley, Wallace and Briley placed 24th and the 4x400m relay of Evans, Gordon, Wallace and Briley finished 20th.

Tom Mikkelsen and Briley each qualified in individual events. Mikkelsen took 10th in the shot put, throwing 51-06. Briley medaled in the boys 800m run in a PR time of 1:56.5, placing sixth.

“This was a big season for the boys track and field program,” Maggie said. “The only way we can continue to grow and to have success in not only track and field, but all athletics at CCHS is to have everyone out again next season.”

Clay recognized Briley as the season team points leader with 373. Briley was honored with fellow seniors Evans and Quinten Fuller as four-year letter winners. The two other seniors, Milo Staver and Anthony Eblen, were recognized as two-year letter winners.

All members of the team were presented with distinguished academic honors from the Iowa High School Athletic Union for a 3.22 cumulative grade point average.

GIRLS LETTER WINNERS

Managers:

Junior Savanna Davis

Freshman Nora Barton

Freshman

1st letter -

Kinzley Downing

Alainah Galanakis

Janea Green-Ngang

Hope Henderson

Sidney McDonald

Reese Strunk

Josie Tallmon

Sophomores:

2nd letter -

Abby Freeman

Braylee Pokorny

Maylee Riley

Ella Turner

1st letter -

Sydney Hoffman

Avery Staver

Juniors:

3rd letter -

Karter Clayton

Payton Davis

Mia Strunk

1st letter -

Evy Marlin

Seniors:

4th letter -

Grace Travis

Participation:

Sidney Staver

BOYS LETTER WINNERS

Freshman

1st letter -

Hayden Levine

David Mohr

Colby Brammer

Wyatt Goodenberger

Durrell Haynes

Davin Wallace

Drake WIlson

Thomas Mikkelsen

Joshua Bunz

Sophomores:

2nd letter -

Seth Gordon

1st letter -

Kylen Parsons

Jameson McDonald

Juniors:

3rd letter -

Tyson Looney

Tyler Riley

Brayden Schoon

2nd letter -

Xander Drake

Casen Dryden

1st letter -

Gavin Larson

Seniors:

4th letter -

Austin Evans

Brandon Briley

Quinten Fuller

2nd letter -

Milo Staver

Anthony Eblen

Participation:

Kylor Budrow

Johnathon Henry

Noah Richardson

Terrance Taylor

Jarrett Luther

Weston Trapp

Drake Pendegraft