Eastern Iowa shows out at Friday’s session of the Drake Relays

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - Eastern Iowa’s high schools were incredible in the early session Friday, starting with the Kennedy girls.

On the sprint medley team, Quren Hullon, Morgan Hospodarsky, Addison Swartzendruber, Sidney Swartzendruber took home a Drake flag for the Cougars with a state-best time of 3.46.10.

West High took a flag home to Iowa City thanks to a state-best 3.26.67 distance medley relay. Todd Rent, Izaiah Loveless, Aidan Jacobsen, Moustafa Tiea all celebrated their fantastic time and a victory over rival City High.

“On the front stretch I kept hearing Mike Jay yelling City High over and over again,” said West’s Tiea. “I’m like ‘bro I gotta go!’”

Grayson Hartman made Xavier proud as he won the 110m hurdles in a state-best 14.1 seconds.

“The biggest thing for me as I get in my head a lot all season, so to put in the work and see it pay off is a really nice feeling,” Hartman said.

Jayden Stafford of Mid Prairie blew away his personal best in the 400 wheelchair race to win his first flag in 1.04.

Wahlert’s Duke Faley won a flag on the field, after a discus throw of 187.5 feet.

Ammon Smith fulfilled a dream when he won the 800 meter run for City High in 1.53.42.

“I’ve been chasing getting after this particular flag in the open 800 for years,” Smith said. “It just felt so good to finally win that.”

The fastest runners in Iowa took the stage, and Cedar Rapids Washington’s Miles Thompson and Michael Blank blew away the other 100m sprinters, finishing first and second respectively. Thompson ran a 10.54 to win in the finals, but his 10.37 in the prelims was the most impressive, a Drake Relays record and the second-best time in Iowa prep history.

“Yeah I guess I’m just fast I guess,” Thompson said.

Kennedy’s Swartzendruber twins, Sidney and Addison finished 2nd and 3rd respectively in the 400 meter dash.

In his first race in since a hamstring injury, Washington’s Elijah Morris finished second in the 400 meter dash, at 48.52.

In the Elite miles invitational, City High’s Ford Washburn ran a personal best 4.07.08, fourth-place in a field of the best high school runners in the United States.

Full results from the 2023 Drake Relays can be found here.

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