Iowa high school state track and field 2024: Tracking the top girls’ individuals and teams

The Gazette’s title picks: Waukee Northwest, Adel ADM, Tipton, Oakland Riverside

May. 15, 2024 8:20 am, Updated: May. 15, 2024 9:39 am

Mount Vernon’s Kiersten Swart competes in the Wamac Conference shuttle hurdle relay May 2. The Mustangs figure to finish in the top five in Class 3A at the state track and field meet this weekend in Des Moines. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

DES MOINES — The Iowa high school state track and field meet begins at 9 a.m. Thursday at Drake Stadium and runs through Saturday.

Here are the top individuals and teams in the girls’ field, along with The Gazette’s championship picks:

Class 4A

Top individuals: West Des Moines Valley senior Addison Dorenkamp has crushed the myth that female distance runners get slower as they age. A signee of the University of Alabama, Dorenkamp took over the all-time Iowa best in the 3,000 (9:23.71) at the Drake Relays. She also is favored in the 1,500. Ani Wedemeyer’s move from Iowa City High to Pleasant Valley transforms the Spartans into the 4A favorite. A junior, Wedemeyer is the 800 favorite and will run on the PV 4x800 that set an all-time Iowa best at the Drake Relays. Elliana Harris, a senior at Sioux City East, will be at the forefront of the individual sprints.

Scouting the team race: I am done picking against anything Waukee when it comes to girls’ track. Waukee High won five consecutive 4A titles between 2016 and 2021 (no meet in 2020, remember), then Waukee Northwest reigned in 2022 and 2023. Bank on this: Pleasant Valley will lead the team race heading into Saturday afternoon, thanks to its middle-distance prowess and a field-event crew that is projected for 30 points. But if it’s close heading into the final two events, Northwest is top-seeded in the 4x100 and 4x400. The Spartans are the favorites, but it would be foolish to bet against the Wolves.

Projected points leaders: Pleasant Valley 88, Waukee Northwest 80, West Des Moines Dowling 67, Johnston 53, West Des Moines Valley 48.

Our trophy picks: 1. Waukee Northwest, 2. Pleasant Valley, 3. West Des Moines Dowling.

Class 3A

Top individuals: Woodbine’s Debbie Esser (1975) remains the only Iowa girl to break the 60-second barrier in the 400-meter hurdles. Clear Lake junior Reese Brownlee could become the second; she has gone as fast as 1:00.75. Brownlee also will factor prominently in the long jump, 400 and sprint medley relay. Hampton-Dumont/CAL junior Charlee Morton has swept the Drake Relays throwing events each of the past two years. Jessica Kyne of Des Moines Hoover, Tierney Huss of MOC-Floyd Valley and Rylee Steffen of Dubuque Wahlert — all seniors — are the top sprinters, and Pella sophomore Marissa Ferebee headlines the distance contenders.

Scouting the team race: Raccoon River Conference rivals Gilbert and Adel ADM climb into the role of co-favorites. Youth served Gilbert very well during cross country season, and many of those youngsters pilot the team’s distance ship. ADM has title contenders in the London Warmuth (high jump) and Elise Coghlan (100 hurdles). Sioux Center is top-seeded in three events, including a 1-2 projection in the 800 meters. MOC-Floyd Valley’s sprinters will pull in the points, and Mount Vernon could do a lot of damage Thursday and Friday, which consist of four events in which the Mustangs are seeded in the top three.

Projected points leaders: Gilbert 57, Adel ADM 53, Sioux Center 46, MOC-Floyd Valley 41, Mount Vernon 38.

Our trophy picks: 1. Adel ADM, 2. Gilbert, 3. Mount Vernon.

Class 2A

Top individuals: In Rachel Kacmarynski and Meredith Van Wyk, Pella Christian possesses some young, fast legs. Kacmarynski, a freshman, is the top seed in the 100 meters, and Van Wyk, a sophomore, is No. 1 in the 200. Both are slotted in the 4x200, 4x400 and sprint medley relays, and the Eagles are top-seeded in all three of them. Tipton’s Noelle Steines is a junior, but is a rookie with the Tigers after two outstanding seasons at Calamus-Wheatland. Steines is a threat in three distance races (800, 1,500 and 3,000), and anchors the Tigers’ distance medley relay. She’ll be challenged in the 1,500 and 3,000 by Sumner-Fredericksburg senior Hillary Trainor. Spirit Lake freshman Leah Bolluyt could sweep the hurdles races.

Scouting the team race: After lifting Calamus-Wheatland to the 1A title last season, Steines will try to do the same for Tipton this weekend. She is projected to score 34 points, and could go higher. There is more in the Tigers’ arsenal than Steines, though; pieces like seniors Alivia Edens and Addie Nerem and freshman Ella Hein further fortify the middle distances, and Tipton’s Steines-less 4x800 is seeded No. 1. Like Tipton, Spirit Lake is projected to score in the 60s. Bolluyt’s emergence is part of the story; another lies in the field events, where Fran Travis (discus) and Lauren Travis (shot) are favored to win. As discussed above, Pella Christian is rock-solid in the sprints. Van Meter is a wild card; the Bulldogs are projected to score in 12 events. If they regularly out-perform their seeds (lots of sixths and sevenths), they could surprise everybody and win the whole thing.

Projected points leaders: Spirit Lake 67, Tipton 63, Pella Christian 58, Van Meter 48, Albia 35.

Our trophy picks: 1. Tipton, 2. Spirit Lake, 3. Pella Christian.

Class 1A

Top individuals: Panorama’s Jaidyn Sellers was a triple-champion (100, 200, 400) in 2A last year. Now a senior, Sellers is favored in all three of those 1A events this weekend, and also has added the high jump to her arsenal (she cleared 5 feet, 4 inches at the regional meet). She overlaps in the 400 with Nashua-Plainfield junior Kadence Huck, another four-event contender. Huck is a top-three seed in the 400, 800 and 1,500, and anchors the Huskies’ favored distance medley relay. Oakland Riverside senior Carly Henderson is the 400-meter hurdles favorite, and will compete on three relays seeded in the top four.

Scouting the team race: The magic number for a championship last year was 38, and that figure might be enough again this weekend. Sellers has the potential to get Panorama to 40 on her own. Three teams from the southwest corner of the state also are capable of climbing the 40-point barrier. Fremont-Mills has top-two seeds in four events (shot put, 400 hurdles, shuttle hurdle relay, 4x200) and two potential placewinners in the high jump. Henderson’s four events should score well for Riverside, and the Bulldogs are the top seed in the 4x100. The duo of Lili Denton (distance) and Avah Underwood (high jump) makes Council Bluffs St. Albert a threat.

Projected points leaders: Fremont-Mills 39, Panorama 39, Oakland Riverside 38, Council Bluffs St. Albert 33, Nashua-Plainfield 32.

Our trophy picks: 1. Oakland Riverside, 2. Panorama, 3. Council Bluffs St. Albert.