It’s very rare when a high school athlete leads off the WEEKEND UPDATE of the best performances by Iowa-based collegiate and post collegiate distance runners and triathletes.
But Cedar Falls senior Jaden Merrick had a week to remember at the Drake Relays and its related event, the Grand Blue Mile.
The Iowa State signee who has bypassed his senior track and field season to compete in more high-profile meets in the U.S. won the Men’s 10,000 Invite title to close out the evening session at the Drake Relays on Friday, April 24.
Merrick set the No. 10 time ever for high schoolers over 10,000 meters by dominating a group of collegians over 25 laps on Drake Stadium’s Blue Oval. Merrick ran 29 minutes, 36.67 seconds to top Des Moines man and Fitness Sports Distance Project athlete Cody Baele by more than 14 seconds.
“I still got the (Relays) flag,” Merrick said of his decision to skip his senior season. “The mile is a little short for me now. I’m 5K and 10K for the future.”
Baele crossed a goal off his list. He broke 30 minutes for the first time on the track while running 29:51.50. Also finishing 14th in a race that was postponed from April 23 because of a thunderstorm was former Wartburg and Cedar Rapids Kennedy athlete Jacob Green, now competing for the Lothar Running squad, in 31:17.12.
Merrick earlier in the week had triumphed in the competitive division of the Grand Blue Mile in downtown Des Moines. Merrick, 18, won the title on April 21 in 4:20 while denying Crown Running’s Kyle Pape a third consecutive title. Pape, who had run 4:21 and 4:20 in his victories the past two years, settled for second in 4:29. The Ankeny man, 28, is a former Dubuque Wahlert and Central College star.
Will return to the Grand Blue Mile and USATF 1 Mile results, but switching back to the 116th Drake Relays, where the fans and athletes were treated to ideal weather on Friday and Saturday.
An Oklahoma State women 4×800 unit was attempting to break the NCAA all-time record on April 24. The Cowgirls, running alone over the second half of the race, came up just shy of the 8:16.12 mark established last year by an Arkansas squad that included former Carlisle great Ainsley Erzen. Oklahoma State, with true freshman and Nashua-Plainfield grad Kadence Huck on the leadoff leg, ran 8:16.65 to top Iowa State by 10.17 seconds.
“That (NCAA record) was the goal,” said Huck, an eight-time Iowa state champion. “The girls are great and I love being in a program where I’m not the best and they push me every day, but they’re also not happy for me running a 2:07 when they all run 2:03s.”
The Cowgirls nonetheless set a Relays record with their time, topping the 8:25.25 effort by Kentucky in 2022. The anchor on the winning 4×800 and distance medley relay squads, Billah Jepkirui, was chosen as the Collegiate/Invitational Women’s Most Outstanding Performer.
The Cyclones, with senior and Iowa City Liberty product Ashlyn Keeney on the leadoff leg, ran 8:26.82. Iowa, with junior and former Cedar Rapids Prairie competitor Gabby Cortez on the third leg, claimed fourth in 8:34.81.
That same day, an Iowa State unit with senior and former Humboldt athlete Quinton Orr on the leadoff leg were topped in a sprint to the finish of the Men’s 4×1600 University/College race. The Cyclones ran 16:26.07 while losing to Air Force by .19 of a second. Orr gave his team the lead by nearly a second after running the first 1,200 meters in 4:06.81.
Wartburg, with an all-Iowa squad, claimed seventh in 17:07.44. The squad included sophomores Aidan Decker, Solomon Zaugg and Clay Warson and junior Nathan Kinzer. Decker and Kinzer both prepped at Iowa City Liberty while Zaugg competed for Mediapolis. Warson is a former Madrid prep. Loras College, with freshman and ex-Pleasant Valley athlete Cameron Gotto competing, was next to finish in 17:08.38. North Central (IL) claimed 10th with senior and Muscatine grad Aidan Armstrong on the third leg in 17:12.33.
St. Ambrose won one of the opening distance events at Thursday’s Distance Carnival. A Bees 4×800 squad with sophomore and former Cedar Falls runner Tyler Moody on the second leg and junior and ex-Johnston athlete Dylan Grandon on the third leg, took the win in 7:34.20. That time ranks No. 2 in the NAIA ranks this outdoor season. The squad also included Elijah House and Chris Miserendino. Cornerstone of Michigan was second in 7:37.65.
Wartburg, with three Iowans on the squad, picked up third in 7:38.54. The squad included freshman and Crestwood (Cresco) product Nathan Ahern running leadoff, junior and former New London prep Ryland Martin and sophomore Logan Rosas, a former Mediapolis competitor, on the anchor. Hutton Edney was the fourth runner.
Dordt University, with junior and former Pella Christian athlete Kaden Van Wyngarden on the anchor, took seventh in 7:42.93. Next to finish was an Iowa Western squad with sophomore and former Urbandale prep Landon Hartley on the first leg and freshman and former Waterloo Columbus competitor Jace Matern on anchor, gained the standard for NJCAA nationals with a time of 7:45.18. The Reivers were eighth.
The winning with Iowa schools continued with the Men’s 4×800 University event. An Iowa squad with sophomore and Johnston product Carson Lane on the opening leg took the victory in 7:20.36. This group that included Caleb Levy, Ryan Schreiner and Terrick Johnson topped Iowa State by 2.38 seconds.
Two former Iowa preps grabbed runner-up honors in the Open 3,000 Steeplechase races. Jason Renze, a former Madrid competitor now based in Omaha, Neb., battled Missouri sophomore Elijah Limo for the win before settling for second in 8:48.30. Limo ran 8:47.51. Wartburg grad Christopher Collet, now with the Rhode Island Track Club, was fourth in 8:59.83. North Iowa Area Community College freshman Gavin Grunhovd, who prepped at North Iowa (Buffalo Center), ended up 20th in 9:46.95.
Northern Iowa redshirt senior Millie Hill also secured runner-up honors in the women’s race. The Ankeny Centennial product ran 10:34.13 to finish just over four seconds off her personal-best time run a week earlier in Azusa, California. Morningside University senior Courtney Sporrer, who competed for Logan-Magnolia, was fifth in 11:03.05. The winner was Nebraska senior Cami Merickel in 10:32.34.
Saturday’s distance medley relay events ended with wins from Iowa programs in five of the six races. The Iowa Central Community College women set the NJCAA all-time record for the rarely run event with an 11:49.37 time. A squad that included sophomore and former Tipton athlete Alivia Edens on the second 400 leg ran 11:49.37 to erase the 11:53.10 mark set by rival Iowa Western at the 2025 Drake Relays. This time, the Reivers took second with sophomore and former Treynor prep Alyssa Kulesa on the 400 leg in 11:50.83. The other Tritons on the record-breaking squad were Janae Dawes, Chadrak Belinda Bula Bula and Abbigail (Abbi) Hutchinson. Taking fifth with star freshman and Heartland Christian High School grad Grace Steinmetz on the 1,600 anchor was Bellevue (NE). Bellevue ran 12:14.75.
The Dordt University women claimed the Iowa College DMR title for the first time in 12:03.63. Freshman and former Unity Christian (Orange City) runner Addison Liston gave the Defenders a 4.66-second lead after the opening 1,200. Cornell College was a distance second with senior and ex-Anamosa prep Ava Claussen-Tubbs on the 1,600 anchor. The Rams ran 12:18.22. The Wartburg women rounded out the top three with freshman Janae Hansen, sophomore Anna Quillin and junior Hannah Ramsey on the squad. Hansen ran for Mason City Newman, Quillin for Solon and Ramsey for Liberty High.
Loras College was a winner in the men’s Iowa College DMR. The quartet that ran 10:06.15 included freshman Gotto on the 800. Dordt, with senior and ex-Pella Christian prep Levi Schelhaas (400) and Van Wyngarden, was second in 10:20.04. Mount Mercy, with freshman and former Springville athlete Jack Stamp on the 1,200, sophomore and former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep Trevor Leitheiser on the 400, ex-East Buchanan competitor Noah Valenzuela on the 800 and Anamosa grad Seth Countryman on the anchor, was a close third in 10:21.51.
The Iowa State men’s University DMR was a winner with Devan Kipyego on the anchor in 9:40.73. Nebraska, which had redshirt sophomore Gabe Nash on the anchor, ended up fourth in 9:43.70. Nash prepped at Sioux City North. Iowa, with Lane on the 1,200, redshirt freshman and former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep Jackson Johannes on the 400 and freshman Owen Wolfe on the 800, claimed seventh in 9:47.40. Wolfe is a Dowling Catholic grad. South Dakota’s eighth-place squad had two Iowans on the squad. Sophomore and former Sioux City East competitor Natnael Kifle ran on the 1,200 leg. Sophomore teammate Tommy Hensley, who prepped at Urbandale, ran the 800 on a Coyotes team that ran finished in 9:47.87. Northern Iowa was 11th with freshman and former Cedar Falls runner Jordan Townsend on the 400, senior and Calamus-Wheatland grad Chase Knoche on the 800 and sophomore Chase Lauman, an ex-Pella prep, on the 1,600 anchor contributed. The Panthers ran 9:50.48.
On the women’s University DMR with Oklahoma State the victor, Iowa State took sixth in 11:21.32 with Keeney and senior Bella Heikes, a former Johnston athlete, competing. Iowa was next in 11:25.10 and junior Clare Kelly, who prepped at Van Meter, ran the 800. Senior anchor Jalyssa Blazek, a former Turkey Valley (Jackson Junction) prep, ran the anchor. A South Dakota squad with redshirt sophomore and ex-ADM (Adel) runner Geneva Timmerman on the anchor ended up 10th in 11:33.63.
Iowa Western’s men won the College DMR in 9:57.18. A Cornell College unit with sophomore Chase Staker, who competed for Linn-Mar (Marion), on the 400 was third in 10:01.37. Minnesota State, with freshman Jonathan Owen on the 800, was fifth in 10:05.87. The relay also included sophomore and ex-Spirit Lake runner Qamerin Hussey on the 400.
Israel’s Adva Cohen, a six-time NJCAA champion for Iowa Central, captured fourth in the WACT Women’s 3,000 Steeplechase on April 24. Cohen, an Under Armor Dark Sky runner based in Flagstaff, Arizona, ran 9:30.33. Gracie Hyde of Puma was the winner in 9:22.19.
Former Drake University All-American Isaac Basten, now with the Boston Athletic Association team, grabbed fourth in the WACT 1,500 on April 25. Basten ran 3:36.78 in a race won in Relays record time by Cooper Cawthra in 3:35.22.
Former Drake runner Emilie Meyer, with the Minnesota Distance Elite team, stepped up in distance from her typical 800 to take 13th. Meyer ran 4:45.32. Annika Reiss won in 4:25.52.
Several Iowans finished in the top 10 individually in distance events. Bradley freshman Noelle Steines, who competed for Calamus-Wheatland and Tipton, took fifth in the women’s 1,500 University/College race on April 24 in 4:26.43. Missouri’s Monica Wanjiku won in 4:17.15.
Northern Iowa sophomore Derek Woods, a Cedar Falls grad, claimed sixth in the men’s University/College 800 in 1:50.00 on April 24. Nebraska’s Nash was three spots back in 1:50.54. Northern Iowa’s Knoche ended up 11th in 1:52.69 in a race won by MDE’s Braxton Bruer in 1:49.13.
Fitness Sports Distance Project athlete Jordan Winke secured fifth in the 10,000 Invite in 36:19.5 on April 23. Winke is a former Albia and Iowa runner. Lauren Wood, now running for the Runablaze Iowa squad after a prep career at Valley High, was seventh in 37:04.21. Iowa senior Rowan Boulter, who prepped at Iowa City High, was next across the finish line in 37:05.18. Northern Iowa freshman Meghan Wheatley took 11th in 37:24.12. Wheatley attended North Linn. The winning time was 34:02.86.
In that Women’s Open 5,000 that night, Central College senior Peyton Steffen secured sixth in 17:09.5. Steffen is a Marion product. Former Drake runner Anastasia Kirillov, now with the FSDP team, ended up ninth in 17:19.69. Former Northern Iowa record-breaking runner Emma Hoins was 11th in 17:40.16. Hoins is with the Crown Running squad after also running for Waverly-Shell Rock and Hawkeye Community College. The best time was 16:33.98.
In the Men’s Open 5,000 also on April 23, Iowa runner and former Dowling Catholic prep Will Ryan, running unattached, was sixth in 14:38.2. Augustana University sophomore Bryant Keller, who prepped at Glenwood, was 10th in 14:46.3. Next to finish was Northern Iowa sophomore Colin Lillie, a former Council Bluffs St. Albert athlete, in 14:55.53. The winner was Wisconsin student Micah Wilson, competing unattached, in 14:00.20.
Bradley’s Steines ran the anchor 800 for the Braves Sprint Medley University squad that was eighth in 3:57.36 on April 25. Iowa won in 3:44.68.
At the Distance Carnival on April 23, South Dakota’s Timmerman captured seventh in the Women’s Unseeded UD/CD 1,500 in 4:36.25. Freshman teammate Drew Beason, an Ankeny High product, was ninth in 4:41.47. The winner ran 4:29.86.
In the Men’s 1,500 Unseeded UD/CD 1,500, Wartburg’s Zaugg ended up ninth in 4:00.02. The winner ran 3:50.01.
In the Men’s Unseeded UD/CD 800, FSDP’s Mike Jasa took second in 1:51.50. Jasa was a national champion for Loras College after starting at Cedar Rapids Prairie. Northwestern College’s Carson Van Sickle, an Ogden grad, secured seventh in 1:52.85. South Dakota’s Hensley was two spots behind him in 1:53.78. Iowa freshman Owen Wolfe, a Dowling Catholic product, took 12th in 1:54.48. The winner crossed the finish line in 1:51.2.
In the Women’s UD/CD Unseeded 800, Iowa’s Kelly claimed third in 2:11.37. Cornell’s Claussen-Tubbs was 11th in 2:13.97. The victor finished in 2:08.92.
Former Decorah runner Brady Hogan, a senior at Augustana University, took fourth in the Men’s Unseed 5,000 Open race. Hogan was clocked in 14:46.30. South Dakota’s Kifle took fifth in 14:51.00. Des Moines Area Community College sophomore Eli Page gained the standard for NJCAA nationals with a 15:02.82. The Vinton-Shellsburg grad ended up eighth. Drake sophomore Daniel Rotich won in 14:30.45.
Bellevue’s Steinmetz captured fourth in the Women’s Unseeded 5000 Open competition. The freshman ran 17:20.88. Iowa sophomore Hillary Trainor, who prepped at Sumner-Fredericksburg, was seventh in 17:37.78. The best time was 16:54.69.
Finally, in the Men’s 800 Masters race on April 24, former Cornell College great Ean Caskey took runner-up honors. The Running Wild Elite-backed runner was timed in 2:00.36. He was just .4 of a second behind champion Brett Anderson.
Athletes who may not have qualified for the Drake Relays had a chance to compete at the high-level Kip Janvrin Open at Simpson College in Indianola. A whopping 31 runners broke 15 minutes in the 5,000. Wartburg senior Ander Julian was the top Iowan in third place in 14:28.90. Julian is a New London grad. Freshman teammate Ahmed Aldamak, who competed for Cedar Falls, grabbed fourth in 14:31.92. Knights senior and former Center Point-Urbana athlete Eli Larson took sixth in 14:35.14. Zaugg returned to the track the evening of April 24 to take eighth in 14:42.79. Former Wartburg and Liberty High runner Jack Kinzer, now with the Driftless Distance Project based in Wisconsin, took 11th in 14:44.51. Wartburg senior Seth Bailey, another ex-New London prep, settled for 14th in 14:45.31. Next to finish was Luther College sophomore Jacob Bruns, a Cedar Rapids Kennedy product, in 14:45.68.
DMACC’s Joseph Lawry, who attended Waukee High, gained 16th place in 14:47.34. That time will send him to NJCAA nationals. Simpson senior Drew Engler also broke 15 on his home track while taking 28th place. The Atlantic grad ran 14:57.07 for 28th. Creighton freshman Owen Marett, a former Des Moines Roosevelt prep, took 31st in 14:58.71. Wartburg senior Tyler Schermerhorn, who competed for Ankeny High, was the first runner not to break 15 minutes. Schermerhorn ran 15:00.45. Runablaze Iowa’s Don Agisha dropped several seconds off his personal record while claiming 33rd in 15:01.69. FSDP’s Nathan Patel, who prepped at Gilbert, ran 15:03.90 for 34th. Nebraska-Kearney freshman Brennen Bhave, an Ames product, got 35th place in 15:04.97. Northern Iowa sophomore Carson Owens was 39th in 15:06.98. He attended Southeast Polk. The winner, Cashton Johnson, ran 14:24.18.
Former Linn-Mar runner Hayden Kuhn collected a victory in the 3,000 steeplechase with a new PR. The Iowa junior ran 8:48.01 to easily win by 10.67 seconds. Another former Linn-Mar prep, Wartburg freshman Ethan Boston, ran 9:25.91 for ninth. Loras sophomore Brayden Frey, who attended Cedar Falls, was 12th in 9:37.05. Dordt senior Levi Landman came in 17th in 9:44.53. Landman is a Unity Christian grad. Wartburg sophomore Brendan Owens, who competed for Ankeny Centennial, ran 9:51.35 for 20th.
Also taking a new best was Mount Mercy junior Abby Knepper. The Beckman (Dyersville) product gained the NAIA ‘A’ standard for nationals with a winning 10:45.44 effort. Knepper won by 3.60 seconds over Minnesota senior Marge Dalseth. St. Ambrose junior Kaitlyn Knoche, who attended North Scott, also gained the NAIA ‘A’ standard with an 11:01.78 time for third. Northern Iowa freshman Evie Henneberry, an ex-Dubuque Hempstead prep, ran 11:14.75 for sixth. Former Sibley-Ocheyedan runner Madison Marco, now a junior at Southwest Minnesota State, grabbed ninth in 11:19.74. Northwest Missouri State’s Mayson Hartley was next in 10th in 11:23.06. Hartley competed for Clarinda. Central College freshman Kyra Cordes, a Marion product, was 13th in 11:27.57.
Simpson sophomore James Johnson grabbed seventh in the 1,500 on his home track April 24. The Marshalltown grad ran 3:49.89. Iowa senior Carson Houg, claimed ninth in 3:50.04. Houg ran for Des Moines Christian. Northern Iowa’s Lauman was 12th in 3:52.20. DMACC freshman Sam Mora, a former Dallas Center-Grimes athlete, ran 3:56.18 for 27th. He secured the NJCAA standard for nationals. Central College sophomore Donovan Card was next in 3:56.50. He attended Norwalk. Wartburg freshman Connor Martin, a former Cedar Falls prep, took 29th in 3:56.64. Northern Iowa freshman Jonas VanDis, a former Waukee High competitor, was 36th in 3:58.31. Knights freshman Gage Heyne, who prepped at English Valleys (North English), was 37th in 3:58.49. Iowa Western’s Hartley finished a fine weekend by getting the NJCAA standard with a 3:58.83 finish. He was 39th. Wartburg freshman Ryan Heden, a former Bettendorf athlete, was 41st in 3:59.33. Also breaking 4 minutes was DMACC sophomore Zack Stoermer and Central College sophomore James Brant. Stoermer, a Des Moines Lincoln grad, ran 3:59.33 for 43rd while Brant, a former South Tama prep, was timed in 3:59.93 for 45th. The winning time was 3:47.30.
Wartburg’s Rosas returned to the track to take fourth in the 800 while being timed in 1:52.26. Northern Iowa freshman Keegan Steege, a Cedar Falls product, was next in 1:52.55. Sophomore teammate Jake Bosch, who attended Ankeny High, was seventh in 1:53.02. The best time was 1:51.47.
Iowa’s Blazek doubled her work with a strong fourth-place finish in the 1,500. Blazek ran 4:32.14. Northern Iowa sophomore Clare Wright, a former Jesup runner, took 16th in 4:42.60. Former North Polk athlete Liza Schaffer, now a junior at Northern Iowa, took 19th in 4:44.66. Iowa Central’s Edens claimed 21st in 4:45.67. That time gives her the NJCAA standard for nationals. The winner ran 4:24.68.
Central College’s Stevens also competed in the 5,000, taking sixth in 17:21.52. Junior teammate Teah Miller, who prepped at Iowa Falls-Alden, ran 17:28.47 for 13th. Solon grad Annika Kruse, now a senior at Central College, was 27th in 17:57.43. The winner was Iowa Western’s Elizabeth Ewusie in 16:59.84.
Northern Iowa junior Mary Kelly claimed eighth in the 800. The Van Meter product ran 2:13.20. Freshman teammate Sarah Feddersen, who competed at Gilbert, ran 2:14.00 for 10th. Former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep Lily Johannes, now a junior at Iowa, was next in 2:14.24. South Dakota State freshman Madalyn Childs, who attended Grand View Christian, ran 2:14.62 for 13th. The best time was 2:09.00.
Moving to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, where Boston University junior Adrienne Buettner-Cable produced a new best of 33:57.51 in the 10,000. The former Des Moines Roosevelt star took 12th. The winner ran 33:45.66.
Former Pleasant Valley runner Ani Wedemeyer, a freshman, ran leadoff for a Johns Hopkins 4×800 College relay that ended up 15th. Johns Hopkins ran 8:49.79.
Shifting to the John McDonnell Invite in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on April 24. Indian Hills Community College freshman Kohlby Newsom, a former Winfield-Mount Union prep, gained the NJCAA standard for nationals in the 1,500. Newsom ran 3:52.62 for 15th. The best time was 3:41.16.
Arkansas senior Ainsley Erzen ran 2:07.22 in the 800 Invitational. Erzen was a standout for Carlisle. The winner was American professional Honour Finley in 2:04.00.
In the regular 800, Indian Hills freshman Abby George, who prepped at Albia, was 11th in 2:13.65. That gains George the NJCAA standard for nationals. The best time was 2:09.44.
Shifting back to the roads and the USATF 1 Mile Championship as part of the Grand Blue Mile. The USATF event was offering $10,000 to the winner and $5,000 for second. The top two finishers earned a spot at the World Road Race Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark in September. Leaving the track for a night on April 21 was Northern Arizona junior Ford Washburn. The Iowa City High product ran 4:00 for ninth place. Yared Nuguse unseated two-time defending champion Vince Ciattei to claim the title. Both ran 3:55 and will compete in Denmark.
In the women’s pro competition, seven-time Loras College NCAA champion Kassie Parker claimed eighth in 4:36. The former Clayton Ridge (Guttenberg) runner now competes for the Crown Running squad based in Dubuque. Former Drake athlete Meyer of the MDE team was 14th in 4:45. Addy Wiley (4:26) and Graci Hyde (4:26) locked up the two spots for worlds.
Des Moines also was the site for the USATF 1 Mile Masters Championship and an Iowan won the national title. Runablaze Iowa athlete Susie Duke, 45, of Searsboro cruised to victory in the competition for women 40 and over. The Lynnville-Sully and Iowa State grad ran 5:24 to top Dana Hayden by 11 seconds.
In the men’s masters competition, Nathan Hopp of the RWE squad was the top Iowan in 11th place. The Cedar Rapids man, 43, ran 4:53. Rob Semelroth, a former Northern Iowa runner, grabbed 14th in 4:59. He is 51 years old. The winner was Justin Fiske, 40, in 4:30.
Returning to the competitive division of the Grand Blue Mile, where Indianola prep Jake Robidoux was next to finish behind Merrick, Pape and Evans. Robidoux, 16, ran 4:31. Former Johnston and Northern Iowa runner Karson Kleve, 24, of Urbandale took fifth in 4:33. Runablaze coordinator Tyson Wieland, 31, was next in 4:34. The Des Moines man competed for Johnston and Iowa Central. Jack Hostettler, 35, of Des Moines was seventh in 4:34. Former Western Dubuque and Loras runner Ethan Hammerand, 27, of Epworth gained eighth in 4:35. Runablaze’s Ben Jaskowiak, a 36-year-old former Drake competitor now living in Cumming, took ninth in 4:36. Sam Watkins, a 20-year-old former Dallas Center-Grimes prep, rounded out the top 10 in 4:37.
The 40-and-over winner was Jon Duke, spouse of Susie, in 4:56. Duke, 42, lives in Searsboro. Stacy Garrels, 50, of Indianola was the 50-and-over winner in 4:54.
A masters runner took the women’s competitive title. Indianola resident Nikki Borner, 40, claimed the win in 5:12. Crown Running’s Casey McDermott, a former competitor at Newton and Drake, was runner-up in 5:13. McDermott is 36. FSDP’s Lauren Wood rounded out the podium in 5:15. Audrey Dummermuth, a senior at Johnston, took fifth in 5:21. Danna Herrick, who ran for Boone High before a pro career with the Hansons-Brooks squad in Michigan, was next in 5:24. Herrick, 39, resides in Norwalk. Jessica McKee, a former Johnston and Iowa participant now with the FSDP squad, was seventh in 5:25. McKee, 26, resides in Ankeny.
Lori Long, 54, of Cedar Rapids was the 50-and-over champion in 6:36.
Crossing over the Mississippi River to Illinois and the Illinois Half Marathon on April 26, where FSDP’s Kallin Carolus Khan, 29, of Iowa City set a new best in the half marathon in Champaign. The former Iowa runner was timed in 1:06:20 for third. RWE’s Joe Langridge, 23, of Davenport was next to finish in 1:06:29. He was followed in sixth by RWE teammate Cade Baker. Baker, 25, of Tiffin ran 1:09:35 for sixth. The winner was Nick Doud, 25, of Bloomington, IL, in 1:05:30.
Davenport man Artur Mueller, 42, achieved the No. 3 time in Iowa masters marathon history while finishing 10th overall. Mueller, 42, crossed the finish line in 2:31:50 to chop 1:58 off his best from the Quad Cities Marathon in September. He was the top masters finisher.
In Minnesota, former Iowa State runner Tyler Jermann, 33, of the MDE squad took the win at the Get in Gear Half Marathon in Minneapolis on April 25. Jermann ran 1:04:48 to win by almost 1:45. Former MDE squad member Kevin Lewis, 32, of Spirit Lake picked up third in 1:09:32. Lewis competed for Ottumwa and Iowa.
Former Johnston and Luther College athlete Tom Altier, 26, of Minneapolis grabbed fourth in the 10K. He ran 31:29.
Finishing with track and field, where Wartburg hosted a triangular before the Drake Relays on Tuesday, April 21. Freshman Ahern was the winner in 1:51.25. Sophomore teammate Rosas picked up second in 1:53.17. Junior teammate Martin ended up third in 1:54.83. Knights freshman Henry Peterson, who prepped at Dunkerton, broke 1:55 while taking fourth. Peterson ran 1:54.91.
The men’s 1,500 featured five runners who broke 4 minutes. Sophomore Warson took the win in 3:52.23, topping Fellow Knights sophomore Decker by 1.33 seconds. Another Wartburg sophomore, Glenwood grad Andrew Smith, grabbed fourth in 3:54.64. Nathan Kinzer, the Wartburg junior, was the last Knight under 4 minutes in 3:56.77. Former Fort Dodge St. Edmond prep Aaron Lursen, a junior with Wartburg, took sixth in 4:00.03. The lone Knights senior in the top 10, Conner Sattler, was next in 4:01.74. Sattler prepped at Clinton.
The women’s 1,500 was not quite as competitive. Wartburg senior Haley Meyer picked up the victory in 4:39.79. Meyer competed for Kee (Lansing). Meyer won by 1.45 seconds. Knights sophomore Anna Quillin, a former Solon runner, took fourth in 4:49.39. Freshman teammate Bethany Warren, a Forest City product, claimed fifth in 4:49.90. Fellow freshman Janae Hansen, an ex-Mason City High athlete, was next in 4:50.40. Peyton Morey was the next Knights freshman to finish. The Spencer grad ran 4:51.61.
North Central (IL) freshman Dylan Moeller secured a win in the 1,500 at the Old Fashion Track & Field Meet in Elmhurst, Illinois, on April 22. The Davenport Central product ran 4:50.81 to win by nearly three seconds.
Wichita State junior Amanda Treptow secured fourth place in the 1,500 at the OU Alumni O’Ring Open in Norman, Oklahoma. The ex-Jesup prep ran 4:51.45. The winner ran 4:25.98.
Morningside University junior Theo Moseman was a winner at the Mount Marty Twilight meet in Yankton, South Dakota, on April 22. The former Lawton-Bronson runner was time in 1:55.46 while winning by 2.15 seconds.
Springville grad Evan Robertson, now a junior at Dubuque University, claimed a win in the 800 at the Rittgers Invitational in Cedar Rapids on April 22. Robertson ran 1:55.90 to win by 1.25 seconds.
Another former Springville runner was second in the 1,500. Jack Stamp, a freshman at Mount Mercy, was timed in 3:59.50 to finish .27 behind Loras’ Isaac Bourne. Freshman teammate Noah Gregoire, who prepped at Liberty High, was third in 4:03.03.
Loras junior Colby Cryer gained a win in the 3,000 with an 8:49.02 effort. The former Cedar Falls prep won by more than 19 seconds.
Grand View University senior Nathan Limas picked up the ‘A’ standard for NAIA nationals in the 5,000 walk race at the Grand View Viking Classic in Des Moines on April 24. The Roland-Story product finished in 22:08.09.
William Penn junior Andrew Miller was a winner in the 1,500. The Pleasant Valley grad ran 4:03.06 to win by .23 of a second.
Former Des Moines Roosevelt athlete Matthew Bonner, now a junior at Grand View, cruised to victory in the 3,000 steeplechase. He finished in 9:50.03 to win by 1:10.
At the Augie Alt on April 25 in Rock Island, Illinois, Mount Mercy senior Brady Cortez ran 4:02.82 for third place. Cortez is a Cedar Rapids Prairie grad. The best time was 4:00.93.
The Peterson sisters, Nicole and Nina, placed fourth and sixth in the 1,500 at the Janis Rider/Doug Bolstorff Invitational in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nicole finished in 4:51.68 while Nina crossed the finish line in 4:53.80. Both are freshmen who competed for Iowa City High. The champion ran 4:42.82.
GOING BACK: At the Loud Thunder 50K in Illinois City, Illinois, on April 18, former Pleasant Valley prep Max Sorgenfrey was the winner on a difficult, muddy course. Sorgenfrey finished in 4:34:22 to win his 50K debut by more than 23 minutes.
MISSING A TOP DISTANCE RUNNER OR TRIATHLETE?: Let me know at bergeson@registermedia.com.
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This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Mile posts: Items on Jaden Merrick, Kadence Huck, Carson Lane, Jason Renze, Adrienne Buettner-Cable, Ford Washburn
Reporting by Lance Bergeson, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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