DES MOINES — Ames girls track and field athletes Ayak Akol and Elodie Biggs made good on a pact.
Biggs was going to be doing the Class 4A girls high jump at the Iowa high school state track and field meet for the first time. Akol was making her fourth trip to Drake Stadium to compete in the event, but she had never brought home any hardware.
They both decided they were going to end up on the podium.
“Sometime this week at practice, we sat down and said we’re going to do it,” Biggs said. “We got this together.”
They stayed true to their word.
Akol and Biggs tied for third place in 4A after they each cleared five feet, four inches on Thursday, May 21.
Akol placed 13th in 4A as a freshman, 17th as a sophomore and 12th as a junior. She had yet to jump higher than 5-2 on the big stage.
She achieved that with ease on May 21. Akol cleared 4-10, 5-0 and 5-2 on her first attempt. Then it came time to jump 5-4, which is just one inch off her career-high jump of 5-5 accomplished earlier this season.
Akol made it on her first attempt to lock up a top-six individual finish.
“I think I wasn’t very confident my first three years of high school,” Akol said. “This year, going into it, I was like ‘It’s my senior year; I’ve got to do my best to help the team.’ I just wanted to have fun this year.”
Biggs, a junior, gained a measure of redemption. She also cleared the bar on her first attempt at 4-10, 5-0, 5-2 and 5-4.
“It’s amazing,” Biggs said. “Last year, I didn’t have a good state qualifying meet, so actually making it here is amazing. Getting to place feels really great.”
Both Akol and Biggs failed to get over 5-6 on three tries. Clinton’s Elle Lonergen cleared 5-6 on her second attempt to earn first, and North Scott’s Alyssa Schroeder made it on her third attempt to earn a silver medal.
Cedar Falls’ Hadassah Smith and Waukee Northwest’s Piper Ladwig also made it over 5-4 on their first attempt, but missed on all of their jumps at 5-6 to tie Akol and Biggs for third.
Akol said her career ended on a perfect note.
“I never would’ve imagined being on the podium with my teammate,” Akol said. “It means a lot.”
Gilbert’s Allie Grandgenett ties for 11th in the 3A girls HJ
Gilbert junior Allie Grandgenett tied for 11th in the 3A girls high jump on May 21.
Grandgenett cleared 5-2. She made it over 4-10 on her first attempt, 5-0 on her second and 5-2 on her third.
She was unable to get over the bar at 5-4.
MOC-Floyd Valley’s Brielle Hoegh won the event after clearing 5-6.5. Pella’s Phenix Gibbs and defending champion Reese Wagner placed second and third, respectively, after they each jumped 5-4.
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ayak Akol, Elodie Biggs tie for 3rd in high jump at Iowa state meet
Reporting by Joe Randleman, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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