1A State Track & Field Day 1: Reynolds runs it back, Denton dominates as 4 KMAlanders capture titles (2024)

(Des Moines) -- Championship aspirations became reality for four KMAlanders at the Class 1A State Track & Field Championships on Thursday.

The cast of champs included a pair of familiar faces, a budding star and a freshman who put together the best performance of her career when it mattered most and made school history.

Mount Ayr senior Ryce Reynolds added another title to his collection with his third consecutive championship in the 400. Reynolds dropped a time of 47.90, besting his own 1A record he set last year.

"It never gets old," Reynolds said. "I was glad I capped the first day off with that race. I knew I was going to have to get out fast. I had a feeling it was going to go well, but I'm just astonished. The fastest I ran this year was 48.4 at Drake, so I didn't know what to expect. It's been my goal to break that 48 mark. It's an amazing feeling."

Reynolds might not be done winning gold either. He's the favorite in the 400 meter hurdles and qualified for the finals of the 200 meter dash with the second-best preliminary time.

Woodbine's Landon Bendgen grabbed his second track title on Thursday but his first in the 3200. Last year's 1600 champ and two-time state cross country champ took control of the two-mile race from the opening gun and cruised to victory in 9:15.47.

"Finally getting the dub in the 32(00) feels great," he said. "I wanted a faster time, but there's nothing to complain about. This whole year, I've wanted to snag that 32(00). I did it. I wanted to go out hot and make sure everyone else was in pain."

Bendgen's title gave Woodbine 10 points and helped put them in second place in the team standings after the first day. The Tigers have 17 points, behind only Wapsie Valley (19).

Teammate Gunner Wagner netted six crucial points for the Tigers as they chase a strong finish in the team standings. Wagner used a late-race kick to soar through the pack and finished third.

"Since his freshman year, we've been running together," Bendgen said. "It was nice to see him have a breakthrough race."

"I'm pumped," Wagner said. "I didn't expect to get third place. I was just hoping to medal. I didn't want to kill myself on the first lap. I slowly worked my way up. My coach (Ryan Coenen) always tells me the sixth and seventh laps are the most important. You get to the last lap and you just have to give it your all. I thought I could get into third."

Wagner was also the third leg of Woodbine's eighth-place 4x800 team (8:20.56). Brody Pryor, Adam Barry and Landon Blum joined him on that quartet.

St. Albert's Lili Denton had been building toward a 1A 3000 championship all season and did it in style Thursday afternoon. Denton led wire-to-wire, becoming St. Albert's first girls champion since KMA Sports Hall of Famer Abby Schlater did so in 2009. She finished in a time of 10:18.60.

"I'm happy with how it ended," Denton said. "I wanted to get out in front and create a cushion. I saved a little bit for (the last) lap. I knew I had to kick it in during the last 400. It's good knowing all the hard work I've put in has paid off."

Woodbine's Adyson Lapel also medaled in the 3000. She was eighth in 11:02.87.

"I didn't get one (a medal) last year," Lapel said. "It (the pace) was OK. I went out fast in the beginning. I slowed down in the second mile but kicked in at the end. It all worked out. I'm happy about it. I'm glad all my workouts paid off."

Wayne's Ella Whitney saved the best long jump of her career for the final one of the day and captured the Falcons' first-ever individual girls state title.

"It's amazing," Whitney said. "I came in as an underdog just glad to be here. It's unbelievable."

Whitney recorded a 16-07.25 leap in her final jump, besting her previous personal best by five inches.

"I just told myself to let go and give it all I've got," she said. "It was my last jump of the season. I just trusted my work. It felt pretty normal to me."

Whitney's title came at the expense of Southwest Valley's Emma Cooper, who settled for second with a jump of 16-06.50.

"I'm just grateful for being able to get second," Cooper said. "My steps clicked well. I was glad. It's my senior year. It's obviously going to hit me eventually, but I'm proud of myself. At the end of the day, I did my best. And I'm still coming home with some hardware."

Whitney and Cooper were among the five KMAlanders in the top nine. Stanton's Lauren Johnson and Hamburg's Paycee Holmes, while Tri-Center's Jozie Payne just missed collecting hardware.

Johnson was fourth with a jump of 16-04.25.

"I'm so proud of myself," she said. "I hit the board great and landed awesome. It's all about mentality. I just had to come in strong and try my best. That's all you can really do."

Holmes ended her career with a sixth-place showing (16-03.75).

"Last year, I didn't make it to the finals," Holmes said. "This year, I just wanted to medal. I reached my goal. I'm happy with that. I could have done better, but I'm grateful for this opportunity. I have no regrets."

Bedford's Kase Coleman was seventh in the boys long jump.

"I expected to do decent," Coleman said. "I wasn't sure where I would place, because you never jump the same. I don't think I jumped my best today, but I'm hoping to go get them next year."

East Union's Morgan Cooley just missed out on a state title. Cooley claimed second in the shot put with a heave of 52-05.00, finishing behind Akron-Westfield's Ian Blowe.

"The overall goal was to get a medal," he said. "I'm happy about the performance today. I didn't even make it to state last year. This means a lot."

Cooley wasn't the only Pride of Iowa Conference thrower to medal. Nodaway Valley's Trent Warner was fifth with a throw of 50-10.25.

"It's good, but I was honestly hoping for more," Warner said. "The last two meets, I PR'd by six or seven feet. I was a little disappointed, but I didn't feel great. I'll come back next year and hopefully win it."

Three KMAland girls left the 1A shot put with medals around their necks. Woodbine senior Amanda Newton topped the KMAlanders with her fifth-place finish (36-09.25).

"It feels great," Newton said. "I've worked for this all season. It's great to do it. It's been a long season. I'm happy."

Bedford's Lexi Perkins captured the first medal of her career by finishing sixth (36-08.50).

"It's exciting to be here and to compete with all these other amazing girls," she said. "The goal was to throw my best. I went out there and had fun."

Riverside's Sophia Fenner exceeded her No. 19 seed, reaching the finals and taking eighth (36-03.00).

"I surpassed all my goals," she said. "I wanted to throw 35 (feet), get the school record and go to state. I did that. I knew (the record) would place me high. Ending eighth is perfect for me."

Both Riverside 4x800 teams earned fourth-place medals.

The girls' quartet of Elly Henderson, Bentley Rone, Carly Henderson and Fenner put down a time of 9:49.80.

"Carly gave me a good start," Elly Henderson said. "That carried to everyone else. I thought we ran a good race. We got a PR."

Mason McCready, Grady Jeppesen, Brody Henderson & Dawson Henderson posted an 8:08.52 for the Riverside boys.

"Not a bad race," Jeppesen said. "We hoped to get first but we can't be upset with a PR. We ran our best."

The Boyer Valley girls also medaled in the 4x800. The team of Hailey Cue, Clara Gorham, Jessica O'Day and Lauren Malone ran a 10:04.61.

Murray's Leksi Gannon and Tri-Center's Tess Casey medaled in the 400. Gannon finished fifth with a personal and school record time of 58.71.

"I was shooting for the podium, but I'll definitely take a PR and a new school record," she said. "This was one of my goals this year. Being the last one, I just had to put it all there."

The freshman earned her first career medal by finishing eighth (59.41).

"It's so awesome to be here," Casey said. "It's very nerve-wracking. I put a lot of pressure on myself, but I just told myself it was a privilege to be here. I was happy I was in the fast heat. I knew I'd get competition that would push me to go harder."

Several KMAland individuals and relays qualified for finals thanks to strong preliminary showings. Gannon reached the 100 and 200 finals, while six KMAland boys made the finals in those events.

Exira/EHK's Cash Emgarten and East Mills' Zach Thornburg made the finals in both, Lenox's Donald Bashor and Logan-Magnolia's William Anderson qualified in the 100 and Reynolds and Coon Rapids-Bayard's Caeden Oswald reached the 200 finals.

Nodaway Valley’s Maddie reached the finals in the girls 100.

Four KMAland shuttle hurdle relay teams reached Saturday's finals. Lenox was the only boys team, but they did so with a state-record time of 59.79.

The Fremont-Mills, Stanton and Tri-Center girls each qualified for the finals as well.

Find the full rundown from Thursday here.