Successful Relaunch

Loeckle records personal-best discus throw at Decorah Girls Relays

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — As far as we know, track and field meets and trapshooting events are held at different locations … or at least at different times.

But you might have thought otherwise after witnessing Sydney Loeckle’s first discus throw attempt during Friday’s Decorah Girls Relays.

“It came off my hand the wrong way,” Loeckle said of her initial attempt that looked like it was shot out of the air like it was a clay pigeon. You almost were surprised the discus was still in one piece.

Loeckle’s second attempt got a little more air under it and landed a few feet beyond the 100-foot mark. It was her third attempt that found an ideal arc path for a throw of 116 feet, 11 inches — a personal-best for the Charles City sophomore by more than three feet.

Loeckle also bested runner-up Jordyn Shaw of Waverly-Shell Rock by more than six feet.

“I know I can throw even farther,” said Loeckle, who probably needs to add 10 more feet for a reasonable chance for a state title.

“I qualified for state last year, but I didn’t have a good meet,” said Loeckle, who finished 22nd as a freshman. “With the weather getting better, I hope to get more throws outside.”

Also placing in the discus for Charles City was Sara Martin, whose throw of 95 feet, 4 inches was good enough for sixth place.

Later in the shot put event, Martin won her second-straight meet with a throw of 37 feet, 4 inches. Loeckle was third (34 feet, 7 inches), scoring a team-best 16 points for the Comets, who placed fourth (54 totals points) behind hosting Decorah (163), Wahlert (80), and Dubuque Senior (65).

Other top individual point placers for Charles City included junior McKayla Cole, who placed second to Osage’s Ellie Friesen in the 800-meter run; and Sadie Ruzicka, who placed third in the 100 hurdles behind winner Olivia Sandvig of Decorah and runner-up Kortney Lightfoot of Dubuque Senior.

Charles City also placed third in the 1600 Distance Medley Relay (Kennedi Rowlands, Hanna Bjelica, Gillian King and Whitney Martin), behind winner Wahlert and runner-up Decorah.