Comet girls win Bulldogs Track and Field Relays

Press Staff Report

HAMPTON — While training offseason, Charles City senior Kiki Connell consulted with experts who advised that she had the athletic build and size to excel more within intermediary distances — i.e. the 800- and 1500-meter runs.

Connell did nothing to prove them wrong by qualifying for the Drake Relays in both races this spring, but the UNI-bound athlete is still pretty good in the 3K and 5K.

Having already set and reset the Charles City girls 5K cross country record with a time under 18 minutes, Connell came closer in setting the school’s girls record in the 3000 during Friday’s Bulldog Relays at Hampton-Dumont.

Connell’s winning 3K time of 10 minutes, 31.92 — a personal-record a week after setting a previous PR 9 seconds faster than the one before it — only trails McKayla Cole’s 10:28.54 3K time achieved in 2016 as the school’s all-time best.

Connell would later win the 1500 (4:59.61) as well as serving as the opening leg for the Comets’ winning 4-by-200 relay (1:51.70) with Lydia Staudt, Rachel Chambers and Kaylee Anderson while helping Charles City pace the nine-team field with 182 team points — St. Edmond was a distant second with 98 team points.

Senior thrower Carly Stevenson was a double-winner again for the Comets with first-place efforts of 117 feet, 8 inches in the discus and 35 feet, 9 inches in the shot put.

Charles City finished 1-2 in the shot put with Katie Sindt throwing 33 feet, 2 inches.

The Comets also finished 1-2 in the long jump with Staudt (16 feet, 1 ¼ inches) finishing ahead of Adison Kapping (14 feet, 5 inches).

Comet freshman and Drake Relays qualifier Keely Collins placed first in the high jump (5 feet).

Charles City placed second in both the 4-by-100 shuttle hurdle relay (Kaylee Hennick, Olivia Litterer, Collins, Hannah Lahner — 1:16.17); and the 4-by-400 relay (Madi Lensing, Litterer, Connell, Staudt — 4:21.78).