Local athletes win bronze medals at Drake Relays

Press Staff Report

DES MOINES — Two local track and field state champions returned from the Drake Relays with bronze medals on their persons.

Charles City senior Josiah Cunnings, who is the defending Class 3A boys long jump champion; and Nashua-Plainfield junior Kadence Huck, who is a two-time Class 1A girls 400-meter champion and a one-time 800-meter champion; placed third in the said events while competiting against qualified Iowa athletes from all classes during the prestigious T&F event that took place at Drake University on April 24-27 (Wednesday through Saturday).

As already reported in Friday’s edition of the Charles City Press, Cunnings’s flight of  22 feet, 5 1/2 inches in the high school boys LJ during Thursday’s session was only bested by Jesup senior Jack Miller (23-3 3/4) and by Cedar Rapids Prairie junior T.Y. Pour (22-6 3/4).

Also on Thursday, Charles City senior Keely Collins, a two-time Class 3A girls high jump state silver medalist and school record holder among girls in the event, tied for eighth in the high school girls HJ with a height of 5 feet, 3 inches.

Huck had a busy Friday session. First in the high school girls 800, Huck placed third with a time of 2 minutes, 11.09 seconds behind Pleasant Valley junior Awi Wedemeyer (2:09.31) and Dubuque Hempstead senior Keelee Leitzen (2:09.74).

Later in the high school girls 400, Huck’s third-place time of 56.19 seconds clocked in behind Waukee senior Anjelena Carder (55.45) and Clear Lake junior Reese Browlee (55.93).

Browlee also had a busy Friday as she defended her high school girls long jump title at the Drake Relays with a personal-best leap of 18 feet, 3 3/4 inches.

Charles City freshman Sophia Calpito also competed as a qualified athlete in the girls long jump and placed 15th with a leap of 16 feet, 2 inches.

During Saturday’s session, Calpito and Collins were part of Charles City’s qualified shuttle hurdle relay with freshman Edie Collins and senior Lauren Staudt which placed 13th in the preliminary round with a time of 1 minute, 8.57 seconds.

In the finals later that day, Dowling Catholic won the girls SHR with a time of 1:01.43.

Charles City junior Leah Stewart qualified in two events: the high school girls shot put, and the high school girls discus.

Though Stewart is a returning state-qualifier in the shot put where she placed 10th last spring, this was her first DRs appearance and she may chalk it up to experience.

During Thursday’s girls high school shot put, Stewart recorded what would be a 15th-place throw of 37 feet, 3 inches on her first attempt, but scratched on her latter two attempts.

During the subsequent high school girls discus event on Friday, Stewart didn’t place after scratching on all three of her attempts.

Stewart had qualified in the discus when she broke a Charles City school record with a throw of 128 feet, 6 inches during a home meet at Comet Field.