Calpito three-event winner at Decorah Relays

Press Staff Report

DECORAH — Though Charles City sophomore Sophia Calpito was a two-event winner during last Tuesday’s (April 15) Osage Girls Track and Field Meet, her wings were clipped.

A Drake Relays and state-qualifier in the girls long jump last season, Calpito didn’t compete in the LJ at Osage while saving some flight fuel for the subsequent Decorah Relays two days later on Thursday.

At Decorah, Calpito won the LJ with a flight of 17 feet, 4 ½ inches — 2 inches shy of her personal-record and 3 ½ inches shy of Charles City’s all-time record.

Regardless if Calpito eclipses either in the near future, she likely punched her ticket to return to the Drake Relays starting this Thursday as a long jumper.

Calpito also matched her PR while winning the 100-meter hurdles (15.90) and was part of the Comets’ victorious 4-by-100 relay (51.74) with Josilyn Bormann, Emerson Bohlen and Destiny Kolheim.

Charles City senior Leah Stewart, another returning Drake Relays and state qualifier, placed third in the shot put (35 feet, 7 inches) behind Decorah junior Lauren Luzum (39-08) and Decorah freshman Grace Tangen (37-09.5).

Charles City’s girls compiled a fifth-place total of 50 team points behind Decorah (184), West Delaware (169), Riceville (55) and South Winneshiek (52).

The Charles City boys track team was also in action twice in three days with the latter meet being Thursday’s Hudson Relays.

Competing with an abbreviated roster, the Comet boys placed 12th amid 18 teams with 23.5 points — Denver led the pack with 151.

Supporting the notion that a lot can happen in a split-second, the top three placers in the 800-meter run crossed the finish line during such a brief span of time. Charles City senior Xander Graeser was in the middle of it with a runner-up time of 2 minutes, 3.35 seconds between winner Jonah VanderWilt (2:02.89) of South Hardin, and third-place finisher Ethan Duty (2:03.85) of Denver.