Final NEIC Track and Field Meet is in the books

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

WAUKON — They scheduled a break in the final Northeast Iowa Conference Track and Field Meet for all the athletes to gather for a group photo after the varsity 800-meter races.

It was to commemorate one of the final athletic competitions the conference will host as the more-than-a-century-old NEIC is disbanding after the current school season.

But a misfortunate event happened during the female 800 as a New Hampton runner was seriously injured along the homestretch, and the meet was delayed more than a half hour as an ambulance was called to transport the runner to the hospital.

The group shot was delayed until after the meet, but athletes from the five remaining NEIC gathered en masse anyway to show support for the runner as the ambulance left the Waukon High School track.

Decorah won both the male and female team titles.

Charles City placed fifth in both the male and female meets.

The Comets didn’t post any champions in the final NEIC meet. Their resident school-record holder in the girls long jump and girls 100-meter hurdles, sophomore Sophia Calpito, didn’t compete in either event at Waukon due to a tweaked ankle.

The Comets did benefit from the services of junior Victor Ward in the two sprints.

In the 100-meter dash, Ward placed second with a time of 11.25 seconds — which was a personal-record time he set earlier this season only to recently improve it (11.12) during last Friday’s meet at Hampton-Dumont.

Crestwood senior Aidan Skoda won the 100 with a time of 10.97 seconds.

Later, Ward placed second in the 200 with a time of 22.59, which was bested by Crestwood senior Dashel Donlan (22.39).

Senior Leah Stewart, who recently signed her letter of intent to throw for Wartburg College (see story on page 13) and who is also a resident school-record holder in two events, had a season-best throw of 38 feet, 1/2 inch in the shot put, which was good enough for third place —Decorah senior Lauren Luzum won the SP (41 feet, 6 1/2 inches) — and had a throw of 109 feet, 10 inches in the discus, which was also good enough for third place — Decorah freshman Grace Tangen placed first (121 feet, 4 inches).

Charles City sophomore Patrick Bruening placed second in the boys long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 6 1/2 inches. Decorah junior Trevor Kuenne placed first with a leap of 18 feet, 9 inches.

Comet senior Xander Graeser placed third in the boys 800-meter run (2 minutes, 4.1 seconds behind Crestwood senior Nathan Ahern (2:01.99) and Waukon junior Brandon Leppert (2:02.96).

Charles City also fielded third-place teams in the boys 1,600 medley relay and the boys 4-by-400 relay, which was the final NEIC T&F Meet ever ran.

The next meet for most of the teams will be various state-qualifiers next Thursday (May 15).

Charles City’s boys and girls will compete at the Class 3A State-Qualifier at Decorah High School.