Comets Calpito and Ward each earn a pair of automatic berths at Class 3A Track and Field State Qualifier

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — It was the type of day where most everyone could fly like a bird … that is if they weren’t anchored to the ground.

But for those who could fly, anyway … the windy conditions that included gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour during Thursday’s Class 3A Track and Field State-Qualifier only made it easier to take to the air.

That’s what Charles City sophomore Sofia Calpito did on her first attempt at the girls long jump when she broke her school’s long jump record for the third time this season with a flight of 17 feet, 9 ½ inches.

Though Reece Brownlee of Clear Lake soon leaped 18 feet, 1 inch which proved to be winning effort, Calpito only attempted one more jump and settled for second place to qualify for state in the event for the second season in a row.

“I felt my jump was good enough to get down, so I wanted to get ready for the hurdles,” said Calpito, who also went on to break her school record in the girls 100-meter hurdles with a second-place time of 15.21 seconds.

Decorah junior Renae Wilson won the event with a blistering time of 14.77 seconds, which was one of 11 Viking Stadium records set during the meet where the continuous wind pushed on the backs of the runners along the homestretch.

Charles City junior Victor Ward also achieved a pair of automatic berths. In the boys 100-meter dash, Ward set a personal-record with a second-place time of 11.04 seconds, which is one of the fastest in school history.

Ward later placed second in the 200-meter dash (22.22 seconds … another PR).

Clear Lake senior Alex Kerr won both events with a stadium-record time of 10.78 seconds in the 100, and a first-place time of 21.41 in the 200.

The top two placers at each state-qualifier advance to the State Track and Field Championships taking place next Thursday through Saturday at Drake University in Des Moines. But those who place outside the top two at the SQs may also advance to state if their times or distances are good enough to earn the eight extra at-large berths.

Charles City senior Leah Stewart, who owns two school records in the shot put and discus, and is due to continue her throwing career at Wartburg College, may return to Des Moine if her third-place and season-best throw of 119 feet, 3 inches makes the at-large cut.

Charles City senior Xander Graeser, a state-qualifier from last season, placed third in the boys 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 6.31 seconds.

Graeser, Ward, Patrick Bruening and Ezekiel Causey placed third in the 1,600-meter medley relay with a time of 3 minutes, 45.47 seconds.