CEDAR FALLS | Not much has changed about the end result of Cedar Falls having a strong girls’ track and field team.
How the Tigers are going about it is a little different. Winning 12 events and ending up on top of the team results by more than 100 points at Tuesday’s Tiger Invitational proves the former. Taking five top-two places in 100-, 200- and 400-meter dashes to go along with wins in the 4×100 and 4×200 proves the latter.
State champion distance runners have graduated, and now it’s time for the sprinters to carry the torch for Cedar Falls, which won with 227.5 points Tuesday to beat Dubuque Hempstead’s 125. Waterloo West was third and Waterloo East finished fifth of seven teams.
“We’ve had pretty good sprinters and hurdlers, and they’ve really started getting better the last two years,” said Cedar Falls coach Don Williams. “We graduated Allison (Gregg), Brianna (King) and some of our better distance runners. It would be nice to have them all together at the same time because that’s what it takes to do well at the state meet. But I’m thankful we have some really good athletes.”
Alicia Harrington is one of those athletes. She won the 100, anchored victories in the 4×100 and 4×200 Tuesday, and the sophomore is fine with carrying some responsibility.
“I’m feeling good. I think we’ve been working hard and glad it’s paying off,” said Harrington. “We’ve been training hard and have some really good upperclassmen who can help us out.”
Of course, Harrington isn’t alone. Melanie Stoss won the 200-meter dash, but wasn’t on the 4×200 relay team that set a season-best time of 1:47.69. Senior Kaz Brown led off that relay, as well as the 4×100 with Lupe Galvez-Rodriguez and Morgan deMuth that matched a season-best of 51.09.
Speaking of dropping times, the shuttle-hurdle relay team of Haley Alexander, Sammie Alexander, Hannah Brummel and Maddie Smith did just that with a 1:08.86.
“Our shuttle hurdle probably made it into Drake tonight, so we have depth across the board,” Williams said.
Drake Relays qualifying times are of the utmost importance with only one more qualifying day left — Thursday.
Waterloo West’s Blaire Thomas is likely headed to Drake in the shot put and led the Wahawks with a second-place finish in the event Tuesday. Other second-place finishers for West included Brianna Gerrelts in the 800 and the 4×100 relay, while ShyTazha Jefferson placed third in both the 400 and 800.
Waterloo East also showed off some healthy sprinters as Tru Robinson placed second the 200 and Keunna Moore and Mahleya Williams went second and third, respectively, in the 100.
“We had some ups and downs, I think. I have high expectations for these girls,” said East coach Richard Carter. “We’re getting a little beat up in the legs, but I’m proud of the girls for fighting through it.”
Carter said his focus isn’t on the Drake Relays, but rather qualifying as many events as the Trojans can to the state meet in May. To do that, he hopes to get some help in relays that didn’t record a finish better than fourth at the Tiger Invitational.
“We get a couple girls back who are ineligible that I think can really help us,” said Carter. “Once we get those girls back, we’ll see what they’ve got and if they can help is in some of these relays.”
Prep girls' track: Cedar Falls sprinters carrying heavier load
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