Numerous Indians Qualify for State at District Meet
Oskaloosa Indians
by Wade Steinlage
Pella–The Oskaloosa Indian boys and girls track and field teams claimed seven automatic state meet berths and earned several other at-large bids as they competed at districts Thursday.
Five titles came from the boys who finished fifth out of eight teams with 98 points (Pella won with 137 points), while one crown was won by the girls as they tallied 62 points for seventh place out of eight programs (Pella was first with 201 points).
For the men, high jumper Jack Moore (6-5), long jumper J’Von Harris (23-3.75), 800-meter runner Carter Huyser (2:03.05), 400-meter hurdler Bennett Spry (55.78 seconds), and the 4×800-meter relay squad (8:15.10) all topped their respective fields to notch automatic berths to the state championships in Des Moines next Thursday through Saturday.
The boys added three more at-large state qualifiers in J’Von Harris (high jump, 6-2), the distance medley relay (3:44.35), and the 4×110-meter hurdle relay (1:00.96), all of which placed third at districts.
Alexis Westercamp, who won the discus at 124-1, and the 4×8 team, which was second in 10:11.93, locked up bids for the Indian girls.
High jumpers Shalandra Shilling (3rd, 5-2) and Emma Kelderman (5th, 5-1) punched at-large tickets for state, while the 4×200-meter relay crew did the same with a third-place time of 1:50.08.
The 4×100 (44.86) and 4×400-meter relay teams (3:32.62) both posted fourth-place endings to guide the remainder of the Indian boys’ scoring.
Tyler Miller, in the 200-meter dash (24.46), and Jaden Van Roekel, in both the 110-meter hurdles (16.48) and the 400-meter hurdles (1:02.01), were fifth. Tim VanDonselaar (100-meter dash, 11.98), Blake Van Veldhuizen (shot put, 45-8.5), Talon Munger (800-meter run, 2:08.63), and the 4×2 squad (time not available), were all seventh for Oskaloosa.
High hurdler Nik Dykstra, in 17.36, and the sprint medley relay team, in 1:46.15, added a point each as both were eighth Thursday.
For the girls, Kelderman was also fourth in the 400 hurdles in 1:07.75, matching the placing of the 4×400-meter relay team (4:18.68). The 4×100-meter shuttle hurdle relay was fifth (1:11.37), while sixth place was taken by the sprint medley relay (2:04.35) and also Westercamp in the 400-meter hurdles (1:12.93).
Leah Wilcox (3,000-meter run, 12:51.27), Savannah Wiltse (100-meter dash, 13.59), and the 4×100-meter relay squad (56.55) were all seventh. Adding to Oskaloosa’s point total with eight-place finishes were Alexis Agan (discus, 107-0), Madi Muir (long jump, 13-7.75), and the distance medley relay group (5:21.79).
