The West Liberty High School boys and girls track teams managed two third place finishes and a fifth place medal in the Iowa State Track & Field Meet last week at Drake University in Des Moines, a junior taking honors in the girl’s long jump while a boys medley hurdle relay team also managed to medal as did an individual hurdler.
Girls Track & Field
The Comet girls track team competed in four events at last week's state track meet, including sending the shuttle hurdle relay team consisting of Rilee Han, Sydney Rivera, Laney Esmoil and Macy Daufeldt, which captured 16th place, while junior Macy Daufeldt competed in three individual events, headlined by her third place finish in the long jump.
The action-packed Thursday began with the Comets shuttle hurdle team, placing fourth in their heat. With a time of 1:12.26 and missing out on an opportunity to compete in the finals, the team had to settle for the number 16 spot.
Daufeldt then ran the 200-meter dash for the Comets, finishing in 27th place, capturing a time of 27.38.
Daufeldt then competed in the long jump after winning the event two years ago with a leap of 17 feet, 7 3/4 inches. Sitting second overall after preliminary action, Daufeldt ultimately placed third overall, recording a distance of 17-feet 6.5 inches after improving on her two previous jumps that started at 16-feet, 9.5 inches.
She ended her weekend in the 100-meter dash, placing 12th overall, recording a time of 13.19.
The Comets will return all of their state qualifiers next season.
Boys Track & Field
The West Liberty boys track team competed at the state track meet Thursday in three separate events.
Junior Jahsiah Galvan represented the Comets in the 100-meter dash, Senior Sam Gingerich in the 110 hurdles, the two than combined forces with teammates Drake Collins and Caleb Wulf to compete in the Shuttle Hurdle Relay.
The team seemed to fall just short of higher placements.
Galvan placed ninth for the Comets in the 100, missing the finals by .03 seconds, recording a final time of 11.42.
The Comets shuttle hurdle relay team of Sam Gingerich, Drake Collins, Caleb Wulf and Galvan then captured the third fastest overall time in their heat, locking themselves into the finals with a time of 1:02.36, capturing second in their heat race.
On Friday, Sam Gingerich led off the day competing in the 110 hurdles individual event, capturing third place in his heat with a time of 15.69 enroute to securing the Comets second spot in Saturdays final action with a sixth overall placement in preliminary action.
In Saturdays final action, the shuttle hurdle relay team, finished third overall with a 1:01.33 time, only five-tenths of a second behind the winner. Gingerich, improved in time and placement in his finals race capturing a 15.45 overall to place fifth overall.
Coach Gus Garcia said he was proud of his team’s performance, noting Gingerich’s effort as the anchor hurdler in the medley created a nice comeback, noting, “If he had one more hurdle, I think he’d have caught the winner.”
Garcia said he was happy for the team to be able to compete after there was no state track meet a year ago due to the pandemic. He said witnessing Gingerich’s performance was special and praised the entire team for their hard work.