Sports

The 2017 State Track Meet held at Drake Stadium in Des Moines Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20 marked the end of the 2017 Iowa high school track season, and the end of some decorated careers of three Waukon girls track seniors who competed in the season grand finale. Although neither of the two events the Lady Indians qualified for this year’s State Meet came away with any medal-winning hardware, the three Indian seniors who competed among this season’s five qualified competitors were able to end their careers where all Iowa high school athletes would have loved to, and where each of them have finished at least their last three seasons.

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The 2017 State Track Meet held Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines brought to a close the Iowa high school track season, and an end to the high school track careers for half the Waukon boys track team members competing in the season grand finale. Seniors Tyler O’Neill, Blain Swenson, Brandon Regan and Hunter Jensen all made their final go-rounds on a high school track with completion of this season’s State Meet, but it was junior Mitchell Snitker who produced the track Tribe’s greatest highlight with his medal-winning finish in the 400 meter hurdles.

The 2017 State Track Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines Thursday through Saturday, May 18-20 put the icing on another historic cake for the core group of girls who seem to be involved in nearly every historic aspect of Kee girls athletics in recent times. That icing, however, may not have always tasted as sweet as those Kee track girls may have wanted.

The Lady Hawks were able to bring home a couple medals from their nine State Meet qualifications, but were also within a spot or two of doing so in many more, as the Kee tracksters were able to garner finishes within the top half of their respective event fields in all but two of their nine event efforts. A sixth-place medal won by sophomore Katie Brennan in the 3000 meter run and an eighth-place medal won by senior Courtney Cooper in the shot put were among the greatest highlights for the Hawks in this season’s final go-round.

The Waukon boys golf team wrapped up its regular season and also marked an end to its overall season in its two competitions this last week. The golf Tribe first ended its dual meet season with a narrow, 190-189 loss at home to Oelwein Tuesday, May 9 in a make-up date from May 1. The Indians then fell shy of extending their 2017 season beyond the Monday, May 15 Northeast Iowa Conference Tournament by finishing seventh at their Class 2A Sectional Tournament at New Hampton, not placing within the top-two required finish to advance further into postseason tournament play.
The Indians were next scheduled to compete in the Northeast Iowa Conference Tournament Monday, May 15 at New Hampton. That tournament will mark the end to the Tribe’s 2017 season.

Distance medley returns with veterans Bulman and Wasson; Johnson also returns in long jump

Although the Class 2A State Qualifying Meet hosted by North Fayette Valley Thursday, May 11 was the end of the road for many high school track and field athletes, the Waukon girls track team managed to extend the season for two of its events, including one final return trip for a senior trio. The Lady Indians could not muster any automatic qualifications for this week’s State Meet in Des Moines with a required top-two event finish, but did have one third-place effort and another fourth-place effort find their way into the “best of the rest” qualification on the way to scoring 36 team points and finishing 10th in the final 12-team standings.

Tyler O’Neill returns in 3200 meter run, joins Mitchell Snitker and Blain Swenson as automatic qualifiers

The Class 2A State Qualifying Meet hosted by North Fayette Valley High School in West Union Thursday, May 11 proved to be an extension of the season for six events for the Waukon boys track team. Although no event championships were won by the Indians, three of those season extensions did come automatically with runner-up finishes, while three more had to wait until the next day to see if they were among the “best of the rest” to earn qualification, all of those results helping the Indians to 71 team points and a sixth-place team finish in the final 12-team standings at the meet.

TEAM SCORES
Anamosa 117; North Fayette Valley 86; Cascade 80; Monticello 73; Bellevue 72; WAUKON 71; New Hampton 68; Dyersville Beckman 66; South Winneshiek 48.5; Oelwein 37.5; MFL/MarMac 13; Sumner-Fredericksburg 9

Kendra Cooper, Severson win individual championships, Wood, Kendra Cooper, Walleser and Brennan claim distance medley title; Seven different Hawks earn State Meet berths
 

With every meet this season seeming to continually be its best yet, the Kee girls track team kept that trend in motion when it meant the most, extending this season yet another week to every track and field athlete’s ultimate destination with another strong showing at the Class 1A State Qualifying Meet hosted by Edgewood-Colesburg High School Thursday, May 11. Behind the strength of three event championships for automatic State Meet qualification, along with six other “best of the rest” qualifications within the next 14 best non-championship performances, the Lady Hawks added even more history to this storybook season, breaking three more school records on the way to 95 team points and a runner-up team finish in the 14-team field.

The Waukon boys golf team ended up with just one date of competition this past week, hosting Postville Tuesday, May 2. The Indians had a Monday, May 1 home date with Oelwein in Northeast Iowa Conference play postponed by cold, rainy weather to Tuesday, May 9.

The Indians posted a victory in last week’s lone competition, bettering the visiting Postville Pirates’ effort by a 185-224 final result. Freshman Logan Houg led the Indian effort with his medalist round of 43, with senior Logan Sullivan claiming runner-up medalist honors with his score of 45 strokes. Sophomore Michael Headington also ended up with a round under 50 with his 47, while junior Jess Kloke finished right at 50 strokes to complete the varsity team scoring for the golf Tribe in the victory.

Mitchell Snitker hurdles his way to NEIC championship in 400 meter lows

The Waukon boys track team brought its regular season schedule to a close this past week, having its final invitational meet of the season, Tuesday, May 2 at New Hampton, canceled due to cool, rainy weather before competing in the annual Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) Meet Thursday, May 4 at Waverly-Shell Rock. The Indians benefited from a lone NEIC championship won by junior Mitchell Snitker, along with four other runner-up event finishes at the meet, in racking up 81 team points to finish in the middle of the NEIC Meet’s seven-team final standings with a fourth-place team placing.

TEAM SCORES
Decorah 154; New Hampton 107; Waverly-Shell Rock 97; WAUKON 81; Charles City 65; Crestwood 46; Oelwein 39

Freshman Ellec Armstead soars to NEIC championship in the high jump

For the second consecutive week, the Waukon girls track team was limited to just a single meet and that lone competition marked an end to the Indians’ regular season. The track Tribe took part in the annual Northeast Iowa Conference (NEIC) Meet Thursday, May 4 at Waverly-Shell Rock High School, finishing sixth in the final team standings with a total of 58 team points.

TEAM SCORES
Decorah 180; Crestwood 91; Charles City 91; Waverly-Shell Rock 84; New Hampton 78; WAUKON 58; Oelwein 7