By David Wallace Click for Caption

So why was she so nervous Thursday, in a small early-season invitational?

Two words: Carly DuCharme.

"We've never run against each other, and I was excited. Very nervous," said Triplett, a senior from Iowa City High. "It helped get me going."

Triplett and DuCharme ran side by side, hurdle after hurdle before Triplett prevailed in the feature race, the 100-meter hurdles, at the Xavier Invitational girls' track meet at Saints Field.

Both broke the meet record. Triplett set one in 14.68 seconds. DuCharme -- a junior from Iowa City Regina -- finished in 14.87.

"I think I just leaned past her at the end," Triplett said.

That race was tight. The team race wasn't. City High won its fifth consecutive Xavier title, accumulating a whopping 206 points, the highest invitational output by a Little Hawks team.

Newton was a distant second with 89 points. Regina and Cedar Rapids Prairie tied for third with 57.

City High won 14 of 19 events, including six of seven relays. The Little Hawks had two placewinners in all 12 individual events, including four 1-2 finishes.

"We always seem to run well here," said City High Coach Terry Coleman. "It's our second week outdoors, and we were hoping to improve a little. I think we improved a lot."

City High is a two-time defending state champion and right on track to extend its streak.

"We've got a lot of underclassmen who have stepped in and fit right in, and we have upperclassmen who are working hard," Triplett said. "We can't just settle. We know that other schools are gunning for us."

Triplett was on a record-setting shuttle hurdle relay team (1:04.64) and led off the winning 400-meter relay. But the duel with DuCharme was the highlight of the evening.

"Awesome race," Triplett said. "I knew Carly was going to push me, and we pushed each other the whole way."

Their times were especially impressive considering a slight headwind.

"It's always disappointing to get beat, but I'm happy with my time," said DuCharme, a four-event state placewinner last year. "(Triplett and I have) talked a few times, but this was the first time we've run against each other. It was fun."

Annie Fraga, Molly Sabers and Veronica Rydze ran on City High's shuttle team. City's Ashton Strickland, Katie Krei, Kerry Kamber and Camille Jordan set a meet record in the 800-meter relay, finishing in 1:46.37.

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