By Kevin Wolf Click for Caption

The remaining Little Hawks didn't see gloom. They saw opportunity.

Much of its star quality was lacking, thanks to an orchestra competition Saturday. But depth carried City High to the team championship Saturday at Kingston Stadium.

The Little Hawks accumulated 126 points while Cedar Falls tallied 111. Mason City was third with 52 points, followed by Cedar Rapids Jefferson (51).

Among the missing headliners were distance aces Jennie Funk and Nelle Trefz, and sprinters Elizabeth Matzen and Virginia Dreier.

No matter.

"Right before we got off the bus, I told these kids that this is their chance to shine," said City High Coach Terry Coleman. "It's pretty amazing the way they came through.

"It was a chance for some of the kids that generally ran one varsity event to run two or three. It was a chance for some JV kids to run a varsity event."

The Little Hawks won three relays -- the 3,200-meter relay, the shuttle hurdle and the distance medley. And Jessie Branstetter established a school record in the high jump, clearing 5 feet 3 inches.

She made it on her final attempt, then just missed at 5-4.

Branstetter, a senior, had to endure long idle stretches. Several high jump contestants had to leave the event at various times to compete on the track.

But Branstetter was able to stay warm, and stay focused.

"It wasn't the best. It was hard to keep warm," she said. "At one time, somebody was gone for a half-hour and I had to just sit and wait."

Only recently has the shuttle hurdle become a City strength. The foursome of Katy Fraga, Emily Triplett, Tara Whiting and Maya Monitto-Webber was clocked in 1:05.36, a very good time for this early in the season.

"We've gotten better each year," said Fraga, who also won the 400-meter hurdles. "When I was a freshman, we were lucky to get to state. Now, we're hoping to win it."

Monica Mims overcame a 20-yard deficit in the final half-lap to give the Little Hawks the title in the 3,200-meter relay.

Morgen Edwards of Jefferson set Saturday's only meet record, and she did it outside the stadium.

Edwards' effort of 42 feet 6 inches in the shot put broke a 20-year-old mark, set by Linn-Mar's Dorothy Capper (41-10). It also established a school record.

"I've been in the weight room since the middle of August. I've worked harder than I've ever worked before," said Edwards, whose bench press has increased from 90 pounds to 150 in the past year. She squats 295 pounds.

"The added strength has made me quicker," she said. "Sometimes, I'm too quick and I can't get my feet under me."

Edwards, whose best effort was 38-4 last year, surpassed 40 feet on four of her six throws.

She made it a throwing sweep with a discus fling of 135-4. That's 6 feet farther than she threw as a junior.

"I don't want to set a limit as far as what I can do," she said. "I plan to show people I've improved a lot."

Laneisha Waller of Cedar Rapids Washington won the long jump with a leap of 17-8, but pulled a lower-leg muscle in the competition and did not run. Waller had the top 100-meter preliminary effort before the minor injury.

Other Metro winners were Washington's Shannon Oster (1,500), Xavier's Megan Glover (800) and Linn-Mar's sprint medley relay team of Lindsey Kaspari, Brooke Rhatigan, Ashley Williams and Nicole Novy.

Williams, the defending Class 3A 400-meter state champion, was beaten in that event by Waterloo West's Liz Bradfield.

Bradfield was a double-winner, also capturing the 200.

RESULTS

At Kingston Stadium

Teams -- 1. Iowa City High 126, 2. Cedar Falls 111, 3. Mason City 52, 4. C.R. Jefferson 51, 5. (tie) C.R. Washington and C.R. Xavier 39, 7. Benton Community 33, 8. Waterloo West 26, 9. Linn-Mar 20, 10. Dyersville Beckman 8, 11. Waterloo East 0.

Shot put -- 1. Morgen Edwards (CRJ), 42-6*; 2. Jessica Elliott (ICH), 39-5; 3. Kesley Egli (CF), 37-7. Discus -- 1. Morgen Edwards (CRJ), 135-4; 2. Kesley Egli (CF), 128-1; 3. Jessica Elliott (ICH), 124-2; High jump -- 1. Jessie Branstetter (ICH), 5-3 1/4; 2. Jenny Bridgewater (BC), 5-1; 3. Lisa Miner (CF), 5-0; Long jump -- 1. Laneisha Waller (CRW), 17-8; 2. Liz Bradfield (WW), 16-8; 3. Brandi Olsen (CRW), 16-7.

3,000 -- 1. Aimee Nielsen (MC), 11:16.40; 2. Rachael Manuel (ICH), 11:25.59; 3. Caylin Cervetti (CF), 11:39.78; 3,200 relay -- 1. Iowa City High (Boyd, Krei, Lyendecker, Mims), 10:00.55; 2. C.R. Xavier, 10:02.16; 3. Cedar Falls, 10:06.23; Shuttle hurdle relay -- 1. Iowa City High (Fraga, Triplett, Whiting, Monitto-Webber), 1:05.36; 2. Cedar Falls, 1:08.73; 3. Mason City, 1:11.06; Distance medley relay -- 1. Iowa City High (Belmont, Wagner, Sherry, Kirsch), 4:30.31; 2. Mason City, 4:33.08; 3. Cedar Falls, 4:35.51; 100 -- 1. Shatrece Burt (CF), 12.79; 2. Tenika Smith (CRJ), 12.93; 3. Ashley Edmunds (CRW), 13.63; 400 -- 1. Liz Bradfield (WW), 1:00.57; 2. Ashley Williams (LM), 1:00.87; 3. Meggan Reed (ICH), 1:02.04; 800 relay -- 1. Cedar Falls (Anderson, Barkema, Goulden, Thompson), 1:50.32; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 1:51.72; 3. Iowa City High, 1:52.72; 100 hurdles -- 1. Kayla Sautter (MC), 14.85; 2. Maya Monitto-Webber, 15.65; 3. Emily Triplett (ICH), 16.09; 800 -- 1. Megan Glover (CRX), 2:29.78; 2. Maggie Lyendecker (ICH), 2:30.88; 3. Katie Krei (ICH), 2:31.91; 200 -- 1. Liz Bradfield (WW), 26.71; 2. Shatrece Burt (CF), 27.38; 3. Jenny Lorenson (CRX), 27.71; 400 hurdles -- 1. Katy Fraga (ICH), 1:08.77; 2. Kira Anderson (CF), 1:09.37; 3. Ali Kirsch (ICH), 1:11.68; Sprint medley relay -- 1. Linn-Mar (Kaspari, Rhatigan, Williams, Novy), 1:55.62; 2. Iowa City High, 1:57.57; 3. C.R. Xavier, 1:58.87; 1,500 -- 1. Shannon Oster (CRW), 5:14.50; 2. Cassie Naaktgeboren (CF), 5:16.06; 3. Lyssa Steckelberg (CF), 5:19.62; 400 relay -- 1. Cedar Falls (Thurston, Barkema, Goulden, Burt), 51.19; 2. C.R. Jefferson, 52.48; 3. Mason City, 52.65; 1,600 relay -- 1. Cedar Falls (Bates, Dempster, Thompson, Anderson), 4:16.83; 2. Benton Community, 4:18.50; 3. Iowa City High, 4:20.27.

*meet record

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