By Miranda Meyer Click for Caption

She was the one carrying the Class 3A state championship trophy for all to see.

``No one deserves this as much as she does,'' City High Coach Terry Coleman said. ``This was her best state meet ever.''

Matzen, whose 2001 state meet was cut short by a hamstring injury, had no disappointments this year, just tears of joy afterwards.

She played a key role in a record-setting performance by a deep Little Hawk team that had 13 placewinners in 12 events and won the team title by a Class 3A-record 26 points.

City High, which won its fourth title in the last six years, finished with 65 points … the third-highest total in 3A. Two-time defending champion Iowa City West placed second with 39 points.

``It was a great weekend. It's all I could have asked for,'' Matzen said. ``It's really special to go out this way.''

Matzen was a part of one of the Little Hawks' two winning events. She ran the third leg on the sprint medley relay that clocked 1 minute, 50 seconds. Virginia Dreier, Heaven Tutson and Monica Mims joined Matzen on the team.

Friday, Jennie Funk took first in the 3,000-meter run for City High's other victory.

``It's so awesome so many people can be a part of winning a state championship,'' Matzen said. ``It doesn't happen every day.''

The team title was extra special for Mims, who anchored City High's 1,600 relay that placed fourth in a photo-finish in last year's final event. As a result, the Little Hawks settled for second by one point in the team race.

``It feels so good to be back and do it for once. I'm excited,'' Mims said.

West Coach Mike Parker was equally as excited with his team's performance, which featured wins in the 3,200 and 1,600 relays.

``I prayed for a miracle and this actually was a miracle,'' Parker said.

Sisters Dobyns and Frudden gave West its fifth consecutive title in the 3,200 relay, clocking 9:18.68 -- the sixth-fastest time in Iowa history.

Senior Jeni Frudden, who put the Women of Troy into the lead ahead of Mason City and City High with a 2:17.6 third leg, ran on her fourth championship team. She was joined by freshmen Julia Frudden and Janet Dobyns and junior Lynn Dobyns.

``The 4x8 is definitely a tradition at West High,'' said Jeni Frudden, a Michigan recruit. ``When we win a state title, the school puts our pictures in the lobby and we wanted a sisters picture.''

Lynn Dobyns pulled away from Funk with a 2:15.1 anchor leg. The Little Hawks were second in 9:27.01.

After the race, an exhausted Dobyns was carried off the track by her teammates.

``It's not for me, it's for my teammates,'' Lynn Dobyns said. ``I just don't think I should give anything less than my best.''

Lynn Dobyns finished the meet in style, anchoring West's winning 1,600 relay that clocked 4:00.83. Nicole Novak, Kristin Jacobs and Lindsey Windauer also ran on the team.

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