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Friday, April 26, 2002

Feeling Funk-y

City's Jennie Funk win's 3,000
McConnaha takes high jump

By Andy Hamilton
Iowa City Press-Citizen

"My name is kinda synonymous with second in major competitions," the City High sophomore distance star said.

"I wasn't ashamed of it at all, but sometimes you just sit back and you're like, 'I get second all the time, can't I just win something?'"

After finishing second at the state cross country meet twice, plus second at the state meet and Drake Relays in the 3,000-meter run last year, Funk got her first first in a major competition Thursday. She won the 3,000 at the Drake Relays in 9 minutes, 56.31 seconds, marking the fourth-fastest winning time in meet history.

"It's awesome," Funk said, "to finally be able to say I'm a champion."

That's the way West Branch's Bill McConnaha felt, too, after winning the high jump.

A favorite to win the high jump last year at the Drake Relays, McConnaha left with a seventh-place finish and a stress fracture in his jumping foot. Eventually the injury cost McConnaha a chance at a state title, ending his season less than a month before the state meet.

McConnaha cleared 6-feet-8 Thursday. The rest of the field couldn't clear 6-4, which was where the West Branch senior started.

Not being cocky, just putting it as a matter of fact, McConnaha said he doesn't think anyone can beat him if he's jumping to his capability.

"Not in the state of Iowa, I don't think," he said. "If I'm at my best, I don't think anyone can beat me. I've just got to jump my best every day."

It wasn't McConnaha's best day Thursday. He said his approach lacked speed. Still, he missed on just one jump until failing on three tries at 6-10, which would've been his career outdoor best.

"I'm happy winning the thing," McConnaha said. "Now I've got to come back here next month and try jumping better than what I did today."

In Thursday's other field events, Clear Creek Amana's Caroline Ruppert placed fifth in the discus with a toss of 131-5, while City's Jessica Elliott placed ninth. They finished behind Council Bluffs Lewis

In Thursday's other field events, Clear Creek Amana's Caroline Ruppert placed fifth in the discus with a toss of 131-5, while City's Jessica Elliott placed ninth. They finished behind Council Bluffs Lewis Central's Abby Emsick, who became the second athlete in meet history to win the same event in four consecutive years.

West High's Liz Huntley placed ninth in the long jump, while Solon's Natalie Miller finished 15th. Tipton's Mitch Fields placed 12th in the shot put.

Funk likely will return to Drake Stadium next month and try to duplicate her title in the 3,000. By then, she could have competition from West's Jeni Frudden. The Michigan recruit who won the 3,000 at Drake last year did not compete Thursday because of a left hip flexor muscle injury.

West coach Mike Parker said it is unlikely Frudden will compete the rest of the weekend in hopes of being ready for Tuesday's Mississippi Valley Conference divisional meet.

"She had treatment this morning and there's just an enormous amount of tightness in her hip flexor," Parker said. "We talked about it on the way up here. Everybody wants to get the (Drake) flags, but she has the flags. She knows what it's like."

Funk said she was disappointed Frudden couldn't compete.

"I've reached a point in my running that I'm more confident than I have been for quite a while and it would've been neat to see how we would've matched up," Funk said. "But I can only run against whoever's there on the given day and I can't worry about people I'm not running against. ... But it is disappointing because (Frudden) is an awesome runner and it would've been neat to see who would've won the race if she had been there."

As it turned out, Funk's toughest adversary Thursday was Okoboji's Kristin Hansen.

Typically a fast starter, Hansen led for much of the race until Funk caught up with two laps remaining and finally pulled away in the final 200 meters to win by eight seconds.

West's Robdu Adam and Julia Frudden finished fourth and fifth, respectively. City's Betsy Ellsmore placed 10th and West's Janet Dobyns finished 11th.

With two years remaining to compete at Drake and three more opportunities at the state meet, Funk could've taken a patient approach to getting her first major competition win.

"I know there's always the future, but you never know when another freshman is going to come up," Funk said.

"Really, for the state of Iowa in girls distance running, you're never going to be alone."

Drake Relay Results
Results from the Drake Relays, with winners plus local results.

Boys
3,200-1, Dan Taylor, Fort Dodge, 9 minutes, 12.63 seconds.

High jump-1, Bill McConnaha, West Branch, 6 feet, 8 inches.

Shot put-1, Shane Maier, Storm Lake, 56-71/4.

Girls
3,000-1, Jennie Funk, City High, 9:56.31; 4, Robdu Adam, West High, 10:28.46. 5, Julia Frudden, West High, 10:31.26.

Long jump-1, Angie Hensel, Clinton, 18-111/2, meet record, old record, 18-81/2, Tashika Lewis, Des Moines North, 1994.

Discus-1, Abby Emsick, Council Bluffs Lewis Central, 144-9; 5, Caroline Ruppert, Clear Creek Amana, 131-5.

Men
3,000 steeplechase-1, Mike Hill, Washington, 8:54.38.

5,000-1, Josphat Boit, Central Methodist, 14:14.36.

10,000-1, Andy Doering, Truman State, 30:11.79.

DECATHLON
Standings-1, Kip Janvrin, K&K Track Club, 7,775 points.

110 hurdles-1, Janvrin, 14.90 seconds, 862 points.

Discus-1, Janvrin, 135 feet, 0 inches, 688.

Pole vault-1, Janvrin, 16-4Er , 910.

Javelin-1, Moore, 194-9, 728.

1,500-1, Janvrin, 4 minutes, 26.82 seconds, 766.

Women
3,000 steeplechase-1, Sarah Byrd, Emory, 10:45.57.

5,000-1, Amy Rudolph, Adidas, 15:52.65.

10,000-1, Paige Higgins, Kansas, 35:27.52.

6,400 relay-1, Missouri, Amanda Bales, Jennifer Leerssen, Becky Froelker, Ann Marie Brooks, 19:36.27, meet record, old record 20:11.04, Minnesota, 2001.

HEPTATHLON
Standings-1, Barbara Szlendakova, Iowa State, 5,306.

Long jump-1, Szlendakova, 19-1 Qw , 798.

Javelin-1, Hyland, 143-3, 738.

800-1, Szlendakova, 2:21.56, 802.

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