Union hurdler Jailyn Petersen pictured last May during the 2023 Iowa co-ed high school state track and field championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Petersen was the anchor for the Knights girls shuttle hurdle relay team which finished sixth overall and earned medalist honors. This Friday, Petersen will compete for the first time at the Drake Relays after qualifying in the girls 100 meter hurdles. NORTH TAMA TELEGRAPH FILE PHOTO

LA PORTE CITY – After working on her form for the better part of the last year, Union hurdler Jailyn Petersen has qualified for the prestigious 114th Drake Relays in the girls 100 meter hurdles.

“Jailyn has been one of the most improved hurdlers I have worked with,” head girls track coach Justin Parson told the Telegraph recently in an email. “Last year she looked like a bird that just flew into the window with form. Nonetheless, she was extremely fast. She has worked hard to do the little things right like reaching with her opposite hand, keeping her arms within herself, and not jumping hurdles, but rather gliding over them.”

While she didn’t meet the Drake blue standard time of 15:30 to automatically qualify, Petersen, a junior, officially qualified in the event on Saturday, April 20, with the publication of the final high school start lists with a time of 15:57 this season. She is seeded 20th out of 32 qualifiers.

Coach Parson said Petersen’s performance this spring on the track has been a masterclass in form.

“I love to watch her race from the backstretch view. You can clearly see her head is on a level plateau the whole time and that is what the race is supposed to look like.”

The Drake Relays are hosted each spring by Drake University in Des Moines on the storied Drake Stadium ‘Blue Oval.’ The meet is part of Drake Relays Week – widely considered one of the United States’ top track and field events.

“The Drake Relays … is a weeklong, family-friendly community celebration. From elementary school students to world record holders, and from grandparents to die-hard track and field fans, there is a place for everyone to participate and attend as a fan,” Director of the Drake Relays Blake Boldon said in a recent Drake Athletic Communications news release.

Petersen is scheduled to compete in the girls 100 hurdles preliminaries on Friday (April 26) at 8:30 a.m. If she advances, the finals take place at 10:29 a.m. that same morning.

But whether she makes it out of the prelims or not, Coach Parson said he is immensely proud of his student-athlete and the strides she has made this season.

“I like to tell her she is going to get a certain time that is lofty. She doubts me when I tell her, but when she gets it, her reactions are priceless.”

“As I am with all our team members, I am proud of how far Jailyn has come and she is very deserving of running at Drake.”

In addition to Petersen, other area qualifiers in the girls 100 meter hurdles include Ryann Decker of Cedar Rapids Prairie, Morgan Karr of Prairie City Monroe (PCM), Sophia Olivo of Iowa City West, Paige Paup and Sophia Tognetti both of Cedar Falls, Sierra Pruessner of Iowa City High, Petra Sherman of Linn-Mar, and Renae Wilson of Decorah.

Drake Relays live results can be viewed here: https://godrakebulldogs.com/sports/2015/11/24/DR_1124152133

A list of all the 114th Drake Relays high school qualifiers can be viewed here: https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2424/files/2024/04/2024-hs-accept4-20-241250p.pdf