Union runner Amilia Condon competes in the Class 2A girls 3,000-meter run during last season's state track meet in Des Moines. Condon is likely to qualify for State again this year in both the 1,500 and 3,000 meter runs. TELEGRAPH FILE PHOTO

As the high school track and field season races toward the finale over the next two weeks, athletes from both Union and North Tama are busy preparing for the Thursday, May 9 state qualifying district meets. Assignments for the penultimate meet were released last week and for the second year in a row the Knights are headed to Kruger-Oster Track in Dike for the 2A qualifier, while the Redhawks are headed back to Belle Plaine for the 1A qualifier. The state track meet is set for May 16-18 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

Union at Dike

At Dike, the Knights will face athletes from 11 teams including Alburnett, Aplington-Parkersburg, Beckman Catholic, Central Springs, Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Dike-New Hartford, East Marshall, Hudson, Oelwein, South Hardin, and West Marshall.

In each 2A event, the top two finishers qualify automatically for State plus an additional eight at-large qualifiers advance statewide.

Union girls leading the field this season among the teams at Dike include sophomore Brynn Albertsen in the girls 800 meter run, junior Jailyn Petersen in the 100 meter hurdles, and the girls 4×800 relay team.

Union track star Sydney Anton competes as part of Union High School’s shuttle hurdle relay team during last season's NICL Mega Meet. Anton has missed her entire senior season due to injury. TELEGRAPH FILE PHOTO

Knights girls at No. 2 include junior Amilia Condon in both the 1,500 and 3,000 meter runs, freshman Talen Smith in long jump, senior Brigitte Rohrer in shot put, the girls 4×400 relay, and the girls 4×100 shuttle hurdle relay.

Union’s head girls track coach Justin Parson told the newspaper he likes the district draw at Dike.

“[W]e don’t want to put the cart in front of the horse. I am confident the girls will step up and be at their best that day. I never like to speculate on what we can qualify for because you never know how other teams are going to present their lineups. I still feel we are pretty consistent on lineups, and if we do what we do, we will have a successful night.”

Parson characterized the girls season this year as “outstanding” – a season that saw hurdler Jailyn Petersen qualify for the Drake Relays and the 4×800 team break the school record by a whopping nine seconds. But he also lamented senior Sydney Anton’s absence due to injury.

“There were many question marks coming into the season. The biggest being, when will we get Sydney back? Unfortunately, she has been out all season and I feel awful for her. I feel like she would have had an amazing senior season. Fortunately, she will be on to bigger and better things in the future. She has been very supportive of the team, and that speaks for her amazing leadership and character. That being said, we have had numerous runners step up to fill the void.”

While the boys District preview via Bound was not available in time for publication, athletes favored to advance to State include sophomore sprinter Levi Hadachek, sophomore Cameron Mullen in the 400 meter dash, senior hurdler Logan Rosauer, junior Justice Luke at high jump, and the 4×100 relay team which is fresh off its appearance at the 114th Drake Relays last Saturday. On the Blue Oval, the quartet including Evan Hanus, Trevor Clark, Logan Rosauer (stepping in for freshman Garrett Kaalberg), and anchor Levi Hadachek placed 75th out of 90 teams with a time of 44.73. Hanus, Clark, Kaalberg, and Hadachek broke Union’s school record in the event this season with a time of 44.58.

North Tama at Belle Plaine

At Belle Plaine, the Redhawks will face athletes from 13 teams including AGWSR, Belle Plaine, Central City, Clarksville, Colo-NESCO, Don Bosco, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Janesville, Madrid, Meskwaki Settlement, North Linn, Valley Lutheran, and Waterloo Christian.

In each 1A event, the champion will qualify automatically for State plus an additional 14 at-large qualifiers advance statewide.

North Tama’s girls track and field team this year includes seniors Jamie Jacobs and Adelyn Sienknecht, sophomore Gabriella Seda, and freshmen Violet Seda and Addisyn Svoboda.

The boys team includes senior Ryan Hosek, junior Gavin Rausch, sophomores Ty Guthrie, Kayler Morris, and Clayton Willians, and freshmen Brayton Cibula, Jordan Dostal, Kane Kucera, Alexzander Steiner, and Braydon Stickles.