Two Relay Titles and Individual Champion Highlight Waukee Track Teams At Drake

Waukee High School (WHS) Boys’ and Girls’ track teams enjoyed great weather and success at the 109th running of the Drake Relays.  Highlighted by relay victories in the boys 4×400 meter relay and the girls 4×800 meter relay and an individual champion in the 100-meter hurdles, WHS brought home a combined 35 medals between the boys and girls programs.

The boys 4×400 team of Nolan Roethler, Aaron McCrary, Sam Yeaway and Zach Eaton won in a time of 3:18.77.  It was the second 4×400 Drake victory for WHS and the second-fastest time in school history.  Nolan Roethler placed second in the 400 hurdles and Owen Minshall placed third in the High Jump.  In addition, the shuttle hurdle relay team of Roethler, Jackson Payne, Asher Hutchison, and Tyler Williams continued WHS’s tradition of hurdle success with a third-place finish.

On Friday morning, Sydney Winger raced to a new Drake Relays record in the prelims of the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.19.  She went on to win the final in the afternoon.

“It felt amazing to break the record in prelims, as I was only worried about running a clean race to make it to finals. It proves that when you’re only worried about running your best and nothing else, it always ends in a great outcome,” said Winger. “As my coach always told me, just worry about what you can control. It was a nice way to end my last high school Drake Relays.”

Kat Moody battled through an injury to place second in the shot put, an event she won last year. As usual, the WHS girls excelled in the relay events.  The girls 4×800 team of Lily Campbell, Jessica Caraway, Sydney Schaffer and Logan Akason were victorious in a time of 9:15.60.   The Shuttle Hurdle relay crossed the finish line first, running the fourth fastest time in state history, but were disqualified for an exchange violation.  The girls were also second in the 4×200 meter relay and got third place finishes in the 4×100, 4×400, and Sprint Medley Relays.  Because of their success in the relay events, WHS girls won the Drake Relays HyVee Relay Cup,  an award the boys’ team won last year.

The two teams now set their sights on the conference, state qualifying and state meets during the last three weeks of the season.

Waukee Boys Top 10 Placewinners

  • 4×400: Roethler, McCrary, Yeaway, Eaton – 1st, 3:18.77
  • 400 Hurdles: Nolan Roethler – 2nd, 53.41
  • High Jump: Owen Minshall – 3rd, 6’7”
  • Shuttle Hurdle: Roethler, Payne, Hutchison, Williams – 3rd, 57.70
  • Distance Medley: Moore, Eaton, Yeaway, Reitsma – 7th, 3:34.96
  • 4×800: McCrary, Reitsma, Robus, Eaton – 9th, 8:06.21

Waukee Girls Top 10 Placewinners

  • 100 Hurdles: Sydney Winger – 1st, 14.19 (Drake Record)
  • 4×800: Campbell, Caraway, Schaffer, Akason – 1st, 9:15.60
  • Shot Put: Kat Moody – 2nd, 45’0.75”
  • 4×200: Taylor, Bannister, Winger, Vojic – 2nd, 1:43.96
  • 800: Lily Campbell – 3rd, 2:14.42
  • 4×100: Karunatilaka, Winger, Vojic, Taylor – 3rd, 48.76
  • 4×400: Taylor, Peters, Caraway, Campbell – 3rd, 3:56.71
  • Sprint Medley: Karunatilaka, Taylor, Vojic, Campbell – 3rd, 1:46.51
  • 100: Elma Vojic – 5th, 12.30
  • 400 Hurdles: Kate Bannister – 9th, 1:06.11
  • 800: Logan Akason – 9th, 2:17.46
  • 800: Jessica Caraway – 10th, 2:17.52
  • Shuttle Hurdle: Drees, Peters, Keplinger, Winger – 1st (DQ), 1:01.92