Comet Ian Collins lifts off in HJ and LJ while setting meet and school records

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

WAVERLY — One could easily expect that high school track athletes — after an entire outdoor season hiatus — would be a little “down” at the start of the long awaited re-start.

Charles City junior Ian Collins, however, is definitely “up” at the start of this season — and up is a reference to his hang time.

When it comes to going airborne, Collins proved to be a prodigy his freshman year in the high jump. Then new to the event, Collins set a school record with a clear of six feet, six inches early into the season before breaking it (six feet, seven inches) at the state meet where he placed second.

At Thursday’s Waverly-Shell Rock Coed Invitational, which was the first full meet of the season for the Charles City program as well as for most of the participating teams, Collins won the high jump with a 6-6 clear.

So his vertical leap is still intact. But what about his horizontal?

“This is the first meet I’ve ever tried this,” Collins said about the long jump, which he won with a small earth orbit of 23 feet, ½ inch — a Charles City school record as well as a meet record.

“I mean I practiced doing it for a week,” Collins said of the LJ. “It felt good today. I had good form.”

Collins’s winning high jump is also a meet record.

Both leaps qualify Collins to the prestigious Drake Relays scheduled for April 22-24.

Charles City was particularly well-represented in the long jump as Mario Hoefer (21 feet, 2 ¾ inches) and Cael Bohlen (20 feet, 9 inches) placed second and third.

Collins has accomplished a lot in a short time in his track career, but his lost sophomore season still leaves a bitter taste.

“I felt bad for all the seniors,” he said, “but that’s in the past.

“I just spent the free time lifting more and getting stronger.”

Collins wasn’t the Comets only double winner at the invite.

Senior returning state qualifier Carly Stevenson won both the girls discus (108 feet, 7 inches) and the girls shot put (35 feet, 9 ½ inches).

Comet senior Kiki Connell, who will continue her track and cross country careers at the University of Northern Iowa, won the girls 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes, 24.69 seconds) and placed second in the long jump (15 feet, 7 ¾ inches).

Comet freshman Keely Collins won the girls high jump (5 feet, 2 inches), matching runner-up Carlee Rochford of New Hampton yet besting her by way of least amount of scratches.

Other notable Charles City performances included Tino Tamayo’s second-place throw of 43 feet, 1 inch in the discus; Katie Sindt third place throw of 88 feet, 3 inches in the girls discus; the girls 4-by-800 relay team of Lydia Thompson, Madi Lensing, Libbie McKeag and Brianna Ross placing third (11:21.82); the girls distance medley relay team of Lilly Luft, Rachel Chambers, Adison Olson and Lauren Staudt placing third (4:57.30); the boys sprint relay teamof Jermaine Dizon, Jakob Sindlinger, Owen Weber and Chase Low placing third (1:45.35); and the boys shuttle hurdle relay team of Zach Graeser, Tamayo, Aidan Shannon and Ryan Hallett placing third (1:09.74).

Women’s team placings — 1. Dike-New Hartford (131), 2. Waverly-Shell Rock (77), 2. Charles City (74), 4. New Hampton (73), 5. Mason City (61), 6. Hudson (57), 7. Waterloo West (53), 8. Waterloo East (49).

Men’s team placings — 1. Clear Creek-Amana (156.5), 2. Waverly-Shell Rock (96), 3. Dike-New Hartford (94), 4. Charles City (70), 5. Independence (66), 6. Waterloo East (51), 7. Hudson (33), 8. New Hampton (19).