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Sydney Loeckle returns to state, other Comets may follow

Press photo by John Burbridge Charles City’s Jeremiah Chapman competes in the 4-by-110 shuttle hurdle relay. Though he and Comet teammates John Sibuma, Elliot Sinnwell and Dylan Koresh placed third and didn’t get an automatic top-two state-qualifying finish, they may end up making the final cut, which will be announced on Friday.
Press photo by John Burbridge
Charles City’s Jeremiah Chapman competes in the 4-by-110 shuttle hurdle relay. Though he and Comet teammates John Sibuma, Elliot Sinnwell and Dylan Koresh placed third and didn’t get an automatic top-two state-qualifying finish, they may end up making the final cut, which will be announced on Friday.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

DECORAH — The Decorah Class 3A State Track State Qualifier finished ahead of schedule, but it still didn’t beat Thursday night’s steady rainfall that plagued the latter portion of the meet.

At least it didn’t snow.

Even during a season that prompted a lot of cancellations and forced practices indoors where it’s challenging to train for some events like … say … the discus, that didn’t stop Charles City senior Sydney Loeckle from making a return to the State Track and Field Championships by way of recording a second-place qualifying throw of 115 feet, 11 inches in the discus.

Loeckle is Charles City’s lone automatic qualifier by way of placing second at a highly competitive meet in Decorah.

Charles City’s girls 4-by-100 shuttle hurdle relay, with most of its members back from last year’s state team that placed seventh, looked like it was going to punch its ticket for a return trip. But a mishap during one of the legs kept them out of the top two.

“But our girl got right back up and finished her leg strong,” Charles City girls head coach Darren Bohlen said. “Then Sadie Ruzicka ran a great final leg for us to get up right back into it.”

Though the Comets shuttle hurdle relay, that also consisted of Lynn Hoeft, Tayler Schmidt and Alex Litterer, placed third, Bohlen believes its time is likely good enough to make the cut among non-automatic-qualifying times across the state.

“Usually, what they ran is good enough to get in,” said Bohlen, who mentioned that Ruzicka — a three-time state-qualifier — may also get in with her third-place performance in the 100 hurdles.

As for Comet freshman and Drake Relays qualifier Kiki Connell, who placed out of the top two in the 1500 and 3000 runs that featured two-time Drake Relays champion Elle Friesen from Crestwood and two-time cross country champion Adrianna Katcher …

“I’m pretty sure she’s in,” Bohlen said of Connell, who ran a personal-best 1500 time of 5 minutes, 6 seconds in the 1500. “There’s a good chance she made it in both races.”

Kiki’s senior brother, Gavin Connell, also had to run several tough long-distance state qualifiers in the 1600 and 3200 that were won by Decorah standout Andrew Kephart.

Connell, a four-time state qualifier in cross-country, was vying for his first track state appearance. His all-out sprint at the end of the 1600, the final race of the night and possibly the final high school track race for Connell, who has signed on to run for North Iowa Area Community College next year, landed him in fourth place.

“He might have a chance,” Charles City boys coach Ryan Rahmiller said, “and our shuttle hurdle relay team (John Simbuma, Elliott Sinnwell, Jeremiah Chapman and Dylan Koresh — placed 3rd) may have a chance.

“We just have to wait and see.”

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