April 25, 2024

Linhart 15th at Drake Relays

By SCOTT VICKER

Central Decatur junior Hallie Linhart clears the bar at 5-0 in the Drake Relays high school girls high jump competition on April 24 at Drake Stadium. Linhart tied for 15th place with her best clearance of 5- 0. (OST photo)

DES MOINES — Central Decatur junior Hallie Linhart just wanted to have fun in her first career trip to the Drake Relays.

And regardless of her result in the high school girls high jump competition here on April 24, she did just that.

“It was awesome,” Linhart said about the Drake Relays experience. I was up here to have fun. I’m just happy I made it.”

Linhart tied for 15th place in the high jump competition, with a clearance of the 5-0 opening height.

She missed on her first attempt at 5-0, but easily cleared it on her second attempt.

Linhart then took three attempts at 5-2, but couldn’t get over the bar cleanly, knocking it off with her legs on her third and final attempt.

“The first one (at 5-0), I wasn’t running fast enough, and the second one felt pretty smooth,” Linhart said. “I was a little rocky still, though. Then the next three, I wasn’t fast enough and then my butt hit the second time. Just wasn’t feeling it, I guess, today.”

Alexis Conaway of MOC-Floyd Valley won the competition, clearing 5-5. Hinton’s Kasey Reuter and Union, LaPorte City’s Maria Wrage also cleared 5-5, but Conaway had fewer misses, winning her third Drake Relays high jump crown.

Linhart said making it to the Drake Relays as one of the top 24 jumpers in the state, regardless of class, was a good experience.

“I’m glad I could come up here for experience before state, If I can make it there,” she said.

And as for her goal of having fun, Linhart accomplished that.

“I just came up here to have fun,” she said. “I wasn’t really looking for a first place finish. A little better would have been nice, but I’m happy. I met some people and made some friends, so that was good.”

2014 Drake Relays

High school girls

(medalists and area results)

High jump — 1. Alexis Conaway, MOC-Floyd Valley, 5-5; 2. Kasey Reuter, Hinton, 5-5; 3. Maria Wrage, Union LaPorte City, 5-5; 4. Dijana Hammond, East Sac City, 5-3; 5. Brooke Runneberg, Laurens-Marathon, 5-3; 6. Kelli DeGeorge, Pleasant Valley, 5-2; 15. Hallie Linhart, Central Decatur, 5-0.