Area Athletes Qualify for 2026 State Track & Field

Last year’s Iowa High School Track & Field State Qualifying Meets were difficult, as athletes faced high winds with gusts up to 55 miles per hour. This year’s qualifying meets might have been even more challenging. On Thursday, high schools around the state hosted the 2026 Iowa High School Track & Field State Qualifying Meets from classes 1A to 4A. Coed track meets tend to be on the longer side in general, but for many North Iowa area schools, last night’s meets were the longest meets of the year. Severe weather sent the 3A meet in Clear Lake into a near-hour-long delay before the action resumed. In class 2A, Forest City was at North Fayette Valley High School in West Sioux, where they had a two-hour weather delay. And at the 1A meet in Saint Ansgar, the night extended into Friday. The final race of the night, the boys’ 4×400-meter relay, didn’t conclude until after midnight because of a two-and-a-half-hour delay. The combination of the cold, wind, rain, and delays presented a steep physical and mental challenge for the area athletes to overcome in order to reach their goal: qualification for the 2026 Iowa High School State Track & Field Championships next week.

In class 1A, Saint Ansgar hosted many local area teams, including Lake Mills, West Hancock, Belmond-Klemme, Northwood-Kensett, and North Iowa. On the girls’ side, it was the host, the 2024 state champions, and the 2025 state runner-up, Saint Ansgar Saints, earning the district championship with 120 points. Lake Mills finished as a close second with 104 team points. Northwood-Kensett was 6th with 53 points, West Hancock was 7th with 48 points, North Iowa was 8th with 47 points, and Belmond-Klemme was 13th with 14 points.

On the boys’ side in class 1A at Saint Ansgar, the West Hancock Eagles followed up their TIC West Conference Championship with a 1A District Championship, winning the district by a 46-point margin with 150 points. Lake Mills finished in 3rd with 88.5 points, while North Iowa was 9th with 38 points, Belmond-Klemme was 10th with 31.5 points, and Northwood-Kensett was 12th with 18 points. For the Eagles, it was their third consecutive district championship, having won it last year at Northwood-Kensett and the year prior at Saint Ansgar.

In class 2A, Garner-Hayfield-Ventura and Central Springs were in Hudson. On the girls’ side, Monticello was the district champion with 120 points. Garner-Hayfield-Ventura was 4th with 82 points, and Central Springs finished in 12th with 13 points.

On the boys’ side in Hudson, Alburnett was the district champion with 129.5 points. Garner-Hayfield-Ventura finished in 9th with 41 points, and Central Springs was 12th with 29 points.

Elsewhere in class 2A at North Fayette Valley High School, the Forest City girls’ track and field team shared the district championship with Waukon, as each team scored 109 points. For the Indians, it’s their 3rd straight district championship, having won it last year at Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, and in 2024 at Manson-NW Webster.

On the boys’ side at North Fayette Valley, the Forest City boys track team finished 3rd with a team point total of 90, while Denver, last year’s 2A 3rd-place finisher at state, was the district champion with 140 points.

In Class 3A, Clear Lake was one of the host sites. On the girls’ side, Decorah was the district champion with 202 team points, while Clear Lake finished 2nd, with 131.5 points.

On the boys’ side, Clear Lake used the momentum they earned last Thursday when they won the North Central Conference Track and Field Meet, and won their home district with 172 points, holding off a tough Decorah squad by 12.

In class 4A, Mason City was at Iowa City High for their state qualifying meet. On the girls’ side, it was Cedar Rapids Prairie capturing the district title with 168 points, while Mason City finished 8th with 36 points. On the boys’ side, Cedar Rapids Prairie made it a sweep on the night, winning the boys district title with 157 points. Mason City finished 6th with 57.5 points.

The top two finishers in each event at each meet for classes 2A, 3A, and 4A automatically qualified for the 2026 Iowa High School State Track & Field Championships. In class 1A, only the top-place winner in each event automatically qualified. Additionally, the next 12 best statewide marks in class 4A, the 8 best marks in class 2A and 3A, and the 14 best marks in class 1A will also advance to state, regardless of where the meet was held. No event will have more than 24 qualifiers.

State Qualifiers by School

AQ = Automatically Qualified

Lake Mills Girls (1A)

100m – JR Jacklyn Gallardo – 2nd – 13.15

200m – JR Regan Eastvold – 2nd – 26.16

400m Hurdles – JR Cora Sauer – 1st – 1:10.48 (AQ)

4x100m Shuttle Hurdle Relay – FR Tatum Sauer, SO Faith Stene, FR Ari Stensrud, JR Cora Sauer – 2nd – 1:11.64

4x200m Relay – FR Tatum Sauer, JR Cora Sauer, JR Makenzie Budach, JR Regan Eastvold – 3rd – 1:48.69

800m Sprint Medley Relay – JR Jacklyn Gallardo, FR Ellie Mondt, JR Regan Eastvold, FR Tatum Sauer – 1st – 1:52.43 (AQ)

High Jump – JR Makenzie Budach – 2nd – 5-01.00

Long Jump – JR Makenzie Budach – 1st – 15-08.75 (AQ)

Discus – SR Ava Menke – 2nd – 115-04

Lake Mills Boys (1A)

100m – SR Zach Stene – 3rd – 11.45

800m – SR Knute Rogne – 1st – 2:03.42 (AQ)

1600m – SR Knute Rogne – 1st – 4:41.57 (AQ)

1600m – SR Hayden Thompson – 2nd – 4:43.67

3200m – SR Hayden Thompson – 1st – 10:15.89 (AQ)

3200m – SR Knute Rogne – 2nd – 10:15.90

1600m Distance Medley Relay – SR Nash Delger, SR Landyn Christian, SR Zach Stene, SR Knute Rogne – 1st – 3:40.35 (AQ)

North Iowa Girls (1A)

1500m – SR Lauren Hillesland – 6th – 5:09.06

3000m – SR Lauren Hillesland – 3rd – 10:46.24

4x800m Relay – SO Norah Blodgett, SR Lauren Hillesland, JR Alexis Gray, SR Ava Meinders – 2nd – 10:33.57

North Iowa Boys (1A)

Discus – JR Cale Lorenzen – 2nd – 154-10

Northwood-Kensett Girls (1A)

800m – FR Ivy Urbatsch – 2nd – 2:25.46

1500m – FR Ivy Urbatsch – 4th – 5:06.66

3000m – FR Ivy Urbatsch – 4th – 10:53.88

West Hancock Girls (1A)

3000m – SR Charlie Bruggeman – 7th – 11:46.40

4x100m Relay – JR Ava Keiper, SO Iselle Weiland, SR Aubrey Madson, SR Vanessa Nieto Mendez – 2nd – 51.89

4x200m Relay – JR Ava Keiper, SO Iselle Weiland, SR Aubrey Madson, SR Vanessa Nieto Mendez – 1st – 1:47.51 (AQ)

800m Sprint Medley Relay – JR Ava Keiper, SO Iselle Weiland, SR Vanessa Nieto Mendez, SR Aubrey Madson – 2nd – 1:53.00

West Hancock Boys (1A)

800m – SO Preston Gayken – 2nd – 2:03.84

1600m – JR Riley Gauden – 3rd – 4:48.48

110m Hurdles – JR Jacoby Subject – 2nd – 15.23

4x800m Relay – SR Isaiah Collins, JR Carson Fox, JR Keagan Albertson, SO Preston Gayken – 1st – 8:31.96 (AQ)

1600m Distance Medley Relay – JR Giovanni Garcia, SR Gustavo Gomez, JR Carson Fox, SR Isaiah Collins – 2nd – 3:43.20

Long Jump – FR Cristian Alonso – Lopez – 2nd – 20-04.25

4x110m Shuttle Hurdle Relay – JR Caiden Squier, JR Nathan Bixel, JR Coen Witte, JR Jacoby Subject – 1st – 1:01.75 (AQ)

800m Sprint Medley Relay – JR Nathan Bixel, SR Kaden VanEpps, JR Jacoby Subject, SO Brody Dixon – 2nd – 1:36.05

Central Springs Boys (2A)

Long Jump – SR Braydin Crum – 2nd – 21-05.50 (AQ)

Forest City Girls (2A)

100m – SR Chloe Hennigar – 1st – 12.96 (AQ)

800m – JR Claire Weaver – 1st – 2:28.95 (AQ)

100m Hurdles – SR Lexi Isebrand – 1st – 16.04 (AQ)

4x100m Relay – SO Tess Klaassen, SR Cadence Sletten, SR Lexi Isebrand, SR Chloe Hennigar – 1st – 50.67 (AQ)

4x200m Relay – SO Tess Klaassen, SR Cadence Sletten, SR Chloe Hennigar, JR Casey Buffington – 1st – 1:47.86 (AQ)

4x800m Relay – JR Ashlee Aukes, SO Muren Sharp, JR Ashlen Kingland, JR Sophia Reese – 3rd – 10:18.34

Long Jump – SR Lexi Isebrand – 2nd – 15-10.75 (AQ)

1600m Distance Medley Relay – SO Tess Klaassen, SR Cadence Sletten, SR Hayden Brown, JR Claire Weaver – 3rd – 4:21.80

Forest City Boys (2A)

400m – JR Holden Reynolds – 1st – 50.40 (AQ)

800m – JR Grant Gayther – 4th – 2:01.20

400m Hurdles – JR Holden Reynolds – 1st – 54.57 (AQ)

4x400m Relay – SR Ty Sopko, JR Colin Thompson, JR Cooper Blaser, JR Grant Gayther – 3rd – 3:29.15

1600m Distance Medley Relay – JR Tyler Fox, JR Colin Thompson, SR Ty Sopko, JR Grant Gayther – 2nd – 3:36.88 (AQ)

High Jump – JR Colin Thompson – 2nd – 6-04.00 (AQ)

800m Sprint Medley Relay – JR Tyler Fox, JR Colin Thompson, JR Cooper Blaser, JR Holden Reynolds – 4th – 1:35.69

Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Girls (2A)

400m – FR Katie Maurer – 3rd – 1:03.34

4x100m Relay – SR Isabella Schisel, SO Hayden Bredlow, FR Alayna Englin, SO Malia Hinz – 1st – 49.68 (AQ)

4x200m Relay – SR Isabella Schisel, JR Sadie Britson, SO Molly Maurer, SO Malia Hinz – 2nd – 1:44.99 (AQ)

4x400m Relay -FR Alayna Englin, JR Sadie Britson, FR Katie Maurer, SO Molly Maurer – 3rd – 4:06.69

800m Sprint Medley Relay – FR Alayna Englin, SO Malia Hinz, SR Isabella Schisel, SO Molly Maurer – 2nd – 1:50.86 (AQ)

Shot Put – SO Hannah Weiskamp – 1st – 36-01.75 (AQ)

Shot Put – JR Emma Schumacher – 2nd – 34-04.25 (AQ)

1600m Distance Medley Relay – SO Malia Hinz, SR Isabella Schisel, SO Molly Maurer, FR Alayna Englin – 2nd – 4:18.43 (AQ)

Garner-Hayfield-Ventura Boys (2A)

800m – SO Jonathan Schuknecht – 5th – 2:04.16

1600m – SR Jonah Pringnitz – 2nd – 4:30.06 (AQ)

3200m – SR Jonah Pringnitz – 1st – 10:07.61 (AQ)

4x100m Relay –  FR Chance Derr, JR Ryan Englin, SO Preston Davison, SO Demascus Ealey JR – 4th – 43.98

4x200m Relay –  FR Chance Derr, JR Ryan Englin, SO Preston Davison, SO Demascus Ealey JR – 4th – 1:31.70

Clear Lake Girls (3A)

800m -JR Saylor Schmitt – 1st – 2:28.61 (AQ)

1500m -JR Saylor Schmitt – 1st – 5:06.90 (AQ)

4x100m Relay – SO Lillian Moran, JR Ella Landau, JR Taylor Schwenn, SR Lauren Englin – 1st – 49.64 (AQ)

4x200m Relay – SO Kenna Eilders, JR Ella Landau, SR Hope Halverson, SR Lauren Englin – 2nd – 1:45.21 (AQ)

4x400m Relay – FR Mataya Quick, FR Jillian Doolittle, SR Hope Halverson, SR Lauren Englin – 2nd – 4:15.49 (AQ)

4x800m Relay – SO Lauren Good, FR Jillian Doolittle, SR Brooklyn Heesch, JR Saylor Schmitt – 2nd – 10:02.53 (AQ)

Long Jump – JR Ella Landau – 2nd – 17-03.50 (AQ)

Shot Put – JR Taylor Schwenn – 3rd – 40-01.00

1600m Distance Medley Relay – JR Ella Landau, SR Lauren Englin, FR Mataya Quick, JR Saylor Schmitt – 1st – 4:19.84 (AQ)

Clear Lake Boys (3A)

100m – SR Isaac Smith – 2nd – 11.32 (AQ)

200m – SR Kolby Hodnefield – 1st – 21.82 (AQ)

400m – SR Kolby Hodnefield – 1st – 48.23 (AQ)

110m Hurdles – JR Keeton Jeppeson – 1st – 15.21 (AQ)

110m Hurdles – SR Tate Fever – 3rd – 15.49

400m Hurdles – SR Tate Fever – 1st – 53.65 (AQ)

400m Hurdles – SO Liam Smith – 5th -55.10

4x100m Relay – SR Isaac Smith, SR Kolby Hodnefield, SR Sam Dodge, FR Maddon McIntire – 1st – 41.47 (AQ)

4x200m Relay – SR Isaac Smith, SR Sam Dodge, JR Isaac Brownlee, FR Maddon McIntire – 1st – 1:28.09 (AQ)

4x400m Relay – JR Isaac Brownlee, FR Maddon McIntire, JR Keeton Jeppeson, SR Kolby Hodnefield – 1st – 3:20.42 (AQ)

High Jump – JR Kysen Lamb – 1st – 6-08.50 (AQ)

Long Jump – SR Sam Dodge – 1st – 21-08.50 (AQ)

4x110m Shuttle Hurdle Relay – JR Keeton Jeppeson, SR Gage Larson, JR Isaac Brownlee, SR Tate Fever 1st – 1:00.40 (AQ)

800m Sprint Medley Relay – SR Isaac Smith, SR Sam Dodge, JR Isaac Brownlee, FR Maddon McIntire – 1st – 1:31.65 (AQ)

Mason City Girls (4A)

800m – SR Brogan Evans -4th – 2:22.11

4x100m Shuttle Hurdle Relay – JR Anna Latham, SR Piper Johnson, JR Pyper Koch, FR Finlee Carter – 4th – 1:10.66

4x400m Relay – SO Mara Dixon, JR Peyton Zilge, JR Latasha York, SO Brynn Peterson – 5th – 4:10.92

4x800m Relay – SR Brogan Evans, FR Ivy Ketelsen, JR Paizlee Carter, SO Brynn Peterson – 4th – 10:00.77

1600m Distance Medley Relay – JR Peyton Zilge, JR Latasha York, SO Mara Dixon, SO Brynn Peterson – 3rd – 4:19.11

Mason City Boys (4A)

100m – SR Drew Hobart – 3rd – 11.23

200m – SR Drew Hobart – 4th – 22.45

3200m – JR Henry Hansen – 5th – 9:37.16

4x200m Relay – SR Drew Hobart, SR Drayden Witt, JR Jameer Falls, JR Isak Torres – 4th – 1:30.15

Long Jump – SR Drew Hobart – 1st – 22-11.50 (AQ)

Discus – SR Ty Sanchez-Evans -4th – 150-01