“It was perfect,” Keahna said. “Celebrating this with my family is something I never saw myself doing.”

Keahna was nearly perfect, missing just one attempt at 6-foot-5-inches on his way to earn South Tama County’s first high jump title since 1987 at the Class 3A Co-Ed State Track and Field meet at Drake Stadium on Thursday. The junior jumper earned the crown after Marion’s Blair Brooks failed to vault 6-7, just after Keahna did on his first try.

After knowing in the back of his mind he’d be a state champ, Keahna said the competition wasn’t over. After trying the school record at 6-8, he wanted his name alone in the record books at South Tama High.

“I just had to re-focus up after knowing I was going to be a state champion,” Keahna said. “Going for 6-9 I had to be strong in my head. The technique over the bar had to be perfect. And I think it’s starting to get there. It’s there for next year.”

T-R PHOTO BY STEPHEN KALB-KOENIGSFELD

Keahna and Brooks were tied coming into the state meet with season bests at 6-8. After Brooks made the first jump at 6-5, and Keahna missed his, he felt a little pressure sink in.

“That 6-5 miss started to get me a little nervous,” Keahna said. “Obviously, Blair cleared that his first attempt, and I missed my first. But I just had to clear that 6-7 bar on my first attempt. After I saw Blair miss and everyone miss, I thought, ‘Oh my God, it could happen.'”

And it did happen, in true Drake Stadium fashion. With the title his, Keahna gave that signature slow clap which got the south end of the arena cheering him on. Fans in the signature black and blue, and friends and family in assorted neon colors worked to will him over the 6-9 bar.

But they’re going to have to wait. Until next year. And Keahna said he’s OK with that for now.

“I’m honored to represent South Tama the way I am right now,” Keahna said. “If I would’ve cleared it, that would’ve been our school record. But 6-9 is there for next year.”

T-R PHOTO BY STEPHEN KALB-KOENIGSFELD

Slaven finishes on podium

Less than an hour later, STC junior Stacey Slaven followed up Keahna’s performance with a podium finish of her own. Slaven cleared the bar at 5-3, just an inch lower than her season best, and finished fourth in the Class 3A high jump.

“I wasn’t really nervous for when I jumped,” Slaven said. “I was mostly just excited because I went into it thinking I could do really well. And I’m OK with how I did.”

Slaven was just a missed attempt at 5-3 away from third, the exact position Sergeant Bluffs-Luton’s Madison Harms placed a year ago.

Harms went on to win this year’s meet, clearing 5-6 on her second attempt.

Slaven was fourth a year ago, too, and managed to clear another inch to maintain her position. And despite the season not being a constant strand of success, Slaven was still able to put on a championship effort.

“It hadn’t started out as a great season. Indoor was OK, but outdoor didn’t start out how I planned,” Slaven said. “I just had to get into the groove of it.”

Next year’s high jump field will continue to showcase elite talent, with the top seven finishers all expected to return. Miracle Alies from Keokuk and Reagan Dahlquist, where were second and third, respectively, are both freshmen.

STC’s sophomore Callie Frakes is the final Trojan competitor, who runs her 1,500-meter race on Saturday.