T-R PHOTO BY THORN COMPTON • Marshalltown junior Bennett O’Hare takes the baton from senior Sam Irwin during the Class 4A distance medley in the Iowa Co-Ed State Track and Field Championships on Friday. The Bobcats ran a season-best time of 3:38.77.

DES MOINES — The main goal for the Marshalltown boys distance medley relay team in the Class 4A race at the Iowa Co-Ed State Track and Field Championships was to run the best race of their season.

Bobcats head coach Doug Bacon said he would be happy if the team of seniors Braden Bethke, Josh Melde, Sam Irwin and junior Bennett O’Hare ran under 3 minutes, 40 seconds, on Friday afternoon, and if they ran a 3:48 he would “pee his pants.”

Well Bacon likely had to go for a wardrobe change as his guys made good on their goal and finished with a 3:48.77, their season-best time.

Irwin, who ran the 400-meter leg for the Bobcats during the distance medley, said even getting to run on the blue oval at Drake Stadium was an accomplishment in his mind, given what he’s been through this track season.

“Seven weeks ago I was told I will never participate in a high school sport again, so this has been unreal,” Irwin said of coming back from a broken wrist suffered in the first meet of the season. “I couldn’t do it without my teammates, and this is an experience we can keep for the rest of our lives.”

Bethke got Marshalltown started strong in the opening 200, but as he approached the handoff with fellow senior Josh Melde disaster nearly struck.

“I think I did really well going in but my handoff was a little shaky with Josh,” Bethke said. “He managed to pick it back up for me and the rest of them ran pretty well.”

After the nearly-botched handoff, Melde recovered well and raced out into his 200 leg, nearly catching the runners in the outside lanes from his spot in the fifth lane.

“I felt like I ran pretty fast and caught back up to the stagger. I gave Irwin a good handoff and he got out fast,” Melde said.

As Melde approached the handoff with Irwin, the stadium announcer proclaimed that Marshalltown and Des Moines East were in the lead, but Melde said he was only aware of the Scarlet athlete running alongside him.

“I didn’t hear anything from the announcer, I just saw the other guy to my right and we were just battling each other,” he said.

Melde and Irwin had a good handoff, but Irwin’s start dropped him back to nearly the last in the pack. Due to his injury, Irwin missed a large portion of the season, so he said his conditioning wasn’t quite where he would like it to be.

“The 400 this year was a lot tougher than years before,” he said. “A few guys passed me but I just decided to latch on and ride it the rest of the way.”

Irwin found his stride midway through the race, and he said once he got his legs under him he was able to pick up the pace a bit.

“It was probably about the 180-mark I knew we were just over halfway done, so I latched onto those guys and got it to Bennett in a good enough position so he could make a move,” Irwin said.

O’Hare said he also didn’t get off to his best start possible, but as the 800 runners rounded the third turn and approached the end of their first 400, he said he was able to maneuver himself into position.

“I knew that we ran against Kennedy earlier this year so I made a move against them earlier on the third leg and passed them and got in front of him,” O’Hare said. “I knew everyone was going to run strong, so I just wanted to see how much I would have left and running that last 200 was my last race this year, so might as well go all-out, especially for these seniors.”

The boys finished in 19th for the event and improved their qualifying time by nearly three seconds. Melde said he couldn’t have asked for a better way to end his career with the Bobcats.

“It’s a great way to go out, making coach Bacon pee himself,” he said with a smirk.