T-R FILE PHOTO - Meskwaki Settlement School’s Sia Bear stretches to achieve an eighth-place finish in the Class 1A girls’ long jump competition on May 18, 2023, at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Bear became the Warriors’ first state field event medalist.

Sia Bear continues to make history for Meskwaki girls track and field.

She’s the first girls athlete to qualify three times for the state meet, all in the long jump — the senior and Cornell College signee will compete in the 1A long jump on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at the Iowa High School Co-Ed State Track and Field Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

Bear, who was eighth in 1A last year, qualified with a top leap of 16 feet, 10.5 inches on her one and only jump of the district meet, winning the event and breaking her school record that she had already broken earlier this season at Meskwaki’s home meet.

Meskwaki head coach Dylan Kalinay decided to pull Bear after that one jump to help Bear rest a quad injury that has pestered Bear for most of the season.

“We think she’ll be ready to go for state, we’re just taking it one day at a time,” Kalinay said. “She will be continuing on to Cornell next year, but knowing this is her last go-round, I’ve been pretty impressed at how she holds it together even on the days where it’s really bothering her and just going out there and doing what she can.”

Bear’s leap at districts qualified as the fourth-best in 1A going into state. Danville’s Kenna Furnald has the top mark at 17 feet, 1.5 inches.

Dorothy Bear will join Sia at the state meet, competing in the open 400 and 400 hurdles events.

Dorothy, a freshman, is the 23rd seed in the open 400 in 1:04.57 and is seeded 24th in the 400 hurdles at 1:11.32.

“I was looking forward to getting her this year,” Kalinay said. “And we saw what she was capable of this year. … We’re just trying not to make it bigger than it is, treat it like another race, and compete well.”

Next Spartan up for Grundy Center

No area team qualified more entries for the girls or boys track meets this week than Grundy Center in Class 2A.

A pair of significant setbacks will challenge the Spartans, particularly in some relay events where Grundy hopes to medal.

The girls will be without Grace Storjohann, who is out due to illness and ran on state-qualifying 4×800 and distance medley teams in addition to qualifying as an individual in the 800.

Grundy Center girls coach Todd Rohler said Lydia Hook will sub in for Storjohann in the 4×800; Ava Heeren will jump into the distance medley relay.

In both relays, they’ll jump in with Laney Dole, Ellery Luhring and Karlee Lynch, who are also part of the 4×400 relay alongside open 400 qualifier Raelyn Steinmeyer.

“Those girls, along with Grace, have done a great job of leading by example,” Rohler said. “It’s just so great to have girls like them, or Carlie Willis, Shirley Monaghan, these girls that are there in every sport, year round, being great leaders.”

Rohler is still optimistic about the relays’ potential at state, noting that Hook just was under a second away from qualifying alongside Storjohann in the 800 at the district meet in Denver last Thursday.

“4×4 is not out of the race either, they’ll be pushing for that top spot,” Rohler said. “And I never want to discount the 4×100, they’ve been getting faster all season long, and yes they’re the 24th qualifier, but I don’t know if they’ve seen how fast they can be and we’ll see what happens if they can get a good day.”

Grundy Center’s girls qualified in a total of seven events, including Allison Koch in the high jump.

The Grundy Center boys are believed to have set a school record with 16 entries in 14 events for this week’s meet.

However, they will be without senior standout Kaden Lynch, who battled through pain at state-qualifying but was found to have a fracture in his foot over the weekend that will keep him from competing this week.

Lynch qualified as an individual in the 1,600 and 3,200 and was part of qualifying relays in the distance medley as well as an alternate for the 4×800.

“We all took it really hard,” Grundy Center head coach Chris Conger said. “I just feel terrible for him. Last year’s state track meet left a bitter taste in his mouth after he missed out on medals he won as a sophomore, and he’s been a man on a mission this season with a friendly rivalry with Emerson on the team.

“It’s one of those things where you let it soak in for 24 hours and then start to focus on what you can provide – he’s one of the best leaders we’ve come across in this program, and I know he’ll be a lightning rod for our group.”

Conger expects Tate Jirovsky, who was recently named the team’s MVP, to have a big week with the open 400, 400 hurdles, and running the anchor of the 4×400 and the opening leg of the shuttle hurdle. Other standouts to watch will be Grant Newton, Brayden Davie, and Brayden Wallis.

Kasey Seitz is the lone field event entry for the Spartans in the shot put.

“He’s a senior who’s had to wait his turn,” Conger said. “Last year he was on the fringe, but he made it a priority this year and has just been more consistent as the season went on. Once we saw that, we knew he was ready to take the next step. He put in those four years worth of work.”

South Tama boys aiming high

After an impressive last two weeks of the track season, South Tama County boys track and field will bring a small group that could rack up some big points on the Blue Oval.

The Trojans are seeded 2nd in the 4×800; James Brant, Braxten Rohrs, Cade Rosenberger and Tommy Tyynismaa ran 8:11.34 at the district meet and recently broke the school record with an 8:02.92 at the WaMaC meet the week prior.

With those kinds of times, a state title can’t be out of the question.

“We have the horses to get it done, that’s the wild thing to say,” STC head coach Daniel Mayo. “If Tommy gets the stick and he’s in range of anyone, watch out. … I think we can go into it with the mindset that the race is ours to win.”

Center Point-Urbana had the fast time at districts with an 8:07.90.

“These kids have been working on this for four years, it would be sweet to win a state title in the 4×8,” Mayo said.

The distance medley is the Trojans’ other relay, seeded 14th after Chase Gustafson, Cody Blocker, Brant and Tyynismaa clocked a 3:40.70 at districts, which should put STC in the hunt for the school record in the event at 3:35.

“We have three returners from last year that are all faster on their respective leg,” Mayo said. “Chase is a great leadoff for us and he’s super pumped to be running on Friday.”

Tyynismaa is seeded ninth both in the 800 and the 1,600, the latter of which he will run with Brant, seeded 11th.

At the Drake Relays earlier this year, Tyynismaa finished fourth in the 800 in 1:54.33. Only one of those runners that finished ahead of him will compete against Tyynismaa on Saturday — Drake champion Quentin Nauman of Western Dubuque.

Tyynismaa currently owns the seventh-best finish in state history in the 800 at 1:51.32, and Mayo believes it’ll take a performance at that level to bring home a 3A title against Nauman.

“Everyone thought it would be [Tyynismaa’s] year, which it still is,” Mayo said. “With a stress fracture in the early season and Nauman’s emergence, it’s a little more complicated. … But I’ve known Tommy the last 10 years and he’s a tough son of a gun. I’m not going to doubt him, and whoever wins that race is going to run a ridiculously fast time.”

Tyynismaa, an Iowa State recruit, is ready to enjoy one last ride.

“I’m looking forward to ending my senior season and school year with my best friends doing the sport we love together,” Tyynismaa said. “Hopefully, I have a good weekend and I’m looking forward to testing my limits and pushing myself to become a better runner.”

Thursday’s T-R area state track and field heat sheet

9:00 a.m. — Girls 2A shuttle hurdle prelims

Heat 2, Lane 1 – West Marshall

Heat 4, Lane 7 – East Marshall

10:10 a.m. — Boys 2A 3,200-meter run

Emerson Vokes, Grundy Center

10:40 a.m. — Girls 2A 200 meter dash prelims

Heat 1, Lane 2 — Audrey Girard, West Marshall

11:20 a.m. — Girls 2A 4×800 meter relay final

Section 2 — Grundy Center

11:30 a.m. — Boys 2A shot put

Flight 1, Thrower 3 — Kasey Seitz, Grundy Center

12:10 p.m. — Boys 2A 4×800 meter relay final

Section 1 — Grundy Center

12:30 p.m. — Boys 3A 4×800 meter relay final

Section 2 — South Tama

12:50 p.m. — Girls 2A 100 meter dash prelims

Heat 3, Lane 2 — Audrey Girard, West Marshall

1:20 p.m. — Girls 2A 400 meter dash final

Heat 1, Lane 6 — Raelyn Steinmeyer, Grundy Center

1:40 p.m. — Boys 2A 400 meter dash final

Section 2, Lane 5 – Tate Jirovsky, Grundy Center

Section 3, Lane 1 – Jace Eich, West Marshall

2 p.m. — Boys 2A shuttle hurdle relay prelims

Heat 1, Lane 5 — Grundy Center

2 p.m. — Girls 1A shot put

Flight 1, Number 2 – Kailan McEwen, BCLUW

Fight 2, Number 1 – Grace Farnsworth, BCLUW

4:05 p.m. — Boys 4A 3,200 meter run

James Johnson, Marshalltown

Preston Johnson, Marshalltown

4:30 p.m. — Boys 1A shot put

Flight 2, Thrower 2 — Orlando Montoya BCLUW

4:30 p.m. — Girls 1A long jump

Flight 2, Jumper 9 — Sia Bear, Meskwaki

4:40 p.m. — Boys 1A 200 meter dash prelims

Heat 1, Lane 8 – Jabari Woodbury, GMG

5 p.m. — Girls 1A 4×800 meter relay final

Heat 2, Lane 5 – BCLUW

7 p.m. — Girls 1A 400 meter dash final

Heat 1, Lane 1 – Dorothy Bear, Meskwaki

Heat 2, Lane 6 – Kennedy Brant, Gladbrook-Reinbeck

7:20 p.m. – Boys 1A 400 meter dash final

Section 2, Lane 3 – Jabari Woodbury, GMG

Section 3, Lane 5 – Cael Keller, BCLUW