What to watch for from Burlington-area athletes at the 2022 Drake Relays
With just four weeks left in the high school track and field season, the season makes the final turn for the homestretch.
Burlington-area athletes are gearing up for the stretch run, which begins Thursday with the 112th Drake Relays at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
With conference, state qualifying and the state meet coming up in consecutive weeks, this is the first true bench-water mark of the season, a chance for area athletes to see how they stack up against the best of the best in Iowa.
Here are five things to watch for as the high school events get under way at 4 p.m. Thursday.
Boys discus
New London senior Carter Allen and Louisa-Muscatine senior Spencer Kessel have been on a collision course all season for supremacy in the throwing events in the Burlington area..
Allen and Kessel will go head-to-head against the best the state has to offer before squaring off next week at the SEI Superconference meet at WACO.
Allen comes into the discus competition at 4 p.m. Thursday with the 11th-best throw in the state at 164 feet, 1 inch. Kessel is close behind. His throw of 161-7 puts him 13th heading into the competition.
Walker Whalen is the overwhelming favorite, leading the state with a throw on 202-10.
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Boys shot put
In the shot put competition, which is slated for 9:30 a.m. Friday, Kessel comes in with the sixth-best throw of 55-7, while Allen is 13th at 53-2.
Brandon VanderSluis has the state's best put of 63-5. Austin Busch of South Hamilton, who has a best of 60 feet, 1/2 inch, is the only other thrower to top 60 feet this season.
Allen and Kessel each have a chance to place in the top eight in both events and establish themselves as contenders for state championships in three weeks.
It also gives both a chance to see the top competition in their respective classes ahead of the state meet.
Boys high jump
Kade Benjamin lost his freshman track season to COVID, then missed a large chunk of his sophomore season with an injury which hampered his performance down the stretch,
The New London High School senior comes into the Drake Relays as one of the favorites t walk away with a Drake Relays flag.
The high jump competition is set for 10 a.m. Friday.
Benjamin is tied for the best jump in the state at 6-9. Kaleb Scott of Southeast Valley and Derek Weisskopf of Williamsburg also have cleared that height, while seven other have cleared 6-7.
Benjamin already has rewritten the school record book in the high jump and continues to raise the bar every time he clears a new height.
Benjamin is well known for his exploits on the basketball court. He is now making a name for himself in track and field.
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Girls shot put
Mount Pleasant's Jadan Brumbaugh, like Benjamin, seems to set new school records every meet.
Brumbaugh is the defending champion in this event, winning by nearly two feet last year.
Brumbaugh broke her own school record with a state-leading heave of 47-9 3/4 earlier this season and has been consistently over 43 feet at every meet.
Brumbaugh will have her work cut out for her this year. Four other competitors, including Iowa State basketball recruit Audi Brooks, have cleared 41 feet.
The field also includes Winfield-Mount Union senior Jobey Malone, who qualified with a throw of 38-11.
The girls shot put competition is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
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Girls high jump
West Burlington-Notre Dame seniors Katy Stephens and Josie Bentz had been back and forth all season in this event.
That all came to a crashing halt two weeks ago when Bentz suffered a severe ankle injury which has kept her sidelined since.
Stephens, in her first track season since 2019, will look to being home a Drake Relays flag in the high jump, which is set for 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Maddie Olson of Sheldon leads the way at 5-8, but 10 other athletes — including Stephens — have cleared 5-5 or better.
Stephens, who missed last season after undergoing ACL surgery, has been consistent all season in the 5-4, 5-5 range. A fierce competitor, Stephens never can be counted out.
Matt Levins is a sports reporter for the USA TODAY Network in Burlington, Iowa, who has covered local sports for 31 years. Reach him at mlevins@thehawkeye.com.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: 5 things to look for from Burlington-area athletes at the Drake Relays
