Panthers have four top-two finishes in RVC meet

     Monticello had one champion and three runner-up finishes in a competitive River Valley Conference Boys Track and Field Meet Friday, May 4 in West Liberty.

     The Panthers had some season-best performances on a pleasant evening at the conference meet, but finished seventh as a team with 60 points.

     “We are getting better as a whole, but as a team we still struggle at times to compete as well as we should,” Monticello coach Greg Williams said.

     The Panthers had one individual conference champion: Avery Martensen, who won the 110-meter high hurdles in 15.17 seconds.

     “That was a nice race for Avery,” Williams said.

     Cole Cruise took second in the 3,200 in 10:23.09, and Aaron Loes was fifth.

     “Cole is getting faster each time he runs the 3,200,” the coach said.

     Also taking second was Wade Picray in the discus, with a throw of 150-foot-5.

     “This was a 10-foot personal best for Wade,” Williams said. “He came to compete.”

     Also, the 4x100 relay of Max Keleher, Alex Nealson, Avery Martensen and Gavin Cooper ran its fastest time of the season, 45.00, in taking second place.

     Earlier, the Panthers scored 44 points to finish ninth in the Marion Invitational April 30. There were no Monticello champions, but finishing second were Martensen in the 110 hurdles, Cole Cruise in the 3,200, and the distance medley relay team.

     “We set a new freshman-sophomore school record in the sprint medley,” Williams said. “Wade Picray had a personal best in the discus (140-10). And, we ran a season best in the 4x400 relay.”

State Qualifying Meet next

     The Panthers will travel to Dike-New Hartford for the Class 2A State Qualifying Meet Thursday, May 10. Field events begin at 4 p.m.

     The top two finishers in each event will automatically qualify for the May 17-19 state meet in Des Moines. Eight at-large entries from across the state, per event, will also qualify.

April 30

Marion Inv.

TEAM SCORES

     1, Center Point-Urbana 90; 2, Marion 88; 3, Benton Community 81; 4, Solon 74; 5, Vinton-Shellsburg 73; 6, Anamosa 69; 7, Mount Vernon 66; 8, West Delaware 62; 9, Monticello 44; 10, North Linn 42; 11, DeWitt Central 28; 12, Maquoketa Valley 24.

MONTICELLO RESULTS

     Long jump: 6, Alex Nealson, 19-3.

     High jump: 5, Avery Martensen, 5-10.

     Discus: 4, Wade Picray, 140-10.

     3,200: 2, Cole Cruise, 10:31.11; 8, Zach Chapman, 11:38.90.

     Distance medley: 2, Monticello (Max Keleher, Gavin Cooper, Carter Cruise, Aaron Loes), 3:43.60.

     110 hurdles: 2, Avery Martensen, 15.39.

     800: 6, Carter Cruise, 2:11.07.

     1,600: 7, Jasper Nietert, 5:04.72.

     Weightman’s 4x100: 4, Monticello (Lake Stahlberg, Wade Picray, Wes Henderson, Brayden Cleeton), 59.72.

     4x400: 7, Monticello (Gavin Cooper, Alex Nealson, Aaron Loes, Carter Cruise), 3:37.12.

JUNIOR VARSITY EVENTS

     Sprint medley: 3, Monticello (Colin Jordan, Spencer Avery, Adam Schmitt, Carter Cruise), 1:44.69.

     4x800: 6, Monticello (Keagan Glawatz, Levi Temple, Gavin Baugh, Jayden Orcutt), 9:58.45.

     Distance medley: 4, Monticello (Ethan Tallman, Spencer Avery, Adam Schmitt, Jasper Nietert), 4:08.14.

     4x100: 7, Monticello, 49.57 (Colin Jordan, Adam Schmitt, Ethan Tallman, Spencer Avery).

May 3

River Valley Conf. Meet

(at West Liberty)

TEAM SCORES

     1, Mid-Prairie 123; 2 (tie), West Liberty 103 and Northeast 103; 4, Bellevue 78; 5, Tipton 64; 6, North Cedar 63; 7, Monticello 60; 8, Iowa City Regina 47; 9, Cascade 29; 10, Camanche 28; 11, Durant 19.

MONTICELLO RESULTS

     400: 7, Carter Cruise, 54.10.

     110 hurdles: 1, Avery Martensen, 15.17.

     3,200: 2, Cole Cruise, 10:23.09; 5, Aaron Loes, 10:34.42.

     Discus: 2, Wade Picray, 150-5.

     High jump: 5, Avery Martensen, 5-10.

     Shot put: 7, Wade Picray, 46-9.5; 8, Lake Stahlberg, 46-6.75.

     4x100:  2, Monticello (Max Keleher, Alex Nealson, Avery Martensen, Gavin Cooper), 45.00.

     4x200: 7, Monticello (Adam Schmitt, Alex Nealson, Brody Brokaw, Gavin Cooper), 1:37.50.

     4x400: 8, Monticello (Gavin Cooper, Adam Schmitt, Alex Nealson, Carter Cruise), 3:40.98.

     4x800: 6, Monticello (Ben Barnhart, Jasper Nietert, Levi Temple, Zach Chapman), 9:30.99.

     Sprint medley: 5, Monticello (Max Keleher, Brody Brokaw, Avery Martensen, Carter Cruise), 1:40.38.

     Distance medley: 6, Monticello (Gavin Cooper, Brody Brokaw, Alex Nealson, Aaron Loes), 4:00.50.