Harris takes shot put title at district meet

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

MT. PLEASANT - Fort Madison's Brittiney Harris dug down somewhere and found some deep buried adrenaline and left teammates', parents', and coaches' jaw-dropped as she threw a personal record and beat all at the Class 3A state qualifying track meet at Mt. Pleasant.

Harris, who was regularly throwing 33 to 33.5 in the shot put throughout the season, somehow found four extra feet and threw 37'9" to beat Mt. Pleasant's Grace Bittle by a full seven inches to win the title and advance to state.

The girls Distance Medley team of Kamryn Bailey, Maddy McVey, Sierra Howardson and Brett Schneider took 2nd place and also qualified for state with a time of 4:21.10 just 3.5 seconds off the Davenport Assumption pace of 4:18.86.

Schneider also captured a state entry in the 400-meter hurdles taking 2nd place with a time 1:08.27 just .18 secs behind Fairfield's Aluna Olaniyi and right in front of Fairfield's Ashley Telleen in one of the closest races of the day. She took 3rd in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:21.78 behind two Davenport Assumption runners and will have a shot at participating in that event at state.

Howardson also qualified for an individual event at state when she took 2nd place in the 3000-meter run with a mark of 10:51.61, just 3.5 seconds behind winner Joy Ripslinger of Davenport Assumption. Howardson took 4th in the 1500-meter run and may have a shot in the pool times of making state in that event as well.

The 4x800 meter relay team of Bailey, Claire Mendez, Howardson, and Schneider took 4th place and has a shot at qualifying in the pool times with a time of 10:12.97.

Boys results were not available Thursday night. Complete results and state information will be published as soon as it becomes available.

FMHS's Maddy McVey hands off to Claire Mendez in the 4x200 meter relay at the district track meet Thursday in Mt. Pleasant. The relay team finished with a time of 2:00.45 not quite good enough for state. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC.

Brett Schneider tries to find room between Davenport Assumption's Joy Ripslinger, right, and Julie Schumacher, left, in the 800-meter run. Schneider finished 3rd and the first two are guaranteed a spot at state. The other finishers can make state depending on the times of other districts' runners. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC.