Rump, Guzman lead contingency to state meet

MOUNT PLEASANT – Fort Madison’s Nolan Guzman and Avery Rump are leading a handful of Hound athletes to the IHSAA/IGHSAU State Track Meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Rump qualified in three events outright, and may have qualified by time in another.
Guzman set a personal best in the high jump clearing 6’7” for second place, which qualified outright and then helped the 4x800 team to a runner-up finish in the District 5 Class 3A event held at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex in Mt. Pleasant.
And Guzman had just a little more on his plate at Thursday’s event. He made a trip to the ER in the morning with an idiopathic pain in his torso. His said doctors pushed fluids and he set about preparing for the rest of the day.
“No one really knew except the people that needed to because I really like don't like to talk about stuff like that, but I woke up this morning and couldn’t get out of bed,” he said. “Then I just said I was going to class and going to come here and see what happens.
“My will has always been stronger than my body and I feel like nobody wants it more than me up here (in his head).”
Guzman competed at the Drake Relays and finished 12th in the high jump but said he’s looking forward to jumping at state for the first time.
“It’ll be a great environment. State track is always a great place to be and, hopefully, the crowd is going nuts. I feel like I live off people like that.
Guzman missed his first jump at 6’9” but was already on final call for the 4x800 relay. He secured the qualification for state with his 6’7” jump, as only he and Fairfield’s Eli Zillman remained. Guzman flopped back down on the mat in exhilaration after clearing the bar at 6’7” and then gave a nod to the Fort Madison boys' soccer team that had made the trip up in support of the Bloodhounds.
Zillman went on to clear 6’9” and then missed three times at 7’0”. Guzman, with the qualification in hand, waived off the final two attempts at 6’9” and headed over to the track for the 4x800 relay.
There he ran the first leg and started about 30 yards back on the first lap, but moved up rapidly on the second 400 meters to take over first place on the hand-off to Mason McLey. Henry Ireland ran the third leg and Riley Tripp ran the final leg for an 8:05.49, a full two seconds behind Washington.

Guzman has an outside shot of qualifying in the open 800, as well. His 1:59.13 was just .16 seconds off Clear Creek-Amana’s Jackson VanHorn, who took the runner up spot to Max Svalstad of Solon. Guzman’s 1:59.13 is a top-20 time in 3A in the state up to Thursday night.
The boys are also sending senior Urijah Brooks to state next week in the discus. Brooks threw the disc 155 feet flat for a second place behind Washington’s Greyson Hartman who spun it 174’1” for the title.
On the girls' side, Rump qualified in three events outright and has a chance to qualify in the 1500-meter run.
She won the 3000-meter run outright and then anchored the 4x800 and the 1600 Distance Medley Relay with Mia Mason, Mara Smith, and Charley Huebner. The 4x800 team of McKayla Schinstock, Addison Rump, and Mara Smith, with Avery Rump  on the final leg also will compete at state.
Rump said she was proud of the effort, but had to keep a little in the tank in the 3000 for all events with her teammates.
“In the 3000, I pumped the brakes a little bit because I wanted to conserve some energy since I was in three more races,” Rump said.
“But in the 4x800 I went as hard as I could and in the D-Med, as well, since we had so many good teams pushing us.”
She said working the final leg is difficult, but she’s used to having to get after it because of the fast teams in the area.
“For the 800s, I really don’t hold anything back. I just trust my body to be able to recover and they typically have some breaks. But today I’m just living on a prayer, hoping that I have enough energy.”
In the 1500-meter run, Mt. Pleasant freshman phenom Avery Fedler won, coasting at 4:47.83, followed by Washington’s Iris Dahl at 4:50.33 to get the runners-up entry. Rump finished third at 4:51.26. Fedler has a sub 4:39 earlier this year in the event. Rump’s time was her fastest of the year and is a top 20 time in 3A.
Guzman will kick off the Hounds' events at state on Thursday with the high jump at 2 p.m. on the south side of the stadium. Rump will then run in the 3000 at 3:35, followed by the 4x800 relays for the girls at 5:25 and the boys at 6:10. Brooks will throw in the discus beginning at 4:30 p.m.
The only remaining event will be the girls' distance medley relay, which is set for 3 p.m. on Friday.