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State Track 2023: Trojans, Warriors bring home the hardware

“Big B” Braxten Rohrs carried the baton en route to a season best 4x800 relay time. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

The 2023 track and field season concluded with last weekend’s state meet in Des Moines, and both South Tama and Meskwaki’s lone competitor, Sia Bear, found success on the Blue Oval.

Thursday sendoff sets tone for state track competitors

Kicking off the state track and field activities for the Trojan boys was a traditional good luck send off. Thursday morning at 11, the South Tama state qualifiers took a trip around the halls of the school and were recognized in the commons area.

Coach Mayo talked excitedly about the Trojans’ big plans for the meet, as students and staff cheered and clapped in support of the athletes. The state send off has become a staple of Trojan activities over the last few years, serving as a mini pep rally with higher energy in a smaller space.

Later in the day, the Trojans made their way to Drake Stadium in Des Moines to prepare for the 4×800 meter relay to open up their 2023 state campaign.

Coach Danny Mayo gave a thrilling speech in front of the student body at the State Track Sendoff. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

Noticeably absent from the send off was Junior Cade Rosenberger, who serves as a valuable leg of the 4×800 relay. Rosenberger was dealing with a nagging illness and made the decision to rest more before race time.

With the illness, alternate Holden Schirmer was ready to fill in at a moment’s notice. Schirmer warmed up with the quartet to be prepared in case of a last minute switch.

The final line up ended with the order of James Brant, to Braxten Rohrs, then Cade Rosenberger, and finally Tommy Tyynismaa.

Based off of the Trojans district qualification time, they were in the first of two heats that decided the Class 3A champion in the relay. When the gun went off, Brant led the Trojans off with an impressive carry of 2:00 to put the Trojans in contention.

Next, Rohrs stormed to a personal record split of 2:07.9. With momentum on his side, Rosenberger received the baton and fought his way around the blue oval twice in a time of 2:12.8 before handing off to Tyynismaa.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

Receiving the baton in the back of the race Tyynismaa had some work to do. With impressive grit and amazing focus, Tyynismaa passed seven competitors and brought the Trojans from ninth place to second during his anchor leg.

Splitting a time of 1:53.8, which happened to be the fastest 800 split of any 3A 4×800 team on the night, Tyynismaa showed a little preview of what he had in store for the weekend.

The Trojans finished the relay in a time of 8:14.51, enough to finish 12th of 24. For Rosenberger and Rohrs, this was their first appearance in a state track race, while Brant and James bring two previous years of state experience.

The quartet is composed exclusively of juniors, leaving room for the Trojans to continue their three year streak of 4×800 state qualifications.

Friday fields medals for area athletes

Rosenberger digs deep for every place before handing off to Tommy Tyynismaa. PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

Meskwaki Settlement School Junior Sia Bear jumped her way to a medal in the Class 1A long jump.

The lone Meskwaki qualifier managed to jump 16 feet, two inches, breaking a tie for eighth after the prelims with Grand View Christian’s Mia Backous.

Bear previously jumped as a freshman at state. Sia is heavily involved in MSS Athletics, being a four sport athlete.

Bear brought home a state medal with an eighth place finish in the 1A long jump. After breaking the school record with a mark of 16′ 4 ¼” , Bear’s success comes as no surprise. With a large incoming freshman class, Meskwaki head coach Dylan Kalinay looks to build the program up and push Bear to higher levels.

STC Distance Medley medals

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

Cody Blocker, Trey Etzen, James Brant and Tommy Tyynismaa threw down a time of 3 minutes, 36.73 seconds to earn sixth place in the Class 3A boys distance medley relay. Both Blocker and Etzen made their state debut in an amazing effort flanked by Brant and Tyynismaa, who host a wealth of state experience.

The Distance Medley Relay consists of two 200 meter legs, followed by a 400 meter, and concluded with an 800 meter run. Blocker and Etzen were STC’s top two sprinters this year who filled the 200 meter legs with Brant on the 400 and Tyynismaa on his typical anchor leg.

The class of 2022 left a large hole in the Trojans sprinting events, with a youthful group of sprinters, Sophomore Cody Blocker stepped up and led the Trojan sprinters in his second year of track.

Senior Trey Etzen is just now getting back on the track after last competing in middle school. The two relatively inexperienced sprinters managed to step up in a big way paired with the junior super duo of Brant and Tyynismaa.

Prior to the state meet, Etzen had started the relay out of the blocks for the Trojans. In a relative last minute decision, Cody Blocker was to start the relay for the Trojans.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

After the gun sounded, Blocker shot out the block and rounded the Blue oval and barreled down the back stretch. After a clean handoff to Etzen, the Trojans continued the baton around the track.

From Etzen to Brant the relay continued on, with STC sitting towards the back after the 200 meter legs. Brant made up ground on his competitors getting better positioning heading into the anchor leg. Tyynismaa took the Baton and went to work, managing to secure a few places higher in the heat, cementing their sixth place finish.

After the race, the Trojan athletes had mixed feelings over the race, after coming into the state meet seeded second.

“I expected a little bit better than sixth, but for my first time here, I’m pretty happy to come out of here with a medal,” Blocker said.

Tyynismaa recounted his section of the race.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN MEYER

“I just wanted to catch as many guys ahead of me as I could,” Tyynismaa said. “Pella, Western Dubuque and Lewis Central were pretty far up there so I just went after the chase pack. Just gunned it out as hard as I could.”

Palmarez puts a bow on historic throwing career

On Friday afternoon, STC senior Nathaniel “Bubbz” Palmarez placed 22nd in the 3A boys shot put with a throw of 44′ 11 ½“. Palmarez qualified to state with an at large position after throwing a lifetime best of 48’2″ earning a fourth place finish at the Pella district meet. “Bubbz” leaves his mark on Trojan track and field with Top 10 throws in both the shot put and discus.

Tyynismaa takes down state record Saturday

State Meet Saturday was upon us. With an over capacity crowd, Drake Stadium was electric, ready to watch final after final.

Tyynismaa toed the line in what turned out to be a historic race. Tyynismaa and Chase Laughman of Pella have pushed each all season, starting at the Dickinson Relays in March and culminating on Saturday. These historic rivals pushed each other to new heights.

In the 800 meter run, Tyynismaa ran the race of his life, pushing the pair under the 3A 800 meter state meet record. Tyynismaa took second in a time of 1:52.8 behind Laughman’s 1:52.61.

The race went out too slow for Tyynismaa’s liking, leading him to take the lead at the 400 meter mark.

“I wanted to wait longer but thought about it and I wanted to pull them into deep waters,” he said.

With the burst of pace, Tyynismaa separated the field and led the next 300 meters. Down the homestretch of the Blue Oval, the crowd came alive watching Tyynismaa running away from Chase Laughman. The duo sprinted as the crowd erupted, Laughman inched forward and took the win from Tyynismaa.

After the race, Tyynismaa looked visibly frustrated, while Laughman was spotted regurgitating on the infield. These two competitors took each other to the absolute limit, but this race did not end their rivalry.

STC Double Trouble 1600

After a grueling 800 battle, Tyynismaa returned to the start line joined by Brant. These two juniors have made history at South Tama High School, winning conference titles, qualifying for state, destroying 20 year old records and much more.

The duo were joined with 22 other competitors rounding out the field, including Chase Laughman of Pella, who had won the 3200 and 800 meter run earlier in the meet.

After the gun sounded, both competitors jostled for positioning. Tyynismaa found his footing and worked his way to Laughman’s shoulder near the front. Brant stayed mid pack and worked in a pack of six or seven competitors to click off consistent laps.

By the bell lap, Laughman had created space on Tyynismaa, and the 800 meter runner up had no response to the 3A powerhouse. Brant found a final gear and charged into the home stretch battling with competitors.

Tyynismaa finished again as runner up to Laughman in a time of 4:17.57. Brant improved on his ninth place finish in the event last year, running 4:24.23 for second place and a new PR.

After the race, both competitors took in the atmosphere and appreciated the beauty that is the Iowa State Track and Field Meet. The junior duo agreed the atmosphere helped push them into new heights and that this was just the beginning heading into senior year.

“In 20 years from now, we’ll look back and think how good these guys were,” Coach Mayo said.