Grundy Center girls track and field qualified in nine events for next week’s state meet in Des Moines based on their performances at Thursday’s Class 2A state-qualifying meet at Spartan Stadium in Grundy Center.

Maddy Hendershot and Grace Storjohann each qualified as part of four events, including individual district championships in the 400-meter and 800-meter running events, respectively.

Hendershot broke the 60-second barrier for the first time this season, clocking in at 59.69 in her championship lap around the track.

She beat Hudson’s Rebecca Vidal to the line by one half second as Vidal finished in 1:00.19, Alburnett freshman Adah Fishell was third in 1:00.22.

“I knew I’d get it at some point,” Hendershot said of the sub-60 milestone. “That was my goal for the night. … I just knew that there were people coming right behind me and I had to keep going no matter what, even with the wind. … That wind was a killer, but I just had to push through it.”

Hendershot’s time has her seeded 10th in Class 2A entering the state meet, just fractions of a second outside of medal contention.

“I knew last year, I went down at the district meet, so I just needed to keep pushing at practice,” Hendershot said. “I’m always training and pushing, and my teammates are pushing me as well. … Under a minute was my goal and now I’m just going to keep lowering that goal every time until I get them.”

Hendershot and Storjohann teamed up on relays that bookended the meet with Spartan victories both in the sprint medley – with teammates Ava Heeren and Karlee Lynch on the opening two legs – and the 4×400, where Grace passed the baton to Raelyn Steinmeyer, on to Lynch and Hendershot putting together another strong 400 to bring home the gold.

The 4×400’s winning time of 4:04.10 was the third-best district performance among the 2A qualifiers in the event, trailing only Pella Christian (3:57.20) and Eddyville-Blakesburg/Fremont (3:59.30).

“We have such a great group this year,” said Storjohann, a junior. “When Maddy won that district title and broke a minute, that brought me way up, I was tired from my last event and that gave me the energy to jump up and support her – that’s what track’s all about, and we have a great team for that.”

Storjohann’s 800-meter win came in a time of 2:23.27 ahead of East Marshall’s Sydney Hull in second at 2:24.92.

She shined in the two-lap race at the Drake Relays earlier this spring with an 11th-place finish in the elite high school field in a school-record 2:15.63 clocking that easily makes her a contender to compete for a state title when she returns to the Blue Oval next week.

“I knew I was in good standing out in front tonight, but I knew I needed a good time to get in that fast heat at state,” Storjohann said. “Because I’m looking for more than just a district title, I’m looking for a state title.”

Storjohann, who admitted she loves the competition, looks forward to running against Tipton’s Noelle Steines, last year’s state champion in 2A, one of the most decorated track and cross country athletes in Iowa girls history, and a competitor Storjohann outran at the Drake Relays.

It was a competition Storjohann was denied when she missed last year’s state meet with an illness.

“A year ago today, I walked off that track just bawling my eyes out after that first race, and I just knew how sick I was,” Storjohann said. “To have a recovery, to feel so different, it’s just amazing, and it makes you extra grateful every day that you’re healthy.”

Riah Schrage, Allison Koch, Lynch and Storjohann were the winning four in the distance medley and Jocelyn Freed, Hendershot, Koch and Heeren took gold in the 4×100.

Heeren finished as runner-up in the 100. Koch qualified as an at-large bid in the high jump after clearing 5-foot-1 for third place in the event on Thursday, Evelyn Geerdes was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles on Thursday but ran a 1:09.26 time to earn an at-large bid for state.

State Qualifiers

100-meter dash	Ava Heeren
400-meter dash	Maddy Hendershot
800-meter run	Grace Storjohann
400-meter hurdles	Evelyn Geerdes
High jump	Allison Koch
4×100 relay	Jocelyn Freed Maddy Hendershot Allison Koch Ava Heeren
4×400 relay	Grace Storjohann Raelyn Steinmeyer Karlee Lynch Maddy Hendershot
Sprint medley	Ava Heeren Karlee Lynch Grace Storjohann Maddy Hendershot
Distance medley	Riah Schrage Allison Koch Karlee Lynch Grace Storjohann

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