Several athletes from Van Buren County and Pekin have emerged as state leaders in Class 1A after just one week of the outdoor track and field season, according to statewide rankings released Monday, April 6th from IATrack & Field’s Facebook social media page.
Leading the way is Van Buren County’s senior Lincoln Bainbridge, who holds the top spot in three individual events statewide. Bainbridge opened the outdoor season at the Columbus Early Bird Invitational on March 23rd and immediately made a statement, posting a state-leading 22.10 in the 200-meter dash and a state-leading 49.10 in the 400-meter dash. He then added a state-leading 1:58.62 in the 800-meter run at the Pekin Ruritan Relays on March 30th—a remarkable start to the outdoor season that places him among the state’s most versatile sprinters.
Pekin senior Anna Hadley is making her presence known in the throwing events as usual, ranking first in the state in the girls shot put with a throw of 43-08.50, posted at Central College on March 19th, and second in the discus at 124-05, thrown at the Iowa/Missouri Battle of the Border at Davis County on March 26th. Hadley has been one of the most decorated throwers in Class 1A in recent years, having won the state discus title in 2023, the state shot put title in 2024, and the state discus title again with a new record in 2025. Now in her final season, she is once again positioned at or near the top of both events and will be looking to add to her state title collection before her career is done.
Fellow Pekin senior Chloe Glosser sits atop the state leaderboard in the girls 3,000-meter run with a time of 10:00.64 from the IATC Championships at Iowa State University on March 12th. Glosser has been a consistent presence at the top of the distance rankings and is aiming to break through in what is her final season of high school competition before heading to Drake.
In the relay events, Van Buren County’s sprint medley relay team of Jace Duncan, Aiden Cooper, Jeran Troxel, and Lincoln Bainbridge ranks second in the state with a time of 1:36.04, posted at the Albia Early Bird Invitational on March 26th. Pekin’s sprint medley team of Alijah Brock, Aliyas Brock, Riley Smith, and Nolan Glick sits fourth with a 1:36.78, from the Iowa/Missouri Battle of the Border at Davis County on the same date.
Pekin also ranks second in the state in the boys 4×200-meter relay, with Aliyas Brock, Alijah Brock, Riley Smith, and Nolan Glick posting a time of 1:32.11 at the Pekin Ruritan Relays on March 30th. Van Buren County’s 4×400-meter relay team of Kayden Simmons, Jackson Meek, Gavin Noll, and Lincoln Bainbridge ranks fourth in the state with a time of 3:30.62, also from the Pekin Ruritan Relays.
Photo courtesy of the Van Buren County social media pages.
