It was a weekend unlike any other for Southeast Iowa track and field. Among the five schools covered across Jefferson, Van Buren, and Keokuk Counties — Fairfield, Pekin, Van Buren County, Sigourney, and Keota — athletes combined for seven state championships at the Iowa State Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Four came from Van Buren County, three from Pekin. It was nothing short of historic.
Van Buren County — Four State Championships
Van Buren County saved its best for last. Lincoln Bainbridge, already a two-time state champion entering Saturday, went out and made it four for four.
Bainbridge opened the day by winning the 800 meter run in 1:53.76, claiming his third individual state championship of the weekend and third of his career. Then, in the final relay event of the entire state meet, he delivered the moment that will define the Warriors’ season.
The 4×400 relay team of Kayden Simmons, Jaren Troxel, Jace Duncan, and Lincoln Bainbridge had finished fifth in Friday’s prelims but left no doubt in the final, crossing in a season best 3:22.50 to win the state championship. When Bainbridge received the baton, Van Buren County was in fourth place. What happened next was one of the defining moments of the entire state meet — Bainbridge found another gear on the blue oval, bringing the Warriors from fourth to first and claiming the second relay championship in school history in back-to-back days, following Friday’s distance medley title.
Going into the anchor leg in fourth and coming out in first. That was Lincoln Bainbridge’s final act in a Van Buren County uniform. He finished the state meet four-for-four in events entered, with four state championships — the 400, the 800, the distance medley, and the 4×400. No losses. No silver medals. Just four trips to the top of the podium in three days, two individual and two relay.
While Bainbridge’s individual brilliance rightfully headlines the weekend, Kayden Simmons, Jaren Troxel, and Jace Duncan deserve equal recognition for their roles in both relay championships. The three Warriors ran legs in both the distance medley on Friday and the 4×400 on Saturday, earning two state championships of their own and leaving their mark on Van Buren County track and field history as members of the first two relay teams to ever win state titles for the program.
The Van Buren County boys finished second in the Class 1A team standings with 43 points, trailing Riverside Oakland’s 51 — and they did it with just five athletes competing in events. The program’s four championships represent a historic achievement for a small school that came to Drake Stadium and competed with anyone in the state.
Head coach Mike Bainbridge said the performance his team turned in over three days at Drake Stadium exceeded even his own expectations heading into the weekend.
“Going up there we knew we had a shot at bringing home a trophy, but to go up there and execute the way the boys did is impressive,” Bainbridge said. “Drake Stadium is a big stage and I’ve seen many kids struggle under the pressure. These guys stepped up and had a weekend for the history books.”
Bainbridge said the outpouring of support from back home made the accomplishment all the more meaningful. “I can’t express how proud I am of this team and how thankful I am to be a part of it,” he said. “The community support was incredible and I feel like everyone from Van Buren County and all those that supported us this year played a role in this amazing, amazing accomplishment.”
He closed with a simple but telling reflection on where the program stands. “State runner-up — sounds pretty good to me.”
On the girls side, the sprint medley relay of Ali Pedretti, Emma Coffin, Aida Troutman, and Ava Loeffler finished 21st in a personal best of 1:55.07, and Rylee Philips placed 24th in the 1500 meter run in 5:29.70.
Pekin — Three State Championships
The Panthers wrapped up three state championships this weekend — two from the girls and one from the boys.
The boys sprint medley relay of Alijah Brock, Riley Smith, Aliyas Brock, and Nolan Glick delivered Pekin’s third championship of the meet and first on the boys side, winning in a season best 1:33.30 to edge Riceville’s 1:33.52 in a race that came down to the wire. It joined Anna Hadley’s shot put title and Chloe Glosser’s 3000 meter run championship from Thursday.
Glosser returned Saturday to compete in the 800 and 1500 meter runs, finishing second in both — running a personal best of 2:15.27 in the 800 behind St. Albert’s Lili Denton, and another personal best of 4:31.49 in the 1500, again behind Denton. Two more silver medals and two more personal bests to cap a remarkable state meet for the Pekin senior.
The boys 4×400 relay of Riley Smith, Alijah Brock, Lane Fariss, and Nolan Glick led for much of the race before finishing second in a season best 3:22.77. The boys 4×100 relay of Alijah Brock, Aliyas Brock, Riley Smith, and Nolan Glick finished seventh in 44.16. Cole Millikin ran the 1600 meter run, finishing in 4:46.44.
The Pekin girls finished fourth in the Class 1A team standings with 44 points, and the boys finished ninth with 28.
Fairfield
The Trojans closed out their state meet Saturday with a 15th-place finish in the boys sprint medley relay — Dayson Workman, Spencer McCready, Eli Hoffman, and Ethan Bisgard crossing in 1:34.97. Fairfield finished 19th in the Class 3A boys team standings with 12 points.
Head coach Brian Dunlap reflected on a season that ended with a strong showing from his senior class and left plenty of reason for optimism heading into next year. “Eli Zillman had a really solid state meet,” Dunlap said. “He placed in both jumps and picked up his fourth and fifth state meet medals of his career. He graduates as one of the most decorated Fairfield track athletes of all time. It was a very fitting end to a great jumping career.”
Dunlap said he was proud of the program’s overall performance at the state meet. “I was happy with our state meet performance. We scored 12 points and finished 19th in Class 3A. It was a fun season with a lot of hard working kids. Our seniors led the way on and off the track. I appreciate what they have done for this program. I’m also excited about the underclassmen we have returning next season.”
Sigourney
Troy Klett wrapped up a strong state meet with two more finals on Saturday. He finished 13th in the 1600 meter run in 4:35.96 and 21st in the 800 meter run in 2:04.32.
A Historic Weekend for Southeast Iowa
Seven state championships. Two small schools. One unforgettable weekend on the blue oval. The 2026 Iowa State Track and Field Championships produced 40 new state meet records overall, and Southeast Iowa had a hand in more than a few of them. Van Buren County’s Lincoln Bainbridge put together one of the most dominant individual state meet performances in Class 1A history, going four-for-four across three days and leaving his mark on a program he has represented with distinction throughout his entire high school career. Pekin’s Anna Hadley and Chloe Glosser closed out two of the most decorated careers the program has ever seen, and the boys sprint medley relay added a championship of their own to send the Panthers home with hardware on both sides. For schools that represent small communities across Jefferson, Van Buren, and Keokuk Counties, this was a weekend to remember for a very long time.
