Van Buren County and Pekin competed in two recent meets together, traveling to Cardinal for the Bob Gerard Memorial Relays on Friday before the Warriors returned home for the Gary Loeffler Relays on Monday — a senior night meet that was cut short by lightning, continuing a streak of weather-related bad luck for Van Buren County home meets this season.
Bob Gerard Memorial Relays at Cardinal — Friday, May 1st
A note on the results from the Bob Gerard Memorial Relays: there were discrepancies with the timing system at Cardinal, so placements are reported without times.
Team Standings
Mount Pleasant won the girls team title with 163 points, followed by Van Buren County with 116, Pekin with 103, Davis County with 71, Centerville with 65, Cardinal with 46, Moravia with 21, and Moulton-Udell with 2.
Mount Pleasant won the boys team title with 157 points, followed by Van Buren County with 119.5, Cardinal with 107, Pekin with 70, Davis County with 55.5, Centerville with 41, Moravia with 31, and Moulton-Udell with 4.
Van Buren County Girls — Bob Gerard Memorial Relays
Van Buren County placed second in the girls team standings with 116 points, turning in a competitive performance across multiple event categories.
Van Buren County claimed event wins in the sprint medley — with the team of Emma Coffin, Aida Troutman, Daphny Wells, and Ava Loeffler — and the 4×800 relay with Adalyn Snowgren, Rylee Philips, Gabby Titus, and Rory Philips. Aubrey Loeffler won the 400-meter hurdles outright.
Emma Coffin ran to a fourth-place finish in the 100-meter dash behind winner Kirra Whisler of Centerville, with Willow Worley eighth and Grace Richards 12th. Daphny Wells was third in the 200-meter dash behind winner Kynlee White of Mount Pleasant, with Worley seventh and Richards 15th. Adalyn Snowgren finished third in the 400-meter dash behind winner Alaina Arnevik of Centerville, with Gabby Titus fifth.
Kayley Snowgren ran to a third-place finish in the 800-meter run behind winner Chloe Glosser of Pekin, with Titus fourth. Rory Philips was second in the 1,500-meter run and Rylee Philips third, behind winner Quintrie Lee of Mount Pleasant. Kayley Snowgren was runner-up in the 3,000-meter run behind winner Avery Fedler of Mount Pleasant.
Armoney Adams came in ninth in the 100-meter hurdles behind winner Delaney Anderson of Mount Pleasant.
The 4×100 team of Emma Coffin, Aida Troutman, Daphny Wells, and Ava Loeffler was runner-up behind Mount Pleasant, as was the 4×200 group of Emma Coffin, Aida Troutman, Aubrey Loeffler, and Ali Pedretti. The distance medley team of Ava Loeffler, Daphny Wells, Rory Philips, and Kayley Snowgren finished second behind winner Pekin. The 4×400 squad of Kayley Snowgren, Rylee Philips, Rory Philips, and Ali Pedretti was fourth behind winner Davis County, and the shuttle hurdle relay team of Ali Pedretti, Aubrey Loeffler, Willow Worley, and Armoney Adams came in fourth behind winner Mount Pleasant.
Adalyn Snowgren was seventh in the high jump behind winner Paislee Coleman of Pekin. Aida Troutman was fourth in the long jump behind winner Izzy Sloat of Mount Pleasant, with Ali Pedretti 10th. Briley Losey was seventh in the shot put behind winner Anna Hadley of Pekin, with Alex Shields ninth. Elli Daugherty was seventh in the discus behind winner Hadley, with Losey ninth.
Head coach Lucinda DeHart said the team is still working toward its peak. “We ran well but are still looking to perfect some things for the conference and state qualifying meets,” DeHart said.
Pekin Girls — Bob Gerard Memorial Relays
Pekin finished third in the girls team standings with 103 points, with Anna Hadley and Paislee Coleman again leading the way individually.
Hadley swept the throwing events, winning both the shot put and the discus. Coleman claimed the high jump title and the 100-meter hurdles. Chloe Glosser won the 800-meter run, and Pekin also captured the distance medley title with the team of Brin Lauderman, Addison Smith, Maddy Petrehn, and Chloe Glosser.
Autumn Coleman was 11th in the 100-meter dash behind winner Kirra Whisler of Centerville, with Ryleigh Garr 19th. Zoe Heisdorffer was fourth in the 200-meter dash behind winner Kynlee White of Mount Pleasant, with Garr 20th. Heisdorffer also came in sixth in the 400-meter dash behind winner Alaina Arnevik of Centerville, with Zoey Atkinson ninth. Harper Guise finished sixth in the 800-meter run behind winner Glosser.
Emerson Porter was sixth in the 1,500-meter run behind winner Quintrie Lee of Mount Pleasant, with Callie Deutschle seventh. Haven Hensley came in fourth in the 3,000-meter run behind winner Avery Fedler of Mount Pleasant.
Carlie Gambell was fifth in the 100-meter hurdles behind winner Delaney Anderson of Mount Pleasant, with Coleman second. The shuttle hurdle relay team of Abby Guise, Carlie Gambell, Reece Brisby, and Paislee Coleman was runner-up behind winner Mount Pleasant. Abby Guise was fourth in the 400-meter hurdles.
The 4×100 team of Brin Lauderman, Addison Smith, Breanna Drish, and Paislee Coleman came in seventh. The 4×200 group of Reece Brisby, Fynlie Brooks, Breanna Drish, and Mya Glick was fourth. The 4×400 squad of Maddy Petrehn, Chloe Glosser, Emerson Porter, and Mya Glick finished fifth. The 4×800 unit of Emerson Porter, Callie Deutschle, Ashlynn Adrian, and Zoe Heisdorffer was third. The sprint medley team of Breanna Drish, Addison Smith, Reece Brisby, and Maddy Petrehn finished fifth.
Brin Lauderman was fifth in the high jump behind winner Coleman. Taylor Moore was third in the discus behind winner Hadley, with Kendra Schultz sixth in the shot put. Mya Glick was seventh in the long jump behind winner Izzy Sloat of Mount Pleasant, with Fynlie Brooks 10th.
Van Buren County Boys — Bob Gerard Memorial Relays
Van Buren County placed second in the boys team standings with 119.5 points behind Mount Pleasant, with several strong individual and relay performances throughout the evening.
Kayden Simmons won the 100-meter dash. Jace Duncan claimed the 400-meter hurdles with Kayden Simmons right behind him in second, giving Van Buren County a one-two finish in the event. Van Buren County also won the sprint medley with the team of Aiden Cooper, Jaren Troxel, Jace Duncan, and Kayden Simmons, and captured the 4×800 relay with Gavin Noll, Thomas Roberts, Landry Loeffler, and Lincoln Bainbridge.
Jaren Troxel was fifth in the 200-meter dash behind winner Griffen Jones of Mount Pleasant, with Lyrick Krouse 17th and Braxton Headley 21st. Aiden Cooper ran to a third-place finish in the 400-meter dash behind winner James Drummond of Davis County, with Andy Durflinger 10th.
Thomas Roberts was fourth in the 800-meter run behind winner Tayten George of Mount Pleasant, with Kayden Farris seventh. Landry Loeffler was runner-up in the 1,600-meter run behind winner Silas Hulett of Mount Pleasant, with Sawyer Spiker eighth. Cole Millikin of Pekin claimed the 3,200-meter run, with Kayden Farris second and Spiker third for Van Buren County.
Parker Boley was sixth in the 110-meter hurdles behind winner Kayden Rice of Centerville, with Marion Yoder 10th. The shuttle hurdle relay team of Parker Boley, Jaydan Pilcher, Marion Yoder, and Jayce Simmons was runner-up behind winner Cardinal.
The 4×200 squad of Jace Duncan, Jaren Troxel, Kayden Simmons, and Lincoln Bainbridge was runner-up behind Pekin, as was the 4×400 team of Lincoln Bainbridge, Jackson Meek, Aiden Cooper, and Jaren Troxel. The distance medley group of Jayce Simmons, Carver Goehring, Gavin Noll, and Jackson Meek was fourth behind winner Mount Pleasant. The 4×100 relay was disqualified.
Lincoln Bainbridge was fourth in the high jump behind winner Brady Johnson of Cardinal. Joni Yoder was ninth in the long jump and Carver Goehring 12th, behind winner Hoang Quang of Mount Pleasant. Kaden Miller was fifth in the shot put behind winner Blake Lamansky of Cardinal, with Ryder Simmons ninth and Cooper Philp 19th. Jackson Meek was fifth in the discus behind Lamansky, with Ryder Simmons seventh, Miller 16th, and Philp 17th.
Head coach Mike Bainbridge said the meet was more about exploration than results. “Overall, I thought the guys had a solid showing. Our focus at this meet was to explore different lineup options and give athletes opportunities in a variety of events as we continue working to put our best team together heading into the end of the season. There are still some areas we need to tighten up, but that’s all part of the process as we prepare for conference and district competition,” Bainbridge said.
Pekin Boys — Bob Gerard Memorial Relays
Pekin finished fourth in the boys team standings with 70 points, picking up wins in three relay events on the evening.
The 4×100 team of Aliyas Brock, Alijah Brock, Riley Smith, and Nolan Glick claimed the top spot, and the same foursome returned to win the 4×200. The 4×400 squad of Riley Smith, Nolan Glick, Mason Dahlstrom, and Lane Fariss also captured first. Cole Millikin won the 3,200-meter run and was fourth in the 1,600-meter run behind winner Silas Hulett of Mount Pleasant.
Henry Eubanks was sixth in the 100-meter dash behind winner Kayden Simmons of Van Buren County, with Asaa McCabe seventh. McCabe was seventh in the 200-meter dash behind winner Griffen Jones of Mount Pleasant, with Jaxon Mefford 11th. William Daniels was seventh in the 400-meter dash with Brody Sobaski 12th. Garett Greiner was ninth in the 800-meter run and William Daniels 12th.
Jaxon Mefford was 10th in the 110-meter hurdles behind winner Kayden Rice of Centerville, with Ethan Porter 11th. Cael Silvers was fifth in the 400-meter hurdles with Mefford seventh.
The 4×800 unit of Mason Dahlstrom, Cody Silvers, Brody Sobaski, and Lane Fariss was runner-up behind Van Buren County. The distance medley team of Asaa McCabe, Clayton Harvey, Cael Silvers, and Landon Fariss was runner-up behind winner Mount Pleasant. The sprint medley group of Aliyas Brock, Riley Smith, Alijah Brock, and Nolan Glick was sixth. The shuttle hurdle relay team of Ryann Hammes, Ethan Porter, Keegan Dickey, and Jaxon Mefford was fourth behind winner Cardinal.
Colton Harvey was seventh in the high jump behind winner Brady Johnson of Cardinal. Henry Adam was sixth in the long jump behind winner Hoang Quang of Mount Pleasant. Johnathan Delaney was sixth in the shot put behind winner Blake Lamansky of Cardinal, with Brantyn Sieren 12th. Cowen Weaver was 13th in the discus behind winner Lamansky, with Johnathan Delaney 20th.
Head coach Davis Eidahl said the meet was primarily a developmental opportunity. “We used mostly JV and cut our runners down to two or three events. We let Cole run the two mile and run the 4×8 the next event. Our 4×1 and 4×4 runners ran back to back — wanted to see if they could run that in our conference. Good meet for those who never ran varsity. Team score not important now before district,” Eidahl said.
Gary Loeffler Relays at Van Buren County — Monday, May 4th
Van Buren County’s senior night did not go as planned. The Gary Loeffler Relays were cut short Monday evening when lightning forced officials to halt competition with the girls meet through 10 events and the boys through just nine — the latest in a string of weather-related misfortunes for Van Buren County home meets this season. Despite the shortened evening, the meet featured a spirited competition between Van Buren County and Pekin that essentially served as a dual meet between the two programs, with Woodward Academy — a school located northwest of Des Moines, making the long trip to compete on the boys side as well.
Girls Team Standings (through 10 events)
Pekin led with 114 points, followed by Van Buren County with 108.
Boys Team Standings (through 9 events)
Pekin led with 88 points, followed by Van Buren County with 87, Woodward Academy with 40, and Davis County with 10 — the latter having brought only their throwers to the meet.
Van Buren County Girls — Gary Loeffler Relays
Van Buren County trailed Pekin by just six points in the shortened girls meet, with several strong individual performances before lightning ended the evening.
Van Buren County swept the top three spots in the 100-meter dash, with Emma Coffin winning in 13.76, Willow Worley second in 15.20, and Grace Richards third in 15.32. Gabby Titus captured the 3,000-meter run in 13:59.01.
Van Buren County won the sprint medley with the team of Ali Pedretti, Emma Coffin, Aida Troutman, and Ava Loeffler in 1:57.14, and the distance medley with Ali Pedretti, Daphny Wells, Rory Philips, and Rylee Philips in 4:55.90. The shuttle hurdle relay team of Ali Pedretti, Aubrey Loeffler, Willow Worley, and Armoney Adams was second in 1:22.62 behind winner Pekin.
Aubrey Loeffler cleared 4-10 in the high jump to finish second, with Adalyn Snowgren fourth at 4-06. Aida Troutman won the long jump at 14-07.50. In the shot put, Briley Losey was third at 29-10.50, Alex Shields fourth at 29-06, Elli Daugherty sixth at 28-08, Lizzie Camp seventh at 26-02, and Willow Worley ninth at 21-07.50, all behind winner Anna Hadley of Pekin at 40-07.50. In the discus, Elli Daugherty was fourth at 80-07, Lizzie Camp fifth at 79-00, Briley Losey sixth at 77-06, Sophia Scharf seventh at 75-10, Alex Shields eighth at 74-02.50, and Willow Worley 10th at 60-01.25, all behind winner Hadley at 135-02.
Head coach Lucinda DeHart said the team took advantage of the shortened meet in more ways than one. “We were pleased with how the girls competed in the events we were able to complete. We had some good performances and had a few PRs, which is always encouraging at this point in the season,” she said. DeHart also noted the meet served a strategic purpose. “We also used the opportunity to switch up a few of our relays as we continue working to fine-tune our lineup heading into conference and the state qualifying meet. Overall, it was a good meet for us, and we are continuing to focus on improving and putting our athletes in the best positions to succeed.”
Pekin Girls — Gary Loeffler Relays
Pekin led Van Buren County by six points when the meet was called, with Anna Hadley dominating the throwing events and the relay squads picking up key points throughout the evening.
Hadley won the shot put at 40-07.50 and the discus at 135-02. Haven Hensley was second in the 3,000-meter run in 17:32.47. Ryleigh Garr was fourth in the 100-meter dash in 17.44, with Taylor Moore disqualified.
Pekin’s shuttle hurdle relay team of Abby Guise, Carlie Gambell, Reece Brisby, and Paislee Coleman won in 1:14.26. The A sprint medley team of Breanna Drish, Fynlie Brooks, Mya Glick, and Maddy Petrehn was second in 2:07.04, with the B team of Autumn Coleman, Ryleigh Garr, Aleigha Sieren, and Zoe Heisdorffer third in 2:28.87. The distance medley squad of Brin Lauderman, Breanna Drish, Fynlie Brooks, and Callie Deutschle was second in 5:16.62 behind Van Buren County.
Brin Lauderman won the high jump clearing 4-10, with Reece Brisby third also at 4-10. Mya Glick was second in the long jump at 14-00, with Fynlie Brooks third at 13-11 and Autumn Coleman fourth at 12-06. In the shot put, Kendra Schultz was second at 30-09.50, Taylor Moore fifth at 28-09.50, and Rylee Frye eighth at 25-06.50. In the discus, Taylor Moore was second at 100-06.50, Kendra Schultz third at 86-05.50, and Rylee Frye ninth at 74-00.
Van Buren County Boys — Gary Loeffler Relays
Van Buren County trailed Pekin by just one point in the boys standings when lightning ended the meet, with Kayden Simmons winning the high jump and several other Warriors turning in strong performances across the shortened program.
Kayden Simmons won the high jump clearing 6-00. Landry Loeffler won the 3,200-meter run in 10:47.00 with Sawyer Spiker in second in 12:19.00.
Aiden Cooper was third in the 100-meter dash in 12.56, with Lyrick Krouse seventh in 13.41, Kaden Miller ninth in 14.63, and Braxton Headley 10th in 17.74.
Van Buren County won the sprint medley with the A team of Jace Duncan, Jaren Troxel, Lincoln Bainbridge, and Gavin Noll in 1:40.26, with the B team of Joni Yoder, Jaydan Pilcher, Lyrick Krouse, and Andy Durflinger fourth in 1:57.36. The shuttle hurdle relay team of Parker Boley, Jaydan Pilcher, Marion Yoder, and Jayce Simmons won in 1:11.52. The 4×800 team of Thomas Roberts, Jackson Meek, Kayden Farris, and Carver Goehring was second in 9:15.15 behind winner Pekin.
Jackson Meek won the discus at 110-09.25, with Ryder Simmons 11th at 70-07 and Cooper Philp 13th at 57-03.50. Kaden Miller was third in the shot put at 38-00.50, with Ryder Simmons fourth at 36-01.50, Jaydan Pilcher 10th at 29-08.50, and Cooper Philp 13th at 28-04.50. Joni Yoder was fourth in the long jump at 15-11.
Head coach Mike Bainbridge set aside the competitive aspect of the evening to reflect on the seniors who were recognized before competition. “Mother nature did not want us to have a home meet this year. Both the boys and girls meets got cancelled due to weather earlier this season and we only made it about halfway through this one. Not a lot to say about the meet tonight. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t get it all in and give the seniors one last chance to shine on their home track. I think they all got to run at least one time before we had to stop, so that’s good. I’m so proud of that group and what they’ve accomplished over the years and the tremendous growth I’ve seen from them. Just a great group of young men and I’m thankful for the time I’ve had with them,” Bainbridge said.
Pekin Boys — Gary Loeffler Relays
Pekin led Van Buren County by a single point when the meet was halted, with the sprint relay unit delivering a 4×800 win and several younger athletes getting valuable competitive experience on the evening.
Henry Eubanks was second in the 100-meter dash in 12.46, with Asaa McCabe fifth in 12.64 and Gabe Hentry eighth in 14.31.
The A 4×800 team of Alijah Brock, Nolan Glick, Aliyas Brock, and Riley Smith won in 9:00.98. The B team of William Daniels, Colton Harvey, Garett Greiner, and Landon Fariss was third in 10:33.46. The A sprint medley team of Cole Millikin, Henry Adam, Henry Eubanks, and Cody Silvers was third in 1:43.26, with the B team of Pierce Coleman, Hunter Chapman, Asaa McCabe, and Garett Greiner fifth in 1:59.49. The shuttle hurdle relay team of Jaxon Mefford, Keegan Dickey, Cael Silvers, and Ethan Porter was second in 1:18.40.
Brantyn Sieren won the shot put at 40-11.00, with Cal Miller second at 38-03, Johnathan Delaney fifth at 33-05, Dominic Cobler 11th at 29-07, Cowen Weaver 12th at 29-03, and Kieran Adrian 15th at 24-11. Cal Miller was second in the discus at 107-06.50, with Johnathan Delaney fourth at 100-01, Brantyn Sieren seventh at 85-01.75, Cowen Weaver ninth at 82-04, Kieran Adrian 10th at 81-01.25, and Maksim Peiffer 12th at 61-02.25. Jaxon Mefford won the long jump at 17-03.75, with Henry Adam third at 17-01. Brody Sobaski was second in the high jump clearing 5-10.
Head coach Davis Eidahl reflected fondly on the unusual evening. “Just like in the old days — brought back many old memories when I ran. Meet cancelled after the 400. We flip-flopped our relays to have some fun. Our sprinters ran and won the 4×8. Our distance runners were set to run the sprints but the meet was cancelled. It was fun while it lasted. Need meets where kids can go out and have fun,” Eidahl said.
