The 88th Annual Oskaloosa Relays commenced on Saturday at the Lacey Recreational Complex Football Stadium, and resulted in a very fun and competitive meet.
The longest running high school track meet in the state saw the Pella boys get the team championship with 157 points, with Oskaloosa 56 points behind in second. Williamsburg finished in third, Ottumwa was in fourth, South Tama finished fifth, Newton was sixth, Centerville was seventh, and Albia finished in 8th in the Class A rankings.
Oskaloosa had a very good day overall, as they had four winners. Spencer DeJong set a new school record in the 3200 meter run with a time of 9:44.37, edging out brother Skylar by three seconds in another 1-2 finish from the twins. Skylar got the win in the 1600 with a time of 4:44.82, just ahead of Spencer by one second in another dominant race. Jack Moore set a new personal best in winning the high jump with a height of 6 feet flat. And the shuttle hurdle relay team of Max Johnson, Tucker Nunnikhoven, Austin Reed, and KiJana DeJong won that event with a time of 62.68 seconds.
On the girls’ side, Pella was again the winner in Class A, gathering 174 points. Oskaloosa finished second with 151 points. The Indians had several winners on the day. Sienna DeJong won the 3000 meter run and Asia Laudermilch won the 100 meter dash in individual events. The shuttle hurdle relay team of Maria Settimi, Jamie Holmberg, Leah VanMannen, and Josie Bunnell set a group best with a time of 1:11.38. The sprint medley relay team of Cara Roquet, Josie Bunnell, Asia Laudermilch, and Paige Howard got the win with a time of 2:01.74. The 4×100 meter relay team of Leah VanMannen, Shalandra Shilling, Brey Hill, and Asia Laudermilch set a season best at 51.92 seconds. And the 4×400 meter relay team of Taylor Richardson, Josie Bunnell, Cara Roquet, and Brey Hill got the win with a time of 4:21.11.
In the girls’ Class B standings, Pella Christian held off Sigourney by 14 points to get the crown. Ottumwa’s JV finished 3rd, Osky’s JV finished in 4th, North Mahaska was in 5th, and Pella’s JV came in 6th.
The track and field teams for Oskaloosa are back in action on Tuesday at the Don Newell Classic in Ottumwa.
