Two Years After Tearing ACL, Valley West Des Moines IA Senior Runs State Record 13.82 To Claim Back-To-Back Drake Relays Titles; Quentin Nauman's Lethal Kick Carries To Another Comeback Win

By Keenan Gray of DyeStat

Caroline Larson and Lil Dozier photos

RACE VIDEOS | INTERVIEWS

DES MOINES, Iowa – Emma Havighurst has been at the lowest of lows as an athlete; now she’s reached the highest of highs.

Two years after tearing her ACL, the Valley West Des Moines standout has now run faster than any other Iowa prep in the girls 100-meter hurdles, running 13.82 seconds to break the all-time state record on day three of the 115th Drake Relays.

Havighurst’s time eclipsed Alex Gochenour’s best of 13.90 set back in 2010. Gochenour went onto be a multiple-time All-American for the University of Arkansas in both the heptathlon and pentathlon.

“It was an overwhelming time,” Havighurst said. “I didn’t know whether to cheer or cry or run around some more. I was looking for people, I was on the ground and couldn’t see a lot, it was just overwhelming, but it was a happy moment.”

Havighurst, Gochenour and Ellie Rickertsen are the only Iowa prep athletes to break 14 seconds in state history in the 100 hurdles.

It marks the second time Havighurst’s won a Drake Relays title, dating back to last season when she returned to health and won the final in 14.67. From there, she completed an undefeated junior season, winning a state title in the event.

This year, now competing 100 percent healthy, she knew she had unfinished business to take care of.

“I have been fully healthy this year,” Havighurst said. “It’s been such a blessing. I’m so grateful that I have amazing athletic trainers at Valley and the people who support me through everything that I’m going through. It’s just amazing to have people around you like that.”

When Havighurst won last year’s Drake Relays title in 14.67, she ran the same exact time in the preliminary round. This year, the same exact scenario.

In prelims, Havighurst ran 13.82, but was wind-aided (+2.2). In finals, it was done legally (+1.4).

“I knew I definitely had goals to do it all season,” Havighurst said. “I knew at the end of last season; I was going for that. I didn’t think I would smash it today. Today was crazy.”

Outside of Havighurst with the performance of the weekend so far, no other competitor in the meet has been heading into an upward trajectory like Quentin Nauman has been.

The Epworth Western Dubuque IA junior continued his hot trend with another come-from-behind effort to claim a second Drake Relays title, winning the boys 800 in 1:51.76 to tie the meet record.

Nauman sat in fourth over the first lap, opening up in 57.81. At the bell lap, he surged past the field, going right to lead to out kick the field in another strong close of 53.95. He closed his last lap of the 3,200 in 55.75.

"I kind of just did the same strategy that always helped me win it, which is just sit and kick," Nauman said. "I knew all those guys had great kicks. Once I made that pass, I just had to grit through it because I could feel it in my legs that two mile."

The girls 400 saw all 16 competitors go under 60 seconds, led by Reese Brownlee of Clear Lake IA winning in a personal best 55.45 over Kadence Huck of Nashua-Plainfield IA. Brownlee won the girls long jump title on Thursday, bringing her Drake Relays win total to two.

Huck later returned for the afternoon session of the meet to race the girls 800, winning in 2:10.51.

Jashua Anglo of Johnston IA and Nathan Miller of Center Point-Urbana IA were separated by two thousandths of a second in the deciding moments of the boys 400, with Anglo gaining the advantage in 48.84.

Kelly Grobstich of Assumption Davenport IA used a very strong tailwind to take the girls 100 final in 11.82 (+7.8).

Luke Nevitt of Dowling Catholic IA also took advantage of a tailwind in the boys 100 final, winning in 10.57 (+3.1).

Brady Wallace of Treynor won the boys 110 hurdle final in 13.80 (+2.9).

Dowling Catholic IA highlighted the relay portion of the meet, breaking the boys 1,600-meter sprint medley meet record in 3:25.35 while holding off the rest of the field by almost four seconds. Cedar Rapids Prairie ran 2;25.94 at the 2016 meet. 

Pella Christian IA fended off Clear Lake IA in the girls sprint medley relay in a margin of 1:46.36 to 1:46.88.

Waukee Northwest IA defended the girls 4x200 relay title, running 1:40.97.

Ankeny Centennial IA pulled away from Newton IA in the closing stages of the boys 4x200 relay, winning in a meet record 1:26.55.

Landon Prince of Clear Creek-Amana IA won his second Drake Relays title of the meet, throwing the discus 185-0.25 to go with his Thursday performance in the boys shot put when he threw 61-10.75.

Charlee Morton came through in the sixth round of the girls shot put with a clutch throw of 46-9.25 to earn her third consecutive Drake Relays title.

London Warmuth of ADM Adel IA had a clean sheet in the girls high jump, clearing her first four heights on each of her first attempts to win at 5-7.