Over 1100 athletes representing 70+ Iowa high schools travelled to West High for the annual Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival April 11. The rainy Saturday co-ed meet represented one of the last chances for athletes to qualify for the prestigious Drake Relays held at the end of the month. West athletes competed in almost every event, with multiple notable results.
Boys
Soon after the meet began, West’s shuttle hurdle relay team, consisting of Waleed Ibrahim ’26, Ryder Gorsh ’26, Ely Smock ’26 and Cade Towler ’27, set a new school record with a time of 57.21 seconds. Their time was also the fifth-best time in the state all-time. The quartet had previously met the Drake Blue Standard for the relay, and improved their Drake seeding time after today’s results.
Ibrahim and Gorsh continued their successful meet by placing first and second in the 110m high hurdles, respectively. Smock and Gorsh also raced in the 400m low hurdles, with Smock finishing in third at 55.58 seconds and Gorsh placing 11th at 59.2 seconds.
West also performed well with Dara Olaleye ’27 placing third in the 800m race, 1.91 seconds off the Drake Blue Standard time of 1:54:00. Neil James ’27 and Bernoli Luvandu ’27 competed in the long jump, placing first and second respectively with jump lengths of 22-11.00 and 22-05.25. Olaleye believes the team is trying its hardest in the weeks leading up to Drake.
“We really have to put forward the best performance possible, whether that be the 4x800m relay, Distance Medley Relay, 4x100m relay or 4x200m relay,” Olaleye said. “We’re trying to win [MVC Mississippi] conference overall and compete the best we can at Drake [Relays].”
Despite the tough practices and meet cancellations, Olaleye finds the same people keep him striding forward: his coaches and teammates.
“Some days, I may not feel like running, but I’ve got to do it for the guys next to me,” Olaleye said. “We work ourselves every single day at practice; our coaches put us through the wringer. I’ve got to thank my coaches and teammates for that. It all comes down to them.”
Top five boys results
110m hurdles: 1st – Waleed Ibrahim ’26, 14.67, 2nd – Ryder Gorsh ’26, 14.75
Discus throws: 2nd – Colin Whitters ’26, 172-0.5.50
Long jump: 1st – Neil James ’27, 22-11.0, 2nd – Bernoli Luvandu ’27, 22-0.5.25
Shot put: 2nd – James Barnett ’28, 55-09.00
4x110m Shuttle Hurdle Relay: 1st – Gorsh, Ibrahim, Ely Smock ’26, Cade Towler ’27, 57.21
Girls
The girls team had a good showing in multiple relay events, including the 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay and the 4x400m relay. Myriam Rahmouni ’29, Evy Cornish ’27, Savannah Graham ’28 and Amara Maclagan ’28 led the 4x100m to a second-place finish with a time of 51.38. Later in the meet, Rahmouni, Cornish and Maclagan, alongside Savannah Mathias ’28, placed second in the 4×200 relay in 1:46:02. The 4x400m team of Sophia Austen ’27, Kate Van Waning ’26, Beatrice Ahern ’28 and Mathias won the relay, finishing in 4:06.85.
Maclagan also competed well in the long jump, with her best jump of 17-05.25 leading her to a third-place finish. Cornish placed third in the high jump with a best of 5-00.00.
Top five girls results
High jump: 3rd – Evy Cornish ’27, 5-00.00
4x100m relay: 2nd – Myriam Rahmouni ’29, Cornish, Savannah Graham ’28, Amara Maclagan ’28, 51.38
4x200m relay: 2nd – Rahmouni, Cornish, Maclagan, Savannah Mathias ’28, 1:46.02
4x400m relay: 1st – Sophia Austen ’27, Kate Van Waning ’26, Beatrice Ahern ’28, Mathias, 4:06.85
400m hurdles: 6th – Eva Willis ’26, 1:12.43
Both track teams will have one final opportunity to qualify individuals and relay teams for the Drake Relays, at the Forewald Relays April 16. The meet will be held at Iowa City High’s Raffensberger Track. After the Drake Relays, both teams will prepare for the state competition May 22-23 at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.
