Noe challenges meet, state all-time marks in 3,000 meters on her way to lifetime-best 9:28.89 performance for No. 3 in Iowa, with Noring producing personal-best 18-10 to repeat in long jump; Kessel, Kieler, Lauman and Morton also victorious

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Ava Kitzi

DES MOINES, Iowa – Following the longest, and most successful, cross country and indoor track seasons of her career that both culminated with All-America honors, Paityn Noe knew she needed to remain patient early in the spring, being efficient in her racing opportunities in advance of the 113th Drake Relays.

But when the Ballard Community High senior and Arkansas commit returned Thursday to Jim Duncan Track at Drake Stadium, she looked to be in postseason form once again, repeating as champion in the girls 3,000 meters by running a lifetime-best 9 minutes, 28.89 seconds.

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Noe, who became the third female athlete in Iowa prep history to eclipse the 9:30 barrier, became the first back-to-back winner since Stephanie Jenks of Linn-Mar secured three consecutive victories from 2013-15.

Addison Dorenkamp of West Des Moines Valley remained at No. 5 all-time in the state by clocking a personal-best 9:36.98.

Noe prevailed last year against Dorenkamp by a 9:53.31 to 9:56.91 margin.

Isabelle Noring of Carlisle High joined Noe as a repeat champion, overcoming two fouls in the long jump, before producing a lifetime-best 18-10 (5.74m) in the third round to become the first back-to-back winner in the event since Darby Thomas of Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln achieved a three-peat from 2017-19.

Noring became the first Carlisle female competitor to capture multiple Drake Relays titles in any field event. Ainsley Erzen won back-to-back 800 championships for Carlisle in 2021-22.

Reese Brownlee from Clear Lake moved into second in the final round with a wind-legal 18-3.25 (5.57m) effort.

Following a heartbreaking setback in a jumpoff last year against Jack Noble of North Polk, Jacob Kieler of Cedar Falls triumphed with a first-attempt clearance at a personal-best 6-10 (2.08m) to outlast T.J. Jackson of Linn-Mar and Cain Brown from Mid-Prairie Wellman, both clearing 6-9 (2.05m).

Kieler, the first Cedar Falls male athlete to win the high jump at Drake Relays since 1947, needed three tries to clear 6-3 (1.91m) and multiple attempts to successfully make 6-5 (1.96m), 6-7 (2.00m) and 6-9.

But after Noble prevailed last year in the jumpoff after both athletes cleared 6-9, Kieler made sure to seize his opportunity to avoid another tiebreaker Thursday.

Chase Lauman of Pella ascended into the top 15 in Iowa prep history in the boys 3,200, making a decisive move in the final 150 meters to hold off Gabe Nash of Sioux City North by a 9:06.71 to 9:07.94 margin.

Lauman became the first Pella male athlete to secure a 3,200 crown at Drake Relays.

Spencer Kessel made history for Louisa-Muscatine, capturing the program’s first boys championship in any event at the meet, producing a sixth-round effort of 62-3.50 (18.99m) to cap a series that featured four marks over 60 feet.

Charlee Morton, a sophomore at Hampton-Dumont-CAL, added 13 feet to her lifetime best in the discus throw with an opening-round performance of 146-3 (44.59m) to prevail in her Drake Relays debut.

Morton had five throws beyond her previous-best 133 feet, which she achieved Monday, to become the first Hampton-Dumont-CAL female competitor to win a Drake Relays title in any event since Sarah (Harms) Schmitz secured the shot put crown in 2004.

Reese Goodlet, a junior at Pleasant Valley, achieved a first-round throw of 142-9 (43.51m) to place second. Kennedy Axmear, the defending champion from English Valleys, finished fifth at 133-3 (40.61m).