Sellers sweeps girls 100 and 400, Buettner-Cable triumphs in 800 and mile, with Morton capturing discus and shot put crowns; Olson and Sama repeat as champions, along with Waukee Northwest girls 4x200; Thompson runs 100 record

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Photos by Ava Kitzi

DES MOINES, Iowa – Jaidyn Sellers had never won a title in two previous trips to the Drake Relays.

The junior sprinter from Panorama concluded Friday’s schedule at the event’s 113th edition by becoming the first female athlete in meet history to win both sprint events in the same year.

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Charlee Morton was making her debut at “America’s Athletic Classic” at Drake Stadium.

The sophomore thrower from Hampton-Dumont-CAL not only achieved a sweep of the discus throw and shot put titles, but also became the most decorated female athlete ever to perform at the prestigious competition.

And they weren’t the only ones seeing double at Jim Duncan Track.

Morton and Sellers joined 800 and mile winner Adrienne Buettner-Cable, a senior at Des Moines Roosevelt, in securing multiple victories, with Southeast Polk long jumper Abu Sama and Sheldon high jumper Maddie Olson repeating as champions, along with the Waukee Northwest girls 4x200-meter relay.

Sellers ran a lifetime-best 56.24 seconds in the 400 to hold off Sidney Swartzendruber of Cedar Rapids Kennedy in 56.87, which followed her 100-meter dash victory in 12.23 into a headwind.

Sellers became the only female competitor to win the 100 and 400 at the Drake Relays, following Tyrese Miller of Ankeny, who was the first male athlete to produce the sprint double last year.

Morton achieved a second-round mark of 43-3.50 (13.19m) to secure the shot put crown one day after winning the discus with a lifetime-best 146-3 (44.59m).

Morton held off Audi Crooks of Bishop Garrigan and her second-round effort of 42-10.75 (13.08m) to become the first female competitor since Tipton’s Jamie Kofron in 2018-19 to win both throwing events in the same year at Drake Relays.

Buettner-Cable clocked 2:10.62 to win the 800, elevating to the No. 18 all-time Iowa prep competitor, with Clare Kelly of Van Meter placing runner-up for the second year in a row with a 2:10.81 effort.

Buettner-Cable then ran 4:49.58 to prevail in the girls elite mile, edging Paityn Noe of Ballard Community in 4:49.91. Buettner-Cable ascended to the No. 2 performer in Iowa prep history, with Noe improving to No. 5.

Olson cleared 5-8 (1.73m) on her third attempt to repeat as high jump champion, following Miracle Ailes of Keokuk, who triumphed in 2019 and 2021. Olson came through with the clutch performance to avoid a potential jumpoff, as five other athletes all cleared at least 5-6 (1.68m).

Sama, the state record holder in the long jump, soared to 23-6.25 (7.17m) in the third round to become the first male competitor to achieve back-to-back Drake Relays victories since 2014-15.

T.J. Jackson of Linn-Mar was runner-up for the second day in a row with a 22-foot (6.71m) leap, following his 6-9 (2.06m) clearance in the high jump.

Despite graduating three athletes from its victorious 4x200 lineup last year, Avery Winter remained for Waukee Northwest and teamed with Ke’Ayla Madison, Katie Stahl and Aunya Van Zetten to clock 1:41.33 for the No. 10 performance in Iowa prep history.

Cedar Rapids Washington also enjoyed twice the success, with Miles Thompson and Michael Blank taking the top two spots in the boys 100-meter dash final.

Thompson, who elevated to the No. 2 wind-legal performer in state history with his meet-record 10.33 effort in the prelims, ran 10.54 into a strong headwind to secure the victory in the final, with Blank placing second in 10.73.

Although Sidney Swartzendruber and Addison Swartzendruber took second and third in the girls 400 final, the junior twins led Cedar Rapids Kennedy to the 800-meter sprint medley relay championship, teaming with Quren Hullon and Morgan Hospodarsky to triumph in 1:46.10.

Ames senior Ali Frandsen ascended to the No. 12 all-time Iowa prep competitor in the 100-meter hurdles final by clocking a wind-legal 14.33.

Grayson Hartman of Cedar Rapids Xavier followed a wind-legal 14.05 performance in the 110-meter hurdles prelims by winning the championship race with a 14.10 effort into a headwind. Hartman improved to the No. 8 athlete in Iowa prep history.

Duke Faley, a senior at Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, rallied from an early deficit to deliver a sixth-round throw of 187-5 (57.12m), securing the discus title, with Pella Christian’s Trevor Veenstra placing second at 181 feet (55.16m).

Iowa City High’s Ammon Smith completed an impressive one-year turnaround in the boys 800, winning in 1:53.42, leading four athletes under 1:54, with Pella’s Chase Lauman clocking 1:53.83, Sioux City North’s Gabe Nash running 1:53.90 and Iowa City teammate Truman Thompson finishing fourth in 1:53.95.

Ryce Reynolds, a junior at Mount Ayr, secured the 400 crown in 48.46, ahead of Elijah Morris of Washington in 48.52.

Iowa City West’s Aidan Jacobsen, Izaiah Loveless, Todd Rent and Moustafa Tiea won the boys 1,600-meter sprint medley relay in 3:26.67.

Johnston denied Iowa City West another potential victory in the 4x200 relay, with Tatum Fox, Joshua Anglo, Caden Wilson and Kaia Fox prevailing by a 1:27.29 to 1:27.41 margin.