DCG relay team shatters record at Drake, boys soccer eyes conference title

Dallas Center-Grimes got the attention of the entire state in a couple of ways this week. (Note: Events covered April 23-29)

Girls Track

Breaking two school records, DCG put on a showcase at the Drake Relays on April 25-27.

Coming into the Relays, the 4x800 meter relay team had previously run a time of 9 minutes 36.57 seconds. That was mere seconds away from the school record. They left Des Moines with a place in the history books, clocking a time of 9:14.68 for second place for the day and the 11th best time in the history of Iowa high school track. That was 21 seconds faster than the previous school record, made possible by the efforts of Maddy Stevens, Piper Messerly, Tess Meggison and Maddie Schmitz.

And on her own, the freshman Messerly made history as well with a 1,500-meter time of 4:41.36 to break a 13-year-old record and placed eighth overall for the day. She placed 19th in the 3,000-meter run.

Adding to the storybook showcase, the Oak View Middle School distance medley team of Madden Seeman, Sydnee Keller, Paisley Heidgerken and Leighton Stanford ran a 4:24.65 and won their second-straight title. That would have been a top-20 time at the Class 4A state meet last year.

Boys Track

Like the girls team, the Drake Relays seemed to bring the best out of the Mustang boys.

Breaking the school record by nine seconds (an average over one-second faster per lap), the crew of  AJ Angus, Sam Watkins, Sam Mora and Jack Meggison placed sixth in the 4x800 meter relay with a time of 7:54.63. In similar fashion, the 4x400 team with Angus, Meggison, John Kitenge and Jimmy Seeman rocketed from their seeded 23rd slot to 14th place with a time of 3:25.74.

One of the links between those two performances, AJ Angus was also a star on his own as he ran the second-fastest 800-meter run in school history. His time of 1:55.95 placed ninth overall. Elias Arbuckle holds similar recognition after a time of 4:15.69 placed him second in the school record book and 11th at Drake.

Also making a climb, Eli Rupp threw his best-ever discus at 166-foot-11. That took him from his 21st slotted entry rank to 10th place at the end of the day.

Girls Soccer (6-3)

With some untimely storms, the two-day meet in Dallas Center turned into only Saturday games where DCG only squared off with two-time state championship opponent, top-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock (8-0). A rockfight for all of regulation and two overtime periods, the edge went to the Go-Hawks after penalty kicks for a 1-0 win.

Monday did relent, as the Mustangs fell 1-0 to Norwalk (9-4), once again after penalty kicks. DCG is still slotted third in the latest rankings.

Boys Soccer (10-3)

The fourth-ranked Mustangs control their own destiny to a conference title after defeating Norwalk (6-8) on Monday with a 1-0 score, with Nathan Scholl making the lone goal in overtime off a Tate McDermott assist.

Undefeated in the Little Hawkeye, all that stands between DCG and full ownership of the league crown is a trip to Newton on May 7.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: DCG relay team shatters record at Drake, boys soccer eyes conference title