L-S state track and field qualifiers and alternates look forward to a fun and competitive experience May 22-24: Front row, left to right, Jordan Dunsbergen, Jaiden Richards, Ethan Dunsbergen, Michael Spooner, Ashton Rozendaal, Hendrick Lowry, Matthew Mintle, Colton Alberts; middle, Brooke Harthoorn, Isabelle Vos, Breah Lowry, Tatum Huyser, Olivia Norrish, Peyton Sharp, Emma Parkinson, Mandeesa Vos, Kate Harthoorn; back, coaches Jeff Corbett and Darin Arkema, Sam Terlouw, Connor Deal, Dawson James, Jack Bowlin, Terran Gosselink, Blake Wilmesmeier, Sawyer Veldhuizen, Jace Johnson, and coaches Kevin Johnson and Leigh Hornbuckle.
Thursday’s State-qualifying track and field meet hosted by Lynnville-Sully on May 15 was one for the record books. The Hawks were among hundreds of athletes from 14 teams gathered in Sully hoping to punch their ticket to the Class 1A State Track and Field Championships. Windy and wildly successful describes the night. The girls team claimed the title of District Champs, and the Hawks had five automatic qualifiers. Friday morning, L-S learned 10 more events qualified based on the Hawks’ fantastic performances the night prior. L-S will have 20 athletes competing in eight boys events and seven girls events at State May 22-24.
Records fall, tickets punched for Hawk track and field
It was a historic night at Lynnville-Sully on Thursday, May 15. Not only was the school hosting a State-qualifying track and field meet for the first time in school history, but 20 athletes ran, threw, and jumped their way to success and will represent the Hawks in 15 events at the Class 1A State Track and Field Championships May 22-24 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
Lynnville-Sully Girls Track and Field
Claiming the District team championship, setting three school records, and qualifying seven events for State highlighted the Lynnville-Sully girls track and field team’s efforts at the State Qualifying meet on Thursday, May 15. Making the night even more special was the fact the girls won the prestigious meet and qualified for State at their home facilities.
In Class 1A, the winning athlete in each event at each of the 10 districts around the state automatically qualifies for State. The next 14 performances from across the state in each event will also qualify. The girls had three automatic qualifiers – junior Tatum Huyser in the 100m and 200m dash events and the 4x400 team of junior Kate Harthoorn, Huyser, and freshmen Isabelle Vos and Breah Lowry. The Hawks went to bed feeling pretty good about the times they finished in a few other events and knew they had a good chance of adding to their tally of State qualifiers when the complete list was announced Friday morning.
Thursday’s success was a total team effort, and the Hawks were able to make a victory lap after winning the District Champs title by scoring 106 points and outperforming BCLUW (98) and North Mahaska (81).
Huyser was a stellar standout throughout the night, automatically qualifying in three out of her four qualifying events. She started the night at the high jump mat, clearing five feet. While she placed second, she was in the top-24 to qualify on performance. In her first State-qualifying event, the 100m dash, Huyser was cooking down the track, running a season-best time and breaking her own school record in 12.36 seconds to win the event. Her next State qualification came in the 200m dash. She got out of the blocks fast at the gun and finished even faster, crossing the finish line in 25.82 to claim her second State qualification of the night. In this 200m dash performance, she broke the L-S school record that had been holding strong since 1977.
The Hawks’ final State qualification came in the final event of the night – the 4x400 relay. Lynnville-Sully’s 4x400 quartet of I. Vos, K. Harthoorn, B. Lowry, and Huyser were in charge from the start and broke the school record with a time of 4:12.39 to punch their ticket to State.
The girls learned Friday morning they would represent L-S in three more events at State. Freshman Mandeesa Vos ran a time of 11:45.28 in the 3,000m run, placing third overall in the District and in the top-24 times in Class 1A to advance to State.
The 4x800 squad of K. Harthoorn, sophomores Emma Parkinson and Peyton Sharp, and senior Olivia Norrish squared up with a tough BCLUW team. The Hawks battled hard and ran a time of 10:21.48 to take the runner-up spot. Their performance was solid and in the top-24 of the state to advance.
I. Vos had her best performance in the long jump this season at the District Meet, leaping 15’8.25”. This placed her third in the District and was good enough to compete at the State Meet amongst Class 1A long jumpers.
Although they fell short of making it to State, several Hawks turned in great performances and added valuable points to the team’s winning tally in their final 2025 track meet. The sprint medley team of junior Morgan Hay, sophomore Brilynn Tice, I. Vos, and Lowry placed second by just a small margin to the winning BCLUW relay with a season-best time of 1:57.95.
K. Harthoorn placed third in the 800m run in 2:32.20. I. Vos ran a time of 1:04.09 in the 400m dash, placing second.
“There were a lot of great performances as we worked through the District Meet. It was fun to take a victory lap at the end of the night. It was also great for the girls to have seven different events qualify for State. It was a great season for the Hawks, and we will look to finish strong as we head into the State Track Meet next week,” said head coach Kevin Johnson.
Lynnville-Sully Boys Track and Field
The wind was strong for most of the meet on Thursday, but that didn’t deter the Lynnville-Sully boys track and field team from gutting it out and laying it all on the line at the state-qualifying meet on Thursday, May 15. An opportunity to compete for a trip to State on their own track and field made the night even more memorable. The Hawks had two automatic qualifiers Thursday night, and learned the next morning they would send a total of eight events to State.
Junior Connor Deal earned an automatic State qualification in the high jump by clearing six feet. He and an Iowa Valley athlete were head to head, but Deal’s competitor missed his last jump, giving Deal the event victory. Deal also set his personal record in the 110m high hurdle race in 16.05 seconds to place third.
The Hawks’ second automatic qualification came from the strength of junior Dawson James who earned the title of District Champ in addition to State qualifier in the discus with his toss of 135’8”.
Head coach Darin Arkema credits James’s work throughout the season and getting reps in. Adding to his stellar night in the throwing ring was a personal-best toss in the shot put (46’1.5”), good for third place at the meet and a state qualification as one of the top 24 performers.
On Friday, the Hawks learned several more events qualified for the prestigious meet, including the 4x800m relay that qualified on performance with their time of 8:44.88. They placed second behind a tough Baxter team on Thursday. The Hawks will be represented by freshman Sam Terlouw, sophomore Blake Wilmesmeier, and seniors Terran Gosselink and Hendrick Lowry in this event.
Shuttle hurdle members Deal, sophomore Sawyer Veldhuizen, freshman Ashton Rozendaal, and Gosselink became state qualifiers with one of their fastest times of the season (1:02.80), placing second behind Iowa Valley and qualifying as one of the top times in Class 1A. Gosselink also ran a time well enough to qualify him in the 400m hurdles. He gained ground in the last 150 meters to shave off just enough time to achieve his personal best finish of 57.33 seconds, placing second.
The 4x200m relay of juniors Jaiden Richards, Ethan Dunsbergen, and Jack Bowlin and freshman Jace Johnson cut nearly 1.5 seconds off their time to qualify based on performance. They clocked 1:33.67, placing third in the district.
E. Dunsbergen, Lowry, Johnson, and Gosselink also qualified in the final event of the night, the 4x400m relay in a time of 3:32.81. This time was the quartet’s season best time by nearly three seconds. Each teammate carried an impressive leg, led by Johnson’s 50.33 split.
As a team, the Hawks placed third overall with 116 points, only ten points behind Baxter in first place and Iowa Valley who placed second with 121 points. That tally was made possible by gritty performances by the entire Hawk team, some who missed a state qualification by just a fraction of a second.
Sophomore Colton Alberts ran the 3200m race knowing he had to qualify for state by time, and he was just .60 of a second short of making the state-qualifying cut-off time. He ran a great race in 10:46.61 to place third. He also placed third in the 1600m run, crossing the finish line in his personal-best time of 4:49.76. Wilmesmeier was fourth in the mile while also running a personal-best time in 4:54.26.
Richards, James, junior Burt Johnson, and Bowlin teamed up in the 4x100 and ran their season best of 46.08 seconds for fourth place. B. Johnson, Mintle, sophomore Jordan Dunsbergen, and junior Michael Spooner placed fourth in the sprint medley in 1:45.09, also placing fourth.
J. Johnson placed sixth in the 100m dash in 11.56 seconds, while Richards was right behind in seventh in 11.58 seconds. The competitor who finished .01 seconds ahead of Johnson was the final state qualifier in that event, showing how close both Hawk athletes were to running at the Blue Oval.
“Our guys competed awesome,” said coach Arkema. “They seized the opportunity in front of them and had an outstanding meet.”
L-S serves as host site for State-qualifying meet for the
first time in school history
Not only was Thursday’s Class 1A State-qualifying track and field meet exciting for all student-athletes who punched their ticket to State, it was also a monumental night for the Lynnville-Sully School District. Thursday marked the first time in school history that L-S has hosted a State-qualifying track meet.
The feat to get the elite meet on L-S grounds was years in the making. Lynnville-Sully Activities Director Mike Parkinson has been submitting applications for the last five to six years. The perseverance paid off when L-S was chosen as a host site in 2025.
Several factors are taken into consideration when choosing host sites including the facility and ability to recruit enough help to run a successful meet. L-S has both a great state-of-the-art track and generous volunteers who give of their time and expertise to help events run smoothly.
“You have to have a great facility, like we do, and a lot of great helpers, like we do, and demonstrate your ability to host a great meet, which we have due to incredible helpers over the years,” said Parkinson of Lynnville-Sully’s ability to host a meet of this size. “Thank you to our administration and school board as well for supporting our facilities and helping make necessary upgrades.”
On Thursday, May 15, Parkinson estimates 250-300 athletes were at L-S competing for a trip to State with over 1,000 tickets sold – making L-S the place to be. He said he recruited approximately 100 people to help on Thursday with duties ranging from ticket takers, helping supervise and run the meet, and working in concessions. “The group was outstanding to work with all season,” said Parkinson, “and Thursday night was even more impressive! We are really grateful to have hosted. This was an incredible opportunity for our school and community, and we came together to put on a great event. Thanks to everyone who helped before, during, and after the meet.”
