Hannah Willms’ staggering performance at the state track meet earned her a spot in Sports Illustrated.
Willms, a junior at Dike-New Hartford, was one of six athletes featured in the Faces in the Crowd segment of the weekly magazine.
She set state-meet records in the 400 meters (54.68 seconds) and the high jump (5-11) and established a 2A record in the 200 (24.49) and anchored the sprint medley relay that sey a 2A mark of 1:47.19.
DES MOINES — On one hand, Jodi Gibbs was stunned.
On the other hand, she wasn’t surprised at all.
Maquoketa Valley captured the girls’ Class 2A 1,600-meter relay at the state track meet Saturday at Drake Stadium. Rachel Hoeger, Gibbs, Sam Salow and Kendra Kregel were seeded sixth heading into the finals, but won it in 4:01.56.
DES MOINES — It was a slow day for area Class 2A girls at the state track meet.
The highlight was a third-place finish from Jesup’s Tessa Westpfahl in the 400-meter hurdles. She was timed in 1:05.34. Alex Gochenour of Logan-Magnolia won it at 1:03.71.
Kristen Gaffey of Iowa City Regina finished second in the girls' Class 2A shot put at the state track meet Thursday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.
DES MOINES — As Hannah Willms strode down the final straightaway, PA announcer Mike Jay made a public service announcement:
“She’s special, folks.”
