Bontrager wins 800 at state-qualifying meet

By Jeff Yoder
Posted 5/14/22

Leah Bontrager has earned one more chance to run. 

With a first-place finish in the 800-meter run at Thursday’s 1A state-qualifying meet at Sigourney, Bontrager qualified for the …

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Bontrager wins 800 at state-qualifying meet

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Leah Bontrager has earned one more chance to run for the Ravens.

With a first-place finish in the 800-meter run at Thursday’s state-qualifying meet at Sigourney, Bontrager qualified for the 1A 800-meter state championship race on Saturday, May 21. 

“It was a good feeling to accomplish that,” said Bontrager, who won by over a second with a time of 2:32.98. “Even though I didn’t PR, I was glad to win. And I get another chance to PR.”

She was an Iowa Mennonite School freshman the last time she ran an 800-meter race on Drake Stadium’s blue oval. Now a Hillcrest Academy senior, Bontrager plans to enjoy the experience. 

“I’m excited to go back,” she said, “and I think all the rest of the girls on my team are going, so it’ll be fun to be with them and anyone else that goes. The whole experience, it’s just fun to see all of the people there and a ton of fast runners all in one place.”

After the track season was canceled in 2020, a stress fracture kept Bontrager from competing as a junior. Now the four-time cross country state qualifier has her sights set on one more PR and a school record. 

Bontrager’s current personal record of 2:30.63, from last week’s conference meet, is about a second off of the Hillcrest 800-meter record. 

Bontrager finished third in the 1500-meter run with a time of 5:33 on Thursday. The distance medley of Malia Yoder, Morgyn Nafziger, Delaney Shaw and Bontrager ran a season-best time of 4:47.87 to finish third. 

Shaw finished sixth in the long jump with a leap of 14-1.75. Yoder and Shaw finished seventh and eighth in the 200-meter dash. The 4x100-meter relay team of Nafziger, Shaw, Erin Bontrager and Yoder ran a season-best time of 57.99 to finish tenth. 

Quang Huynh won his heat of the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.44, placing 13th overall. 

Results:

(GIRLS) 100-METER DASH: 20, Erin Bontrager, 17.08.

200: 7, Malia Yoder, 30.30; 8, Delaney Shaw, 30.52.

400: 17, Erin Bontrager, 1:28.14.

800: 1, Leah Bontrager, 2:32.98.

1500: 3, Leah Bontrager, 5:33.57.

LONG JUMP: 8, Delaney Shaw, 14-1.75.

HIGH JUMP: 8, Malia Yoder, 4-4.

(BOYS) 100: Quang Huynh, 13.44.

200: Quang Huynh, 27.41.

400: Quang Huynh, 1:04.25.