DES MOINES
When the Class 1A girls 800-meter championship race began last Saturday, the pace was fast.
The speed worked out perfectly for Hillcrest Academy senior Leah Bontrager.
Her mission …
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DES MOINES
When the Class 1A girls 800-meter championship race began last Saturday, the pace was fast.
The speed worked out perfectly for Hillcrest Academy senior Leah Bontrager.
Her mission for the day, her final high school race, was a school record in the 800.
“It was way faster than I thought it would be,” she said. “It was good because that’s what I needed, I guess, to get the school record.”
As the race went into its second lap, Bontrager churned into fourth place in her heat, which is where she finished.
Bontrager crossed the finish line at Drake Stadium with a time of 2 minutes, 28.97 seconds. She topped her personal best by nearly two seconds and broke a Hillcrest school record that had stood for more than 25 years. Melinda Leichty set the previous record in 1996.
Bontrager finished 14th overall, finishing off a high school career that included four appearances in the Class 1A state cross country championship race. Most of the top 15 runners in the race also set personal bests, including winner Jalyssa Blazek of Turkey Valley with a time of 2:15.83.
“It’s crazy,” she said. “Even looking at everyone’s times, what they ran in the state qualifier, there’s quite a few people faster than what the times were. I was, too. But it makes it super exciting.
“It’s like they’re all here to help you improve your time. So it’s really nice.”
Bontrager, who also played soccer this spring for the Mid-Prairie girls team, was the only HIllcrest athlete to reach the state championship meet.
“Leah did an excellent job of managing two sports this spring,” Hillcrest coach Marty Gingerich said. “Once soccer season started, she did her track and field training on her own. Leah competed in both sports throughout the spring, only missing one track meet due to a soccer game. Leah runs every day and completed some challenging workouts during the spring.”
Bontrager will close out her Hillcrest athletic career this summer as a pitcher for the Ravens softball team. And then it’s on to Central College in Pella, where Bontrager will compete for Central’s women’s track team.
