G-R’s Kennedy Brant, right, pictured last May during the 2023 state track meet. She is favored to qualify again this season in the high jump, and likely to qualify in the 100- and 200-meter dashes as well. SUN COURIER FILE PHOTO

As the high school track and field season races toward the finale over the next two weeks, athletes from both Gladbrook-Reinbeck and Green Mountain-Garwin are busy preparing for the Thursday, May 9 state qualifying district meets. Assignments for the penultimate meet were released last week and for the second year in a row the Rebels are headed to Belle Plaine for the 1A qualifier, while the Wolverines are headed back to Brooklyn. The state track meet is set for May 16-18 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

The Rebels at Belle Plaine

At Belle Plaine, the Rebels will face athletes from 13 teams including AGWSR, Belle Plaine, Central City, Clarksville, Colo-NESCO, Don Bosco, Janesville, Madrid, Meskwaki Settlement, North Linn, North Tama, Valley Lutheran, and Waterloo Christian.

In each 1A event, the champion will qualify automatically for State plus an additional 14 at-large qualifiers advance statewide.

Sophomore Kennedy Brant leads the field this season among the athletes competing at Belle Plaine in the high jump, while also occupying the No. 3 slot in both the 100 meter and 200 meter dashes. G-R girls 4×200, 800 medley, and 1,600 medley relay teams are all at No. 3 as well.

GMG sprinter Jabari Woodbury, right, closes in on the finish line in the Class 1A boys’ 400-meter dash at the 2023 state track meet. Woodbury, a senior, could potentially qualify again this year at the 1A state qualifier on May 9 in Brooklyn. SUN COURIER FILE PHOTO

On the boys side, G-R freshman sprinter Treyvon Herron sits at No. 2 among the field of athletes in the 100 meter dash.

The Wolverines at Brooklyn

At Brooklyn, the Wolverines will face athletes from 13 teams including the hosts BGM, Baxter, BCLUW, Calamus-Wheatland, English Valleys, HLV, Iowa Valley, Lisbon, Lynnville-Sully, Midland, North Cedar, Prince of Peace Catholic, and Springville.

In each 1A event, the champion will qualify automatically for State plus an additional 14 at-large qualifiers advance statewide.

Senior Jabari Woodbury sits at No. 3 among the field of athletes competing at Brooklyn in the 400 meter dash.