Gladbrook-Reinbeck senior track and field athletes Kennedy Brant, left, and Hudson Clark, right, pictured Thursday, May 14, following the conclusion of the Class 1A state-qualifier meet in Belle Plaine. Both automatically qualified for this week’s 2026 Iowa High School Track & Field Championships in Des Moines. PHOTO COURTESY G-R SCHOOLS

BELLE PLAINE – Gladbrook-Reinbeck track and field senior sensation Kennedy Brant cleaned house at the Class 1A district meet in Belle Plaine on Thursday, May 14, sweeping the competition in three events while earning runner-up in a fourth to max out her individual entries for this week’s state championships.

In Class 1A, the top-place finisher in each event plus the next 14 best district performances statewide advance to the state meet. Brant automatically qualified for state in three events at Belle Plaine, including the girls high jump with a first-place leap of 5 feet, 4 inches.

She raced to gold in the 100-meter hurdles with a personal-record time of 15.83 seconds. She also took gold in the 400-meter hurdles in 1:05.56.

In the 400-meter dash, Brant placed second in 1:00.11, just behind automatic qualifier Emery Hall of HLV, who finished in 59.85 seconds. Brant’s finish was the second-fastest among at-large qualifiers, giving her the No. 12 seed at the state championships.

In the high jump, Brant is seeded No. 2 at state behind Mount Ayr senior Aubree Shields (5-6). She is seeded fifth in the 400 hurdles and eighth in the 100 hurdles.

Brant has now qualified all four years of her high school track and field career for the state meet. Last season, she qualified in three individual events and as the anchor of the Rebel girls sprint medley team. Her highest placement in 2025 was a bronze medal in the girls 400-meter hurdles. She also placed eighth in the girls 400-meter dash, 11th in the girls high jump, and 23rd in the girls sprint medley relay.

Alongside Brant, fellow senior Hudson Clark also qualified at Belle Plaine for this year’s state track and field championships after racing to gold in the boys 400-meter hurdles with a personal-record time of 55.84 seconds. He is seeded seventh at state.

Like Brant, Clark also qualified for the state championships as a junior last season, placing 16th in the boys 400-meter hurdles in 57.87 seconds.

His freshman year, Clark qualified for state as a member of the Rebel boys distance medley team.

The 2026 Iowa High School Track & Field Championships are set for May 21-23 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. The Sun Courier will feature coverage from Des Moines in next week’s edition.