2026 Iowa High School State Track & Field Coverage Preview

The countdown is on for the 2026 Iowa High School State Track & Field Championships at historic Drake Stadium in Des Moines, and KCHA along with 95.1 The Bull are once again gearing up for extensive local coverage from Des Moines May 21-23.

Beginning Thursday morning at 9:30 AM, listeners can catch state track updates at :30 past every hour throughout the championships, featuring local athlete results, medal performances, relay updates, breaking highlights, and more.

Video interviews with local student-athletes will also be posted throughout the three-day event and can be found online at KCHAnews.com and 951TheBull.com.

Local Athletes to Watch

Several area athletes enter the state meet with strong qualifying marks and podium potential on both the boys and girls sides.

In Class 3A boys competition, Charles City senior Victor Ward qualified in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, and 400-meter dash after another impressive season on the track.

Class 1A boys features several familiar North Iowa names, including Riceville’s Jack Knode in the 100-meter dash and Owen Smith in both the 200 and 400-meter dash events. North Butler will also be well represented with Camryn Bartels qualifying in the 100, 200, and 110 hurdles, while Ezra Almelien returns to the state stage in both the 1600 and 3200-meter runs.

South Winneshiek’s Hugh Conway and Cameron Einck are back among the state’s top distance runners in the 1600 and 3200-meter events.

In Class 2A boys competition, Osage athletes Parker Kisley and Sevryn Dodd qualified in the hurdles, while Sumner-Fredericksburg’s Jace Brinkman advanced in the boys 400-meter dash.

On the girls side, Class 1A features strong area talent including Saint Ansgar’s Jacey Johnston in the 200 and 400-meter dash events, along with Ava Witt in the 1500-meter run. Riceville standout Claire Zweibohmer returns to the state meet in the 800, 1500, and 3000-meter runs after another outstanding season.

South Winneshiek’s Maddy Jansen qualified in the 800-meter run, while Turkey Valley’s Isabella Stika returns to the state stage in the 800-meter run as well.

In Class 2A girls competition, Sumner-Fredericksburg’s Braelyn Suckow qualified in both the 100 and 200-meter dash events, while Livy Schoonover advanced in the 400-meter dash. Osage senior Scarlett Byrnes qualified in both the 1500 and 3000-meter runs.

Charles City’s Sophia Calpito returns to the state meet in Class 3A in the 100-meter hurdles after another strong postseason performance.

Sponsors

Coverage of the 2026 Iowa High School State Track & Field Championships is made possible thanks to the support of our local sponsors:

• Riceville Auto Body & Trailer
• Town & Country Insurance
• Riceville Lumber & LP Gas
• Bank Iowa of Lawler
• H & R Block of Osage
• Cash Lumber
• Regional Health Services Howard County

Follow the Action

From thrilling relay races to photo-finish sprint finals and field event drama, KCHA and 95.1 The Bull will bring listeners and readers closer to the action all weekend long from Drake Stadium. Be sure to follow along on-air, online, and across social media for the latest updates from the 2026 Iowa High School State Track & Field Championships.