|
Pierce, Hamann bring back 5th, 7th
by Matthew Dickinson, sports editor · Sports · May 28, 2025
A medal each from Alyssa Pierce and Grace Hamann and some near-placings in three other events highlighted the West Branch girls’ track team’s Class 2A state run last weekend in Des Moines.
“It’s always humbling and inspiring to go there and spend three days watching everything,” Bears Head Coach Tony Senio said. “And frankly, every year you’re like, everybody’s getting so fast. It’s incredible. The girls were ready, and we did well.”
Pierce gets medal in shot put, again
Pierce brought home more hardware in her fourth 2A state appearance, claiming fifth in the shot put with a 39 feet, 6 inch best.
“I felt relieved,” Pierce said. “There was some high standards going into it, knowing that I got fourth last year. The field has gotten a lot better, all around, in throwing from this year to last year. More girls are improving, and I feel like I’m staying right in there with them.”
Pierce had found plenty of success in the event, finishing ninth in 2A as a sophomore before claiming fourth a season ago with a 40-09.25.
The senior also competed against several other opponents from last year, making for a deep and talented field.
Pierce started her first round with her best throw of the first three, unleashing a 38-05.50 to put her in standing to qualify for the finals. The senior had a steady effort on the next two attempts, tossing a 37-10.50 before a 37-05.00 to close the opening round.
“I just really focused on pushing harder and making sure I was finishing strong,” Pierce said of her qualifying through. Rather than dying out on my finish, and it worked.”
After qualifying for the finals, Pierce had three more throws to work with. She improved on the first-round mark with a 38-07.50 but fouled on the second effort. In her final high school throw, the senior ended with her best toss on the day to secure another solid placing.
“I just went into it knowing that whatever happens, happens, and if I don’t throw better and I get seventh, I get seventh,” Pierce said of the final toss. “And at the end of the day, I still made it here, and I just have to be proud of making it to finals here.”
Senio said that “Alyssa threw wonderfully in the shot. You want to go out with your best, but she was close. Another medal for Alyssa.”
Pierce exits West Branch with a laundry list of accomplishments, which prompted Bears assistant and throws coach Dan Zuniga to name her the best girls’ thrower in school history at the team’s May 18 awards night.
“I feel like it’s taught me a very good base knowledge, and it’s going to help me with my knowledge going into college,” she said. “Just knowing that I have a good career under my belt, I can feel confident going in.”
Senio said that “it was nice to go out with the best throw of the competition for her. What she’s done as the best female thrower in the history of West Branch track and field will be hard to match. We’re just going to miss her a lot. Her presence and her performances are going to be very hard to replace.”
The senior also hoped that her stellar efforts for West Branch inspired the next generation of Bears throwers. At the awards ceremony, Zuniga said that Pierce had mentored his son, Kooper, who won the shot put in the May 10 Mike Henderson Boys Junior High State Track Meet in Waukee.
“I hope that my success inspires other girls to work hard to be able to get here one day,” said Pierce. “And feel the experience of throwing at state or going to Drake, just that cool experience.”
The senior, who will throw in college for University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, proved her versatility with her first state appearance in the discus after regularly scoring points in the event during the regular season. She took 22nd with a 92-06. The coach said that the senior’s goal in the event was to beat some other throwers, which is what she did.
Pierce said that making it to state in discus “shows how this year I worked very hard on both, not just shot put.” The senior concluded that she used the motivation of her senior season to push her into becoming a more well-rounded thrower.
Hamann seventh in 800-meter run
Hamann finished a sensational sophomore season with some hardware, finishing seventh in the 800 meter run with a 2:17.52 in her first of two races on Saturday to shave over two seconds off her personal best set at last year’s state meet.
“My goal was just to stay attached to that front pack and don’t let them break away,” Hamann said of her 800. “After seeing the times that came out of the first heat, I knew that I really had to go. And I think I did start a little too late, but I hoped that it would at least get me in there.”
Senio called the race a “stepping stone” for the sophomore, saying that “when she went to switch gears, she found one, and I think that there was another speed that she had late there.”
Hamann came agonizingly close to placing in the 400 hurdles, missing a medal by 16 hundredths of a second out of the first of three heats in an event that she had never ran prior to this season. The sophomore made tremendous strides in the event over the year, culminating in a ninth-place 1:06.59.
“Her 400 hurdles, gosh, if she was in either of the other two heats, I think she medals there,” Senio said. “She just ran a really great 400 hurdle race from that first heat without anyone really pushing or pulling her. We saw some really great things, that she got out really well, kind of sat back a little at four, five, and six hurdles, but then really started racing there from seven on. Really close attacking. I’m excited to see what she can do in that race next year.”
The sophomore finished her individual run shortly after the 800 on the third day, taking 11th in the 1500 with a 4:56.44 to shave just over two seconds off her state mark last season.
“With that 1500, she was there with that lead pack,” the coach said. “When that lead pack made the move, I thought she was going to be able to go with them. We’ll never know. She had a great finish there to make up a few spots there.”
Hamann’s state run gave her extra motivation to return stronger next season.
“I’m always looking for improvement,” she said. “I’m not satisfied with anything yet, and I don’t think I ever probably will be. I think I need to look at it as I need to be happier with what I’m doing right now so that I don’t lose the joy in being able to do it. And then just improve on everything.”
Distance medley just shy of placing
Hamann also anchored the ninth-place distance medley team, which had a time of 4:17.10 and included Rena Holmes, who filled in for Olivia Becker due to injury, and Addi Schultes on the 200 legs along with Lexi Skay on the 400. The mark improved at last year’s state total by about five seconds with all members but Holmes returning from that relay team.
“I think everybody did well,” Hamann said. “Teams are running really good times. I think we were all kind of upset and expected to place a little higher. It’s the best that we could do on that day.”
Senio said that Holmes had a “fantastic split,” adding that he wished he could have had Becker compete but that he did not want to test the freshman’s injury.
Competing out of the third heat, the Bears held their own with some of the top teams in the class. West Branch finished fifth in the eight-team field but dropped out of placing due to strong efforts from teams such as event champion Tipton and fourth-place Monticello, which started out of earlier heats due to strong winds at their district meets.
“We knew Tipton would put down a medaling time from that other heat,” Senio said. “Monticello’s anchor, she had a really fantastic weekend. We knew a lot of those times, those seeded times were inaccurate as far as what kind of competition we would see. They all ran good splits. And we PR’d for the season, and came closer to the school record. There were just a lot of other fast times happening.”
West Branch had plenty of returning talent heading into next year, with Pierce being the only senior that competed at state. Senio said that Becker would be extra motivated after having to miss her first state track appearance, and that alternates Dani Crutchley and Lander Malloy were ready for next season after seeing what the meet is like.
Class 2A team scores (top 10 plus WB): 1. Pella Christian 80 2. Van Meter 60 3. Tipton 54 4. Spirit Lake 46 5. Mid-Prairie 33 6. Emmetsburg 30 7. Roland Story 28 8. Treynor 21 9. Grundy Center 20.5 10. Ogden 19.5 T-34. West Branch 6.
400 meter hurdles: 9. Grace Hamann 1:06.59
800 meter run: 7. Grace Hamann 2:17.52
1500 meter run: 11. Grace Hamann 4:56.44
Discus: 22. Alyssa Pierce 92-06
Shot put: 5. Alyssa Pierce 39-06.00
Sprint medley relay: 9. (Rena Holmes, Addi Schultes, Lexi Skay, Grace Hamann) 4:17.10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
