Rump, Smith, Klein shine on final day in Des Moines

DES MOINES – The Fort Madison boys and girls track teams finished on a better note Saturday at the IGHSAU/IAHSAA State High School Track and Field meet at Drake Stadium.
Sophomores Avery Rump and Mara Smith scored five of the Hounds' nine points on Saturday’s final day of the meet.
Smith finished 6^th in the open 800. The Lady Hound had a stellar year, regularly pulling seconds off her time, including her 800 legs in the distance medley and the 4x800 relay teams.
Her 2:19.43 on Saturday was a full six seconds better than her previous best time. Smith said after sectionals that having people in front of her helps her time, but she also has learned to run through the pain.
Avery Rump raced to a 4:52.96 in the 1500 on Saturday, good enough for 7^th place in the state. She shaved a half second off her season-best 4:53.51 at the Brookhart-Crew relays in Fairfield on April 29 and now has the 35^th fastest time in the state. Rump also took a top 5 in the 3000-meter run on Thursday where she set another personal best. Rump also progressed throughout the year, taking chunks off her times in the 1500 and 3000, and pulling strong legs on the distance relay teams.
Marissa Ferebee of Pella won the 1500 Saturday with a 4:31.48 which is 23^rd best in the country and third best in the state on the season.
Probably the busiest athlete on the track Saturday was Fort Madison’s Brandon Klein who participated in the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter wheelchair races and the wheelchair shotput.
Klein took 2^nd out of an 8-team field in the shotput with a 17’9.75” heave. He finished 7^th in the 100-wheelchair with a 30.91, 7^th in the 400-meter race with a 1:53.48 which was a personal best on the season, and he finished 8^th in the 200-meter with a 1:03.67.
The Bloodhound boys finished 30^th overall with four points on Kenden Bowie’s 5^th place finish in the high jump Thursday.
The Lady Hounds finished 28^th overall with nine points on Rump's two top-seven finishes and Smith’s top six.