Sports : VS track teams prepare for state, celebrate & decorate at Ehlinger\'s

State Track supper tradition: Taylor Spies watches as Grace Horst decorates a window at Ehlinger's.

Amanda Dedrick (discus) writes her name on a window at Ehlinger's.

Little sister Kinzzy Miracle writes Connor's name on a McDonald's window.

Vikette State Track qualifiers pose for a team photo at Ehlinger's/McDonald's.

These Vikings who will compete at State Track celebrated at Ehlinger's & McDonald's on Tuesday.

13.

More than any other team in Vinton-Shellsburg history, and more than any other Class 3A school this year.

13. That’s how many individuals or relay teams qualified for the State Track Meet, which starts tomorrow.

Vikings who will be competing at State include:

100 - Nick Hyland

400 - Joel Barnes, Tyler Bartz

Long Jump - Tyler Bartz

Shot Put - Blake Patterson, Tanner Bird

1600 - Cole Tharp

4x100 - Cole Garwood, Joel Barnes, Jordan Womochil, Nick Hyland

4x200 - Cole Garwood, Jordan Womochil, Conner Miracle, Nick Hyland

4x400 - Nick Hyland, Tyler Bartz, Blake Bohnsack, Joel Barnes

4x800 - Cole Smith, Nolan Haisman, Nolan Hendrickson, Cole Tharp

Medley - Cole Garwood, Tyler Bartz, Jordan Womochil, Cole Tharp

Shuttle Hurdle Relay - Will Edwards, Wes Edwards, Tanner Davis, Will Dudley

Those Vikings will be joined by six Vikettes competing in the State Meet at Drake Stadium.

Lily Horst will run in the 3000, Bristi Gerber in the 800, Gracie Horst in the 1500, and Amanda Dedrick will compete in discus. The 4 x 800 team (Annika Schmidt, Lily and Grace Horst, and Bristi Gerber, with Taylor Spies as an alternate) also qualified.

The teams celebrated at Ehlinger’s/McDonald’s on Tuesday, where manager Mel Davis and the staff treated them to supper and the athletes decorated windows. The Ehlinger's dinner and window decorating is a tradition that began with the VS cross country team before its State appearance two years ago and has continued with all VS teams advancing to State.

There will also be an assembly in honor of the track teams and other VS teams Wednesday afternoon, before the students leave for Des Moines.

State Track schedule

Thursday

Discus (Amanda Dedrick): Thursday 9 a.m.

3000 run (Lily Horst) Thursday 955 am

100M Dash Prelims (Nick Hyland) 11 a.m. (Thursday 11:00 am 100 dash nick hyland

Girls 4 x 800 relay (Annika Schmidt, Lily and Grace Horst, and Bristi Gerber) 11:35 a.m.

Boys 4 x 800 relay (Cole Smith, Nolan Haisman, Nolan Hendrickson, Cole Tharp ) 12:20 p.m.

400 M dash (Joel Barnes, Tyler Bartz) 1:50 p.m.

1600M run (Cole Tharp) 2:01 p.m.

Shuttle Hurdle Prelims (Will Edwards, Wes Edwards, Tanner Davis, Will Dudley) 2:20 p.m.

Friday

Long jump (Tyler Bartz) 9 a.m.

4 x 200 relay (Cole Garwood, Jordan Womochil, Conner Miracle, Nick Hyland) 10:30

Shot (Blake Patterson, Tanner Bird) 11:30 a.m.

Distance Medley (Cole Garwood, Tyler Bartz, Jordan Womochil, Cole Tharp) 12:20

4 x 100 relay prelims (Cole Garwood, Joel Barnes, Jordan Womochil, Nick Hyland) 1:10 p.m.

4 x 400 relay prelims (Cole Garwood, Jordan Womochil, Conner Miracle, Nick Hyland) 2:20 p.m.

Saturday

Girls 800m (Bristi Gerber) 10:10 a.m. bristi g

Girls 1500 (Grace Horst) 2:35 p.m.

Also on Saturday are the finals for four events in which theVikings compete in preliminaries: 4 x 400, Shuttle Hurdle, 4 x 100, 100M.

The top 8 teams in the prelims will qualify for the finals in each event.

See photos of the celebration at Ehlinger's HERE.