Maquoketa Girls Track results from the River Valley Conference Meet

The air was thick with anticipation as the 17-team River Valley Conference meet unfolded, but by the end of the night, the Maquoketa Cardinals found themselves in fifth place with Mid-Prairie taking home the team title.

The highlight of the evening came at the high jump pit, where freshman Isabel Hopson did more than just compete, she rewrote the record books.  With the bar set at 5 feet 6 inches, Hopson cleared it with precision, erasing a 43-year-old school record held by Addie Wallace since 1983. The spectacular jump secured Hopson the gold medal and set a new River Valley Conference record.

On the track, senior Izzy Hardin continued her season of dominance. In the 3000m run, Hardin distanced herself from a talented field to claim first place. Her time of 10:06.28 didn’t just earn her a gold medal; it broke the conference record. Hardin’s endurance was on full display throughout the meet, as she later returned to the track to secure a hard-fought second-place finish in the 1500m with a time of 4:46.88.

With the lights on, the meet reached its finale with the 4×400 relay. The Cardinal quartet of Justice Armbruster, Isabel Hopson, and Tenley Thole provided a powerhouse front side, keeping Maquoketa in the hunt. However, it was anchor Natalie Hackman who brought the stadium to its feet. Hackman unleashed a blistering 58.7-second split, overtaking the competition to secure the gold medals for the team in a total time of 4:11.34.

The Cardinals showcased their versatility across both sprints and distance events:

Natalie Hackman added to her hardware with a second-place finish in the 800m, clocking in at 2:18.26.

Justice Armbruster showed elite form in the 400m hurdles, taking silver with a time of 1:09.67.

Tenley Thole finished in 7th place in the 400m open in a time of 1:06.76

The Distance Medley team (Armbruster, Millie Wing, Hopson, and Hackman) battled to a third-place finish, crossing the line in 4:22.54.

The Sprint Medley squad (Wing, Mack McLaughlin, Armbruster, and Thole) earned a podium spot in 5th place with a time of 2:02.01.

The 4 x 800 relay team of Riley Buttz, Charlotte Ihns, Emrie Petersen, and Ella Gibson had a personal record of 11:18.82 to finish in 8th place.

From freshman sensations breaking decades-old records to veteran leaders anchoring championship relays, it was an exciting night for the Girl’s Maquoketa track and field team. The Cardinals will compete next at DeWitt at the Class 3A District meet on May 14th.