Marshalltown senior runs best time in 400 hurdles
Marshalltown senior Gatleel Joar impressed in his first-ever appearance at the Iowa High School Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines on Friday.
Joar was ninth in the Class 4A boys 400-meter hurdle event in 55.26 seconds, a split second away from earning a state medal with a top-8 finish. Ankeny Centennial’s Cael Woods had the eighth-place medal at 55.07.
“It was amazing being one of the top competitors here,” Joar said. “And just being here and getting a PR is wonderful.”
He admitted that his stride was a little stuttered around the 200-meter mark, slowing him down in lane 8 in a race where he’s used to being in the middle of the track.
“My coaches and I have worked on getting out and attacking the hurdles, focusing on those first three hurdles and making sure my steps were right,” Joar said. “Today, I was just too focused on going fast.”
MHS head coach Bob Gilbertson is excited to see what’s next for Joar – while the senior is undecided, he’s expressed interest in running in college.
“Very proud of Gatleel and what he was able to accomplish this year,” Gilbertson said. “He was Mr. Versatile for us and we put him in just about every type of race possible. He always thought about the team and what he could do to be better.”
There’s no big secret to Joar’s improvement to state-caliber levels.
“Showing up to practice every day, just making sure I show up and get stuff done,” Joar said.
Whatever Joar does at the next level, he said he wants to study finance.
“Some school is going to get a major upgrade,” Gilbertson said. “The sky’s the limit for this young man’s potential.”