Boys Track: Pirates Battle Elements, Deliver Strong Showing at Home Meet

By Blaire Puls  

April weather in Iowa lived up to its reputation last week as the Hudson boys track and  field team competed in back-to-back meets under cold, wet and at times challenging  conditions.  

Tuesday, April 7, the meet at Grundy Center was canceled due to cold and wind.  Thankfully, by Thursday the weather was more bearable—though still wet—and the Pirates  were able to host their first home meet of the season.  

Despite the elements, Hudson showed resilience, grit and flashes of excellence— highlighted by a fourth-place team finish on its home track.  

At Hudson, intermittent rain showers threatened to dampen the evening, but calm  winds and manageable temperatures helped keep competition moving swiftly. Thanks to  efficient meet management and dedicated volunteers, the event wrapped up by 7:30 p.m.,  continuing Hudson’s reputation for hosting one of the fastest meets around.  

The Pirates capitalized on the opportunity, placing fourth out of 12 teams with 76.5  points. The team recorded 15 personal bests along with several season-best performances,  showcasing steady early-season progress.  

Field events proved especially valuable, accounting for 28 of the team’s points. Leading  the way were Drake Griffin and Jackson Nesteby, who delivered a standout 1-2 finish in the  long jump. Grady Moseley added key points in the throws, placing third in the shot put and fifth  in the discus.  

On the track, the 4x100-meter relay team of Hunter Coulson, Griffin, Nesteby and Owen  Bell narrowly missed gold, finishing second by just 0.03 seconds in one of the most exciting  races of the night.  

Owen Bell turned in multiple strong performances, including a personal best in the 400  meters for bronze and another lifetime best in the 200 meters, placing fifth.  The sprint medley relay team (Coulson, Nesteby, Griffin, Bell) secured fourth place with  a personal-best time, while the 4x800 relay squad of Colten Jensen, Payton Bishop, Casey  Greiman and Alik Dodge finished fifth.  

The distance medley relay team of Rylan Dunbar, Cooper Steele, Cooper Hamer and  Zion Simmer placed sixth, highlighted by personal-record splits from Steele and Simmer.  Additional top-eight finishes included Liam Rhymer’s fourth-place finish in the 400  meters with a lifetime best, a seventh-place finish from the 4x200 relay team, and strong  individual efforts from Jensen in the 800 meters and Dunbar in the 110-meter hurdles, where he  continues to be a key contributor.  

The night concluded with another personal-best performance from the 4x400 relay  team of Rhymer, Bishop, Dunbar and Hamer.  

Just two days later, six athletes traveled to Iowa City West for a qualifier-only meet and  faced far harsher conditions, where cold temperatures, strong winds and steady rain created a  difficult competitive environment.  

Still, the team pushed through.  

Griffin and Nesteby placed 13th and 21st in the long jump, respectively, while the sprint  medley relay team finished 18th. Rhymer provided the highlight of the day, setting another  personal record in the 400 meters—his third PR of the season—to place 18th, with Bell close  behind in 19th.  

Dunbar battled through the rain in the 110-meter hurdles, staying upright after clipping  a hurdle to finish 19th.  

As conditions worsened, many teams began scratching events, and Hudson ultimately  withdrew from the 200 meters and 4x100 relay to prioritize athlete health and safety.  While the Iowa City West meet tested endurance, the Hudson meet showcased the  team’s potential. Through both adversity and achievement, the Pirates continue to build  momentum early in the season.

Hudson Home invite  

Team: 4th place, 76.5 points 

Long jump  

1. Drake Griffin — 19-6½ 

2. Jackson Nesteby — 18-0  

3. Brady Greiman — 14-6  

High jump  

10. Cooper Hamer — 5-2  

Shot put  

3. Grady Moseley — 42-4¾ 

14. Devin Lang — 36-10¾ 

15. Jack Holbach — 36-8½ 

27. Hazen Kilpatrick — 31-3  

31. Max Schroeder — 30-0¼ 

37. Karson Loeb — 27-1½ 

43. Eduardo Colindres — 20-2¼ 

Discus  

5. Grady Moseley — 118-6  

16. Jack Holbach — 102-10  

26. Devin Lang — 82-3  

29. Hazen Kilpatrick — 73-0  

31. Max Schroeder — 69-9  

34. Karson Loeb — 65-6  

42. Eduardo Colindres — 47-4  

Sprint medley relay (V)  

4. Hunter Coulson, Jackson Nesteby, Drake Griffin, Owen Bell — 1:38.31 

Sprint medley relay (JV)  

— Liam Rhymer, Brady Greiman, Rylan Dunbar, Cooper Steele — 1:47.56 

4x800 relay  

5. Colten Jensen, Payton Bishop, Casey Greiman, Alik Dodge — 9:22.72 

100m dash  

12. Hunter Coulson — 12.05  

24. Carter Swanson (para) — 15.46  

Distance medley relay  

6. Rylan Dunbar, Cooper Steele, Cooper Hamer, Zion Simmer — 4:26.91

  400m dash  

3. Owen Bell — 51.97  

4. Liam Rhymer — 54.67  

16. Carter Swanson (para) — 1:14.58  

4x200 relay  

7. Hunter Coulson, Payton Bishop, Brady Greiman, Cooper Steele — 1:41.85 

110m high hurdles  

4. Rylan Dunbar — 16.6  

800m run  

6. Colten Jensen — 2:12.64  

10. Casey Greiman — 2:16.55  

— Carter Swanson (para) — 3:15.46  

200m dash  

5. Owen Bell — 23.32  

12. Drake Griffin — 24.56  

400m hurdles 

12. Jackson Nesteby — 1:05.17  

4x100 relay  

2. Hunter Coulson, Drake Griffin, Jackson Nesteby, Owen Bell — 46.33 

4x400 relay  

5. Liam Rhymer, Payton Bishop, Rylan Dunbar, Cooper Hamer — 3:54.16  

Iowa City West Qualifier  

Long jump  

13. Drake Griffin — 19-10¾ 

21. Jackson Nesteby — 18-9¼ 

Sprint medley relay  

18. Hunter Coulson, Jackson Nesteby, Drake Griffin, Owen Bell — 1:39.96 

400m dash  

18. Liam Rhymer — 54.24  

19. Owen Bell — 54.62  

110m high hurdles  

19. Rylan Dunbar — 17.06