Today would have been the first day of the state track and field meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. While student-athletes will not be making memories at the blue oval this year, it’s an opportunity to reminisce about big moments from the past.

Last year on the state meet’s opening day, Kasey Pelzer of Pleasantville earned a spot on the medal stand in the Class 2A Long Jump. Her leap of 16-07.75 earned her a sixth place finish. She says it was mission accomplished, though she would have loved the opportunity to do better this season.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to medal, since I’ve been here three years. I qualified freshman year for long jump, last year I didn’t, and then this year I made it a goal to not only make it to state, but to finish in the top eight. I was definitely energized. While I go through my jump, I have the same routine I do every time, and this jump just felt a lot more powerful than before.”

Pelzer likely would have returned to state in the long jump, as she was among the top four returners in the event this year. She was also part of several relay teams that performed well at state, and we’ll be highlighting those over the coming days.

Stay tuned to KNIA/KRLS for more state track and field flashbacks.