No sophomore slump for Schraft, wins trio of gold medals at state

Janette Schraft admitted the race was the toughest of her short but already prolific career.

That race was the 3,000-meters and the pace far exceeded what the East Mills sophomore had planned.

Little could you tell on Schraft’s face as she stoically dismantled the field and won her second straight gold medal in the 3,000-meters on the opening day of the Iowa State Track Meet in Des Moines.

“I have a good poker face,” Schraft said of her “don’t let them see you sweat” attitude. “I couldn’t look like I was struggling but I definitely was during that 3,000. That was the hardest I’ve ever run before. And now that I know I can run to that extent, it felt like it opened a lot of doors for me.”

Those doors turned out to be the 800-meters and 1,500-meters ad Schraft pulled off the rare “distance triple” in winning gold medals in both on Saturday at state. She also added to her haul with a third place medal in the distance medley relay along with teammates Madison Williams, Emmy Duysen and Zena Courtier. In all, Schraft had a hand in all 36 of the Wolverines’ fourth place finish at state.

Schraft didn’t have her eyes set on becoming just the 14th Iowa girls to pull off gold in the 800, 1,500 and 3,000-meters at state.

“My only goals were the impress myself and get a PR (personal record) in a race or two and defend my title in the 3,000 (meters),” Schraft said. “But once I won the 800, I thought maybe there was a chance I could win all three.”

She said the 800 was the race she dreaded the most as it presented “easily the hardest” challenge of the three – the competition was stiff and many of the entries had better or similar times to Schraft.

Schraft’s time of 2:19.84 edged Maple Valley’s Morgan Todd by three seconds. A few hours later, Schraft emerged from the pack in the 1,500 with a time of 4:54.36.
“It didn’t really sink in until after I got back and people were telling me, ‘You won all three events at state,’’ Schraft said. “There’s a possibility it had crossed my mind before I had even started running but now that I accomplished it, it’s an amazing feeling. Being able to come home and see all the support I had here with everyone supporting me in our small community and conference, it’s an amazing feeling.”

It was a season-best 1:15 final lap in the 3,000-meters that set Schraft up for her historic performance.

East Mills  coach Kevin Schafer said Schraft was stressed and tested like she had not been all season in the race. She reluctantly admitted as much to her coaches after the race.

“I think that was the most she’s been pushed all season,” Schafer said. “She (Schraft) ran as hard as she possibly could have in that race. In the 800 and the 1,500 she ran great strategic races. She was just mentally tough all weekend.
“She was really pushed and had to kick in the end when she was challenged. I told her, ‘Well that was why your time was so good.’”

Schraft agreed.

“I definitely was not expecting to have to run that fast of a pace,” she said. “Part of me thought there was no way I could keep that pace up the whole race but I got to the bell lap in a pretty good pack and I just decided I wanted it and I picked up my turnover rate and ended up doing a 1:15 last lap and that was enough.”
With four gold medals already in tow and two years remaining to add to her haul, Schraft and her coaches admit she won’t be sneaking up on anyone on the blue oval ever again.

“That adds some pressure and it’ll definitely be nerve wracking,” Schraft said.
Good thing she has a good poker face.