Ramirez-Parra wins two events, area athletes shine at Cherokee relays

Joel Ramirez-Parra paced himself to two individual victories for Storm Lake at the Lynn Jolly Relays hosted at Cherokee High School, including a winning 3,200-meter clocking of 10:01.23 on April 9, 2026, a performance that helped Storm Lake finish fifth with 101 team points among roughly a dozen schools. The meet’s cool, rainy conditions made the Cherokee field a measuring stick for early-season fitness rather than an all-out time trial.

Ramirez-Parra’s 10:01.23 sits slightly faster than his March indoor 3,200 of 10:02.91 but well off his outdoor best of about 9:40.82 from the 2025 state meet, a pattern that points to tune-up racing under adverse weather. Ramirez-Parra said he was "virtually running alone" in the two-mile and indicated he is eager for more competitive pacing in upcoming meets, a factor coaches will weigh when assigning athletes to conference and regional races.

Storm Lake’s sprint depth showed alongside the distance results. Garbieno Weno took the boys 200 in 23.43 and added a second-place finish in the 400 at 50.98, a two-event range that projects well for relay construction and district seeding. Teammates Tim Yanga cleared 6-1 for second in the high jump, Rylan Richardson placed fifth in the long jump, and Brandyn Azurdia was seventh in the long jump, contributions that helped Storm Lake accumulate 101 points in a competitive field.

Ridge View supplied multiplier performances that paid off in the team standings. Derek Heilman won the long jump at 21-0, while Talan Witzke took the 800 in 2:11.92 and factored into Ridge View’s relay scoring; Ridge View totaled 104 points to finish fourth. The Raptors’ 4x800 relay clocked 8:55.19 for second in that event, evidence of middle-distance depth that complements Heilman’s field-event scoring.

The Lynn Jolly Relays set a regional pecking order with West Lyon capturing the boys team title at 121 points, Cherokee second at 114 and Spencer third at 109, underscoring how a handful of high scorers can swing team placings. Individual winners and high placers across Buena Vista County-area programs — including Alex Ortega finishing runner-up to Ramirez-Parra in the 3,200, Odin Hanson, Camden Reinert and Jack Olsen scoring in top-eight positions — give coaches a clearer view of relay lineups and athletes to target as the season moves toward conference and regional championships.

Cold, rainy weather at Cherokee likely suppressed several marks, meaning coaches and college recruiters will interpret many results as conservative indicators of potential rather than absolute ceilings. For Storm Lake and Ridge View, early-season wins from Ramirez-Parra, Weno, Heilman and Witzke provide a tangible basis for adjusting training loads, fine-tuning relays and prioritizing matchups that will matter when postseason seeding is decided.