Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Senior Connor Carver of Fort Dodge clears a hurdle during a race inside Dodger Stadium. Carver is officially a Drake Relays qualifier in the 110 hurdles.

Drake Relays qualifiers and state-qualifying assignments have both been confirmed over the weekend.

Fort Dodge senior Connor Carver will get his shot at competing against the best hurdlers in the state, as he has qualified for Drake in the 110 hurdles. That race takes place Friday morning at 8:44 a.m.

The throwing events will be well represented, as Webster City’s Jaxon Cherry is in both the discus and the shot put. Joining him in the discus will be Southeast Valley’s Justin Loseke and Mason Allen of Clarion-Goldfield/Dows.

Loseke’s teammate, Ethan Ackerson has also advanced in the shot put.

North Union’s Bryer Prochniak will run in the 100-meter dash, Newell-Fonda’s Carter Sievers will compete in the long jump and Emmetsburg’s Byron Maina in the high jump.

Webster City and Algona are both in the 4×100-meter relay.

Manson Northwest Webster’s Alyssa Richman secured herself a spot in the 1,500, with Emmetsburg’s Rachel Schany and Mikayla Beisel from Clarion-Goldfield/Dows in the high jump.

Molly Joyce — a returning Class 1A state champion — is in the long jump field, along with her teammate and fellow defending state champion, Audi Crooks, who is in the shot put.

Maina, Cherry, Ackerson and Joyce all compete Thursday, while Prochniak, Sievers, Loseke, Cherry, Allen, Beisel, Schany and Crooks are in action Friday. Richman and the 4×100 relays race Saturday.

All state-qualifying meets will take place on Thursday, May 11, with the state track and field meet set for May 18-20 in Des Moines from Drake Stadium.

Fort Dodge will run at Waukee Northwest alongside Des Moines East, Des Moines Lincoln, Des Moines North, Urbandale, West Des Moines Valley, Waukee and Waukee Northwest.

Algona, Humboldt and Webster City are all slated for Nevada with Clear Lake, Gilbert, Hampton-Dumont/CAL, Nevada and North Polk, while area teams Clarion-Goldfield/Dows and Eagle Grove compete in Osage in 2A.

Manson Northwest Webster will be at a 2A qualifier hosted by Dike-New Hartford, while Emmetsburg travels to Sheldon. East Sac County, Greene County, Pocahontas Area, South Central Calhoun and Southeast Valley are at the OABCIG meet.

St. Edmond in 1A will join the likes of Bishop Garrigan, Newell-Fonda and West Bend-Mallard at a qualifier hosted by North Union.

The Top-2 times in each event automatically qualify, along with the next 12 at-large from around the state in 4A. In 3A and 2A, first and second place each advance with the next eight at-large.

For 1A, the winner moves on with the next 14 at-large.