PV boys tied for first at Class 4A state track meet
DES MOINES — Devin Allbaugh thought his eyes were deceiving him during Thursday’s Iowa Class 4A 3,200-meter run.
And for once, no one could say his shaggy hair falling in his face was the culprit.
The Pleasant Valley senior sheared his trademark blonde locks for a new look, but the result at the opening day of the state track meet was the same. Finishing in 9 minutes, 20.88 seconds, Allbaugh won the 3,200 for the second time in three years.
But he didn’t see it happen.
“I was looking at the big screen and I thought they weren’t even video taping the front of the race,” he said. “I didn’t recognize myself.”
Allbaugh’s decision to grab the clippers was a gesture of solidarity to Spartans teammate Charlie Paul, who was trimming his mane for Mother’s Day.
The cut was kind to Paul, who charged from sixth to third in the final lap of the 3,200.
Paul returned from a stress fracture in his left femur a month ago, but he looked healthy enough Thursday.
“My whole plan was to latch on to the big pack behind Devin,” Paul said. “I wanted to see what I could do.”
Expecting to vie for the 4A team title, PV coach Erik Belby shuffled his event lineup.
Allbaugh anchored the 3,200 relay instead of Blake Irwin, who was the final leg on the Spartans’ title teams at the Drake Relays the past two years.
The Spartans were behind well before Allbaugh took the baton, a gap Irwin admittedly would have had a tough time closing. PV finished fifth, good for four points.
Diversifying himself for the sake of team points, Irwin ran the 400.
He finished seventh, faltering in the final 100 meters and grabbing three points.
Yet Irwin had a similar letdown at the Drake Relays in the distance medley when he let the lead slip away, only to respond with a pair of wins the next day.
“It’s rough,” Irwin said. “We’re a little bit worse off than we thought. When you’re close between teams, you have to take risks.
“It’s going to take some big races the rest of the way.”
PV has 22 points and is tied for first with Iowa City West.
Andrew Petersen can be contacted at (563) 383-2288 or apetersen@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qcvarsity.com.