Lucy Schneekloth, a member of the Cedar Rapids Jefferson track team, is flanked by her mother, Julie, and father, Terry. (Ken Gilchrist photo)Her mother was an all-state sprinter, her father a record-breaking base stealer.

Lucy Schneekloth was born to run.

And so far in her first season on the Cedar Rapids Jefferson High School varsity track team, the flashy freshman is off to a fast start.

At the Mississippi Valley Conference indoor meet at the UNI-Dome two weeks ago, she took second place in the 60-meter dash. She followed that on Saturday with another runner-up finish in the 100-meter dash at the five-team Jefferson Early Bird Invitational at Kingston Stadium.

Perhaps even more impressive was that on a J-Hawk team laden with experienced state champions, Schneekloth set the pace as opening-leg runner on a pair of sprint relay teams that blew away the field.

Leading the way for veterans Summer Carber, Taylor Jacobson and Rachel Broghammer, the petite pony-tailed ninth grader with a winning braces-filled smile helped spark the quartet to convincing victories in both the 4x200 and the 4x100 relays.

"For this early in the year, Lucy is doing very well," said longtime Jefferson Coach Bill Calloway, who is no stranger to understatement. "Up to now, we've been working more on strength training than speed. So she's right where I'd expect her to be.

"Lucy's a very hard worker. She'll keep coming along as the season goes on. I know she'll be very good by the end of the year."

Calloway should know what to expect since he coached her mother, then Julie Davis, in the same sprint events almost three decades ago at the beginning of his illustrious career as the Jefferson women's track coach.

"Let me just say this about Julie," he said after Saturday's meet while making sure that her daughter was listening. "On the list of kids that I've had with the best work ethic, she ranks in the top five. That's a pretty exclusive list for 30-plus years of coaching. But nobody ever worked any harder than Lucy's mother."

It paid off, too.

Before graduating from Jefferson in 1986 after three years on the varsity team, Julie won both the state indoor and outdoor long jump championships (Lucy competes in that also, but it was called off on Saturday because of a slippery surface on the approach.)

She was on state title 4x100 and 4x200 teams along with a Drake Relays gold medal team. At the time, one of the winning times was the second-fastest ever for Iowa girls and the other the fastest. They're still Jefferson school records.

"Julie was just a tremendous sprinter," according to her former coach.

Sarah Strauel of Linn-Mar wins the high jump at 5 feet, 2 inches at the J-Hawk Early Bird Relays at Kingston Stadium on Saturday. (Ken Gilchrist photo)She went off to the University of Wisconsin on a track scholarship, helped win a Big Ten indoor team championship as a freshman but then broke her foot.

After transferring to the University of Northern Iowa, she finished her track career in 1992. She's now the training director of United Fire Group in Cedar Rapids.

Her husband, Terry Schneekloth, was no slouch as a prep and collegiate athlete himself. A four-sport star and 1987 LaSalle High School grad, he concentrated on baseball at Mount Mercy University and in his senior year set the NAIA small college record for stolen bases with an even 100 in 52 games.

"We didn't have much power," he explained. "So our team philosophy was to run every chance we got. We were little rabbits or water bugs on the base paths."

A self-described "slap hitter," Terry tried out for several major league teams following graduation in 1991 but was never signed. His claim to minor fame was that he was once clocked at 6.25 seconds in a 60-yard dash at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

"He could flat-out fly," Calloway said.

His professional baseball career dashed, Schneekloth taught math at Jefferson for eight years, switched to Prairie and was head baseball coach there for seven years and has been back as a Jeff teacher since 2008.

The family lives in Ely. Lucy, their only child, open-enrolled at Jefferson for high school so their vacation times would coincide. "Having Coach Calloway like my mom did is just a bonus added on," Lucy said. "He's the best."

Her mother agrees.

"Obviously, I have all the trust in the world in Mr. Calloway," Julie said. "There is nobody better at motivating the girls.

"He can take a girl of average talent and inspire her to do her absolute best. He's able to get the most out of their talent."

Calloway said the key to success rests with the athletes themselves.

"They have to want it," he said. "It's whatever they want to make of their talent."

Lucy herself seems pretty motivated. She sports a 4.286 grade point average, fourth-highest in her freshman class, and is the class secretary. She also was a diver on the varsity swimming team.

She said she knows she has to get stronger, so she's committed to her coaches' weight training regimen.

Neither she nor Calloway knows what events she'll specialize in this year. For Saturday's competition, she was merely filling in for regular relay sprint relay runner Maliya Rattliffe, who is in Florida for a spring break school band trip.

"I just want to do whatever will help my team," Lucy said.

Seeing her daughter race on the very same Kingston oval where she set records, Julie Schneekloth feels she's off to a good start.

Said the mom, "She's built to run."

J-Hawk Early Bird Relays
At Kingston Stadium

(No Team Scores Kept)

Winners

Shot put - Rachel Griffin (Prairie) 33-9
Discus - Alex Malloy (Prairie) 95-4
High jump - Sarah Strauel (Linn-Mar) 5-2
Long jump - Cancelled (wet conditions)
100 meter dash - Courtney Major (Linn-Mar) 12.94
200 meter dash - Courtney Major (Linn-Mar) 26.66
400 meter dash - Kennedy Japenga (Linn-Mar) 63.15
100 meter hurdles - Mallory Young (Linn-Mar) 16.00
400 meter hurdles - Emily Neff (Cedar Falls) 1:11.27
800 meter run - Allison Gregg (Cedar Falls) 2:27.50
1500 meter run - Allison Gregg (Cedar Falls) 4:56.70
3000 meter run - Allison Culver (Kennedy) 11:08.30
4x100 meter relay - Jefferson 51.21
Shuttle hurdle relay - Linn-Mar 1:09.68
4x200 meter relay - Jefferson 1:49.84
4x400 meter relay - Linn-Mar 4:11.20
4x800 meter relay - Cedar Falls 10:06.90
Sprint medley - Cedar Falls 1:57.30
Distance medley - Cedar Falls 4:18.60

Linn-Mar Results
(Top 6)

1st - Sarah Strauel (high jump) 5-2
1st - Courtney Major (100) 12.94
1st - Courtney Major (200) 26.66
1st - Kennedy Japenga (400) 63.15
1st - Mallory Young (100 hurdles) 16.00.
1st - Shuttle hurdle relay 1:09.68
1st - 4x400 relay 4:11.20
2nd - Lanie Nietert (discus) 93-0
2nd - Maddie Saville (800) 2:28.20
2nd - 4x800 relay 10:27.96
2nd - Distance medley 4:32.76
3rd - Lanie Nietert (shot put) 31-10 1/2
3rd - Haily Morgan (100) 13.24
3rd - Dana Sablett (400 hurdles) 1:14.21
3rd - Olivia Miller (800) 2:37.05
4th - Sydney Johnston (3000) 11:45.74
4th - 4x100 relay 53.75
4th - 4x200 relay 1:53.23
4th - Sprint medley 2:02.82
5th - Sarah Renner (high jump) 4-2
5th - Morgan Uridil (1500) 5:22.92
5th - Caitlin Novak (3000) 12:07.70
6th - Gwen Gardner (shot put) 28-10
6th - Sarah Strauel (100 hurdles) 17.51

Jefferson Results
(Top 6)

1st - 4x100 relay 51.21
1st - 4x200 relay 1:49.84
2nd - Lucy Schneekloth (100) 13.06
2nd - Maddy Ranschau (100 hurdles) 16.43
2nd - Summer Carber (200) 27.31
2nd - Michelle Zikes (3000) 11:22.52
3rd - Morgan Meese (200) 28.41
3rd - Shuttle hurdle relay 1:12.84
3rd - 4x800 relay 11:43.15
5th - Bethany Polansky (800) 2:40.06
5th - 4x400 relay 4:37.28
5th - Distance medley 4:55.42
6th - Morgan Meese (100) 13.58

Prairie Results
(Top 6)

1st - Rachel Griffin (shot put) 33-9
1st - Alex Malloy (discus) 95-4
2nd - Natalie Rumer (shot put) 32-1
2nd (tie) - Hannah Grimm (400) 64.50
2nd - 4x100 relay 51.50
2nd - Shuttle hurdle relay 1:12.15
2nd - Sprint medley 1:58.35
3rd - Leslie Harder (high jump) 4-10
3rd - Chelsey Montgomery (100 hurdles) 17.09
3rd - 4x200 relay 1:52.35
4th - Rachel Griffin (discus) 88-10
4th - Kiana Jackson (100) 13.44
4th - Hope Steimel (400) 64.70
4th - Taylor Marion (100 hurdles) 17.15
4th - 4x400 relay 4:35.95
4th - Distance medley 4:53.22
5th - Jaden Stallman (200) 30.14
5th - Katie VanDouren (400 hurdles) 1:16.00
6th - Emily Wallace (800) 2:41.00
6th - Bree Gaster (1500) 5:36.00

Kennedy Results
(Top 6)

1st - Allison Culver (3000) 11:08.30
2nd - Kelsie Coates (400 hurdles) 1:13.24
3rd - Katie Wampole (1500) 5:06.34
3rd - 4x400 relay 4:34.31
3rd - Sprint medley 2:01.97
3rd - Distance medley 4:33.08
4th - Ally Ballinger (shot put) 31-3
4th - Emma Moss (400 hurdles) 1:15.35
4th - Allison Culver (1500) 5:09.54
5th - Kelsie Coates (100 hurdles) 17.43
5th - 4x100 relay 55.39
5th - 4x200 relay 1:54.02
6th - Krystal Willmsen (discus) 78-1
6th - Sarah Manders (3000) 12:26.69