DES MOINES One by one, Rebekah Topham started picking them off.

The Griswold freshman stood 13th among 16 runners through 200 meters of Fridays Drake Relays 800-meter final. Topham surged into second place with 200 remaining, but couldnt make up the large deficit on West Des Moines Valley junior Lydia Saggau, who held off Topham to win the flag, 2:12.07 to 2:12.86.

Four other area girls earned medals on Friday at Drake Stadium. Sioux City East sophomore Elizabeth Bohlmann may have been the most surprising second-place finisher of the day, grabbing the runner-up spot in the long jump at 17 feet, 6 inches.

Sixths went to Corning senior Caitlyn Stroud in the 100 (13.16) and Harlan Community senior Abby Sonderman in the discus (129-6). Creston junior Brianna Maitlen placed eighth in the long jump (16-10 ).

Topham, who won the 3,000 on Thursday, was attempting to become the 30th Iowa prep to win at least two individual events in a Drake Relays. Instead, she settled for a personal-best time by nearly four seconds.

I was picking them off, one by one, and I just couldnt catch that girl in the lead, Topham said. She was really good.

Tophams time would have won in 24 of the previous 34 Drake 800s. Battling winds pushing 30 mph at times, Topham said she was pleased with her performance. Through two races, only one girl in the entire state has beaten her.

It feels good, she said. First would be better, but that girl was strong.

Saggau said shes heard good things about Topham. But she didnt hear footsteps as the Tiger standout was closing in the final 20 meters.

I heard the announcer. I heard him say she was in second, said Saggau, who also ran a PR by about a second. I knew she was going to be there. I didnt know how, but I knew she would be.

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Topham sets personal best, but 2nd in 800