Cyclone girls perform well despite lack of medals

 DES MOINES -- For the first time in many years the Harlan Community girls track team finished scoreless at a state meet this past weekend, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort.
 The Cyclones took eight events to the 2016 State Track and Field Championships and performed at, or close to, a season-best level in most of them. State medals simply weren’t in the cards this year, however, as a combination of circumstances left the team a bit on the green side when it comes to experience inside Drake Stadium.
 Of the 11 Cyclone girls who competed Thursday and Friday, eight were freshmen or sophomores and only Baylee Hoegh had ever participated in a state track meet.
 HCHS nearly scored in the 4x200 relay - placing ninth with a season-best time - and also improved its 4x100 time. Gillian Streit finished 11th in both the discus and shot put while freshman Chloe Hansen took 12th in the 400-meter hurdles.
 Most importantly, though, a new group of Cyclone girls learned what it’s like to run on the famed blue oval in front of thousands of people.