Paton-Churdan has four events automatically qualified for the 2026 Iowa Coed State High School State Track & Field Championships May 21-23 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Coach Korey Jeschke feels good about one or more Rockets’ events qualifying on an At-Large basis and that list is expected to be released laster today. The Rockets were at a Class 1A State Qualifying Meet Thursday in Audubon. In 1A, only first place finishers in each event automatically qualify for State. The rest of the State field of 24 qualifiers per event is filled by comparing performances at all 1A State Qualifying Meets.

Junior Trevon Keely won three events and was second in another with junior Blaise Schilling winning the long jump at 21′ 10-3/4″, his best as a Rocket. Keely won the high jump at 6′ 4″, the 100 meter dash in 11.46 seconds, and the 200 meter dash in :22.81. Schilling was second to Keely in the 200 meter dash in 23.14 seconds and third in the 100 meter dash at :11.65.

The P-C boys were fifth among 14 teams with 58 points and the girls were number 12 among 14 teams with 17 points.