DES MOINES - A Drake Relays winner earns a flag and a medal.

Future victories are not neccesarily part of the package, as Cedar Falls found out Friday in the boys' Class 4A state track meet.

The Tigers, who won the distance medley relay at Drake, claimed second place in the state version while battling with a tough field.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy traded places with Cedar Falls. Runners-up in the Drake medley, the Cougars won it Friday with a time of 3 minutes, 28.08 seconds. C.F. posted a 3:31.14, beyond its Relays effort of 3:28.77

That the field got tough at the state meet didn't surprise Jordan Velasquez.

"Most definitely, it was," said the Tiger anchor. "We've all had more time to get better and all the teams here did that."

Velasquez and his medley teamates knew Kennedy would be formidable. So, when Cougar anchor Kyle Slaymkaer grabbed the baton for his 800-meter anchor leg, Velasquez understood the challenge.

"Slaymaker is a good runner," he said. "He always does good."

Velasquez started his leg in seventh place. As he rounded turn two and strode in the backstretch, he made his move into second. That's where the Tigers stood when the bell clanged for the final lap.

But Slaymaker wouldn't be caught. Meanwhile, Velasquez drifted to fourth on the scoreboard side of Drake Stadium. But the senior charged late and reclaimed runner-up honors in the closing 100 meters.

Velasquez' split for the anchor 800 was 1:53.5 to 1:53.4 for Slaymaker.

"Second is fine," said Velasquez. "I'll take it. It's not like we were back in fifth or sixth and stuff. Second place, and a close-range second place, is good.

Austin Long, Blake Davis and Jesse Alexander joined Velasquez on the Tigers' medley relay.

Overall, Cedar Falls has 16 points, good for eighth in the 4A team standings. But the Tigers did not advance anyone to Saturday's finals.

For that matter, neither did Waterloo East and Waterloo West. The Trojans and Wahawks are part of a 24th-place logjam with five points each.

NU High's Terry Nielsen will represent the metro area in the 1A 1,600 Saturday.

Among the other top metro boys' performances Friday were:

West's Alen Sarkic, fourth in the 4A 400-meter hurdles.

Darrius Washington of East and Cedar Falls' Barkley Hill, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 4A long jump.