Sports

NORTH LIBERTY– Liberty High junior Kara Maiers was named the 2020 Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC) Athlete of the Year in the Valley Division for the conference’s All-Division Softball Selections.
Maiers was also a unanimous First Team pick and joined five other Liberty players on the roster. Senior Brylee Klosterman was also a First Team selection.
Junior Miranda Jones and eighth-grader Mischa Reiners were selected for Second Team honors. Sophomore Kinsley Robertson and junior Tiffany Jones earned Valley Division Honorable Mention.

TIFFIN– It was a pretty deep hole.
Solon’s varsity baseball squad fell behind by seven runs in the first inning of a Class 3A substate semifinal in Tiffin July 20 against Clear Creek Amana (CCA).
The Spartans roared back with their own big inning, but fell a run shy of extending the season with an 8-7 loss.
“It was not the start we envisioned, but one thing we really stressed going into the postseason was dealing with adversity,” noted Solon Head Baseball Coach Keith McSweeney. “I thought our guys fought through it and got back into the game as a result of their mental toughness.”

DES MOINES– The 111th Drake Relays presented by Xtream powered by Mediacom has officially been postponed to April 2021, Blake Boldon, the Franklin P. Johnson Director of the Drake Relays announced Thursday, July 23.
The 111th Drake Relays were first postponed March 18 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. In the ensuing months, Drake Relays staff worked tirelessly, in conjunction with local public officials and track and field governing bodies, to explore and plan for the potential of a 2020 event.

SOLON– The Lady Spartans had their chances.
Senior pitcher Kayla West and the Solon defense held Benton Community to three earned runs on seven hits, and the Lady Spartans came up with 15 hits and forced six errors.
But Solon’s varsity softball team couldn’t convert them into runs, and the Lady Spartans bowed out of the 2020 season in a Class 3A regional semifinal July 17 at home, 3-2.
Solon’s runs came in the bottom of the sixth inning with the Bobcats leading 3-0. Sophomore Camryn Keith and junior courtesy runner Payton Haasl crossed home on RBI by senior Jadyn Jeter and West.

WASHINGTON– The Lady Spartans made a powerful offensive statement to close out the regular season.
Solon’s varsity softball team pounded 41 hits and scored 34 runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Washington (Ia.) Demons on the road July 13.
The Lady Spartans broke open a one-run game in the opener, scoring 13 runs in the last four innings for a 20-7 victory then roared back from a 7-6 deficit to take a 14-9 win in the nightcap.