For Iowa high school track teams, the Dickinson Relays are sort of a state meet—in reverse order. Held indoors at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Dickinson is usually the first competition of the year for many eastern and central Iowa schools.
It is also ‘one class’…no division based on enrollments. Competitors find out in a hurry where their strengths are and what they need to work on as the season kicks off. No team scores are kept. The format, with up to 25 or more heats in some relays and dozens of entries in most individual events, allows coaches to work over lineups and experiment a little.
At the Dickinson meet, Solon girls track coach Brent Sands liked what he saw.
“I feel pretty good. With all the (snow) cancellations, we didn’t have everybody but it seemed like most of the big schools were all still here. We got a good taste. We had three first places, a couple seconds and a third. I feel really good about where we are early in the season like this.”
Early on, Mia, Aly and Sophia Stahle combined with MaKinley Levin to lock down a 1:47.25 trip in the 4×200 relay, besting everyone else across 14 heats. Later in the evening, Gracie Federspiel, Meghan O’Neill, Anna Quillin and Emma Bock went 9:55.11 for first in the 4×800. Aly Stahle snagged win number three for the Lady Spartans with a 27.18, 200-meter time.
Emma Bock rounded two laps on the 200 meter oval in 59 seconds flat for second-place in the 400. Kaia Holtkamp finished runner-up in the 800 with a 2:25.61. Kayla Young’s 11:17.03 was good for ninth in the 3000.
Sophia Stahle led off the 4×400 relay with the baton pass to MaKinley Levin, Meghan O’Neill and Gracie Federspiel. Each ran a 1:01 and change or 1:02 split in their first meet of the season, the 4:08.55 was good for third place. MaKinley Levin was fifth in the long jump at 16-7.
“We’re very excited, coming off a great season last year (peaking with a State Class 3A runner-up finish),” reviewed Levin. “We did it as a team. Others might think you do it with just a few people. Coming into this season, we are just ready. We went out here tonight and just ran our best. We didn’t get intimidated by all the big schools. They’re good competition. And when it comes down to the State Meet (in May), we won’t be racing against many of them. That’s too bad.”
With a couple more indoor meets, there is opportunity to experiment with lineups, work on technique, starts and overall speed ahead of a busy outdoor season as the Solon girls try to improve on the 2021 State finish.
Lady Spartans show up strong at statewide Dickinson Relays
March 17, 2022
Anchor Gracie Federspiel leans into the turn of the 4×400 relay at the Dickinson Relays, March 7. Federspiel and teammates Sophia Stahle, MaKinley Levin and Meghan O’Neill finished third overall in 4:08.55, out of 30+ teams from across the state.
