Head Coach Mark Sovers and his coaching staff welcomed the Solon Spartans’ varsity boys track and field season Tuesday, March 8, at the A.D. Dickinson Relays at the University of Northern Iowa, in Cedar Falls. With 30+ teams from Class 3A present, the skills of the Spartans were given an early season test.
“We were really pleased with the way we went out and competed so early in the season at Dickinson,” Coach Sovers said. “The relays continue to improve and were a highlight so early. One of our focal points is to be competitive in all the relays, due to the depth and competition we will be blessed with this year on our team. We want our relays to reflect the quality of athletes we have and their ability to push each other closer to our goals.”
The Spartans’ best finishes came in the 4×200-meter and the 4×400-meter relays with both teams capturing 15th-place finishes in the first event of the 2022 season. Trin Eidahl, Blake Timmons, Jeremy Bachus and Michael Pipolo ran a combined 1:38.04 in the 64-team field and Rhyse Wear, Rhett Mesch, Grant Knipper and Bachus combined for a 3:45.07 competing in a 51 team field. Ty Becicka, Michael Yeomans, Wyatt Applegarth and Grant Bumsted combined for a 9:14.66 time and a 29th place finish in the 4×800-meter relay competing against 59 other teams.
In the field events, Solon junior Adam Smith hurled the shot put, 45-10.25, to place 21st among 175 competitors at the event, making him the top-placing field participant for the Spartans. Sophomore Brett White finished 54th and Parker Pentico was 57th out of 127 in the long jump with 18-02 and 18-01 respectively.
In the rest of the track events, the Spartans established early season marks as seniors Trin Eidahl (7.35) and Pipolo (7.35) finished 31st and 34th respectively, and junior Blake Timmons (7.40) finished 48th in a deep 60-meter dash field of 220 runners. In the 200-meter dash, sophomore Zach Capper finished 106th, Pentico 129th and senior Oliver Burns 169th out of 200 runners with 25.55, 26.03 and 27.05, respectively. Becicka, a senior, sophomore Keenan Kruse and senior Brent Lumpkin competed in a 198-runner field to finish 74th, 116th and 165th in the 400-meter dash with times of 57.12, 58.8 and 61.50. Sophomores Grant and Colin Bumstead ran a 2:27.34 and a 2:30.14 in the 800-meter dash to finish 126th and 137th in a 165-competitor field.
In a 60-meter high hurdle field of 111 competitors, sophomores Nash Kotar and Charlie Brandt captured 46th and 65 with times of 9.57 and 9.91.
“We will lean on our depth this year with good numbers in each class,” Coach Sovers prognosticated. “The goal from the beginning is to develop the best complimentary line up we can have throughout our lineup. We will also lean on the experience and success they bring with them from last year and the multi-sport experience they develop so much through. The experience of success and championship moments they have had the opportunity to experience through all of their activities will definitely help set them up for success this Track and Field Season.”
The Boys’ Track and Field team is scheduled to compete Saturday, March 19, in the Boys Varsity WaMaC Indoor meet at Grinnell College, in Grinnell, with events commencing at 10 a.m.
“We look forward to competing this year with our schedule,” Coach Sovers assured. “There are several opportunities to bring out the best version of who we are. We are looking forward to the new challenges, this year, we have at Davenport Assumption and Center Point-Urbana along with the Eastern Iowa Running Festival, at Iowa City West. At all the meets on our schedule, we want to learn something new about ourselves along our journey this year.”