The Solon boys track and field team battled to tie for second place amongst sixteen total teams at the Williamsburg Co-Ed Invitational held in Williamsburg at Bob Murphy Stadium on Tuesday, April 5. The Spartans claimed second with 92 team points, tied with Clear Creek-Amana (CCA). Solon and the Clippers were only bested by Cedar Rapids Prairie’s 96 team points. Solon and CCA bettered Williamsburg (84), Benton Community (83), Center Point-Urbana (60), Washington (56), Mid-Prairie (38), Belle Plaine (35), Grinnell (24), Mount Pleasant (23), Oskaloosa (23), Liberty High (17), Regina (13), Vinton-Shellsburg (3) and the Williamsburg junior varsity team (2).
“With Williamsburg being the second outdoor meet of the year, we have done a really good job of going out and competing. The numbers this year for track allow for very good competition in practice,” Head Coach Mark Sovers confided. “Early this season it has shown through in meets. The goal is to ‘Spartan Up’ in practice and the meets can be about the joy of competing. Our goal this season is to be the best complimentary track team we can be and to be part of the conversation.”
And part of the conversation, the Spartans were.
“We were very consistent in the Field events again this meet,” Sovers added. “We want to be intentional about starting the meets strong and set a positive tone for the rest of meet. This is when Spartan Track has always been at it’s best. Oaken Foster (jumped) 5-8, tied for third-place (in the) high jump, Parker Pentico (hurled himself) 17-10 (for) sixth-place (in the) long jump, Brett White 17-09 (for) seventh-place (in the long jump), Adam Smith 45-01 (for) for third-place in the shot put…(and) 140-11 (for) first-place (in the) discus, (and) Ben Kampman 138-09 (for) second-place (in the) discus (for a) total points (of) 36.”
Solon’s field events recorded over a third of their total team points.
“Proud of our field events and the way they bring out the best in each other in practice and in meets,” Coach Sovers praised. “They do a great job of rising up to any challenge that comes their way during competition.”
Coach Sovers emphasized the team’s relay successes, citing the Distance Medley combination of Grant Knipper, Rhett Mesch, Jeremy Bachus and Michael Yeomans, clocking a 3:50.13, to capture first-place and the 4×400-meter relay combination of Jeremy Bachus, Rhett Mesch, Austin Knight and Jacob Timmons with a 3:36.41 also capturing the gold level of the podium.
“We were really excited and happy to run at Williamsburg Tuesday,” he stated. “To us it was the most important meet of the year because it was the next one. We are always in a competition to be the best version of ourselves each and every day. The weather always offers a challenge to all the athletes. When it is cold and rainy, the challenge becomes warming up properly. I felt our athletes warmed up even better because of the weather, because it was something they could control.”
Coach Sovers was pleased with the team performance, as the Spartans’ most important meet was to follow, the next one. He reiterated Solon’s goal to be the best.
“Our goal to be the Best Version of who we are is to practice each and everyday with the purpose of getting faster. Faster on the track and faster in life, where you enter each and every situation in life with a confidence and a mindset you are at your best when you need to be the most and don’t flinch,” he elaborated. As we move closer to our goal, our Team can go out and compete regardless of the situation and be successful.
Williamsburg Co-Ed Invitational boys results from Tuesday, April 5, courtesy of Kauder Racing:
High jump– 3. Oaken Foster, (three-way tie) 5-8, 5.
Long jump– 6. Parker Pentico, 17-10, 3; 7. Brett White,17-9, 2.
Shot put– 3. Adam Smith, 45-1, 6; 15. Cayden Knipper, 39-9, 18. Richard Marcus, 39-0 ½; 30. Josh O’Neill, 35-9 ½.
Discus– 1. Adam Smith, 140-11, 10; 2. Ben Kampman, 138-9, 8.
800m SMR– 5. Trin Eidahl, Blake Timmons, Jacob Timmons, Rhett Mesch, 1:40.93, 4.
4x800m relay– 8. Ty Becicka, Wyatt Applegarth, Rhyse Wear, Grant Bumsted, 9:15.91, 2.
440m Shuttle Hurdle– 7. Nash Kotar, Charlie Brandt, Cole Carney, Ben Duckett, 1:09.58, 2.
100m– 7. Michael Pipolo, 11.71, 2; 14. Jake Quillin 12.28.
1600m DMR- 1. Grant Knipper, Mesch, Jeremy Bachus, Michael Yeomans, 3:50.13, 10.
400m- 3. B. Timmons 53.44, 6; 18. Dawson Fordice 58.72.
4x200m relay– 7. Eidahl, Austin Knight, Zach Capper, Michael Pipolo, 1:37.07, 2; 14. Michael Purdy, Pentico, Oliver Burns, Brent Lumpkin, 1:42.93.
110m hurdles– 7. Kotar, 17.85, 3; 10. Brandt, 18.57.
800m– 12. Bumsted, 2:17.08.
200m– 4. Pipolo, 24.02, 5; 5. B. Timmons, 24.12, 4.
400m hurdles– 5. Keenan Kruse, 1:01.92, 4.
1600m– 6. Yeomans, 5:00.74, 3; 11. Becicka 5:10.43.
4x100m relay– 9. Eidahl, Quillin, B. Timmons, Pipolo, 46.49, 1; 14. Burns, Brett White, Purdy, Lumpkin, 48.29.
4x400m relay– 1. Bachus, Mesch, Knight, J. Timmons, 3:36.41, 10.

Gallery • 1 Photos

Joe Petz • Contributed Photo

Nash Kotar clears a hurdle during the shuttle hurdle relay during the Williamsburg Raider Co-Ed Invitational Tuesday, April 5.