The Spartan boys track and field team competed in the Ruth Ahrens Invitational on April 12, championing the event, and then tied for third at the Jesse Day Relays at Brady Street Stadium (in Davenport) on April 14. They also competed at the 2022 Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival at Iowa City West High School on April 16.
Head Coach Mark Sovers was excited to field two teams in the Class A division at Iowa Valley, claiming the overall Class A Team championship.
Solon scored 196 team points to best Williamsburg (162), Benton Community (86), Clear Creek-Amana (46), Solon JV (44), Benton Community JV (44), CCA JV (12) and Williamsburg JV (3).
“Very proud of our team at Iowa valley,” Coach Sovers said. “We were ready to compete and, most importantly, we were ready to compete together. Success follows when we are able to remember the most import thing is to keep the most important thing the most important thing- investing in the success of others.”
Coach Sovers was quick to list event champions including Michael Pipolo in the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes; Michael Yeomans in the 800-meter dash; Brady Mullen in the 110-meter high hurdles; Keenan Kruse in the 400-meter low hurdles; Ben Kampman in the discus; Oaken Foster in the high jump, setting a new personal record; and Adam Smith in the shot put.
He also praised Pipolo’s, Mullen’s and Foster’s performances.
Referring to Pipolo’s dual wins Sovers stated, “Really coming into his own and competing at a high level in all areas on and off the track.”
In reference to Mullen’s 110-meter, “Competing with a lot of confidence and really starting to become a leader for our track team.”
And praising Foster’s high jump success, “Love the confidence he is competing with.”
Sovers praised the relay championship performances in the 4×400-meter relay team of Jeremy Bachus, Blake Timmons, Rhett Mesch and Jacob Timmons; the 4×800-meter relay team of Yeomans, Ty Becicka, Wyatt Applegarth and Mesch; and the shuttle hurdle team of Nash Kotar, Charlie Brandt, Cole Carney and Mullen.
Runner up performances also cemented the team success of the Spartans courtesy of Becicka in the 800-meter run, Kotar in the 110-meter hurdles, Brick Kabela in the 3,200-meter run (his first time running the event this year), Adam Smith in the discus, and Foster, Ben Duckett, Ty Bell and Jordan Schmidt in the relays.
The Spartans tied for third as a team at the Jesse Day Relays in Davenport. North Scott championed the event with 136 team points followed by Bettendorf (108), and Muscatine and Solon tied with 75 for third. Davenport West (70), Clinton (54), Central DeWitt (48), Davenport Central (46), Davenport North (39), Davenport Assumption (27) and Burlington (23) rounded out the remaining teams.
Coach Sovers praised the performance, “Tied for third as a team. Love the way we competed and made the most of our opportunity to compete in some tough weather conditions. Would have been easy to use the weather as an excuse.”
Mullen posted an event championship in the 110-meter hurdles, setting another new personal record in the process, while Kotar, Brandt, Carney, and Mullen had a runner up finish in the shuttle hurdle relay. Field event successes included Parker Pentico taking third and Brett White seventh in the long jump, both setting new personal records; Smith capturing third in the shot put; Kampman and Smith grabbing fifth and sixth respectively in discus.
“Very proud of our field events and the way they continue to lead the way for us when we compete, no matter the size or the competition,” Sovers hailed. “We are really pleased with where we are at this time of year. We always look forward to the Jesse day relays. Gives us the opportunity to see where we are at in the sprinting events and respond to the competition. We also get to see some different competition to help challenge our development in different areas. All accomplished this year.”
Looking forward, Coach Sovers and the Spartans are eager for the challenges and the opportunity to develop.
“We are looking forward to what is ahead in the season,” he emphasized. “Our Hurdle Team is really coming into its own. They are competing with confidence and togetherness. Our field events continue to improve each and every meet. They do a tremendous job of focusing on what is important in the moment for their event and the tone they set for our team. Love the way they embrace their very important role.”
Coach Sovers also pointed out competing in the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival, Mullen set a third personal record in the 110-meter hurdles.
Solon results from Ruth Ahrens Invitational at Iowa Valley, April 12, courtesy of Varsity Bound Meets:
100m: 1. Michael Pipolo 12.00 (10), 5. Brayden Moore, JV 12.61 (2), 11. Gavin Sieverding, JV 13.41.
200m: 1. Pipolo 23.78 (10), 7. Brent Lumpkin 25.54, 11. Brody Kerkhoff 27.26, 11. Karsyn Regennitter 27.26.
400m: 6. Eddie Johnson, JV 1:00.11 (1), 8. Noah Kottenstette 1:03.10, 11. Pierce Cummings, JV 1:06.99.
800m: 1. Michael Yeomans 2:14.43 (10), 2. Ty Becicka 2:14.66 (8), 9. Gabe Nicholson, JV 2:41.94.
110m hurdles: 1. Mullen 16.11 (10), 2. Nash Kotar 17.22 (8), 5. Charlie Brandt, JV 18.68 (2), 6. Ben Duckett 19.43 (1).
1,600m: 3. Grant Bumsted 5:21.74 (6), 4. Colin Bumsted, JV 5:25.42 (4).
3,200m: 2. Brick Kabela 11:08.43 (8).
400m hurdle: 1. Keenan Kruse 1:02.06 (10).
Discus: 1. Ben Kampman 133-11 (10), 2. Adam Smith 128-6 (8), 3. Mason Scott, JV 125-01 (6), 10. Jackson Link, JV 94-6.
High jump: 1. Oaken Foster 6-00 (10).
Long jump: 3. Parker Pentico 18-9 (6), 4. Jake Quillin 18-8 (4), 6. Jordan Schmidt, JV 17-4 (1), 9. Cole Carney, JV 16-3.5.
Shot Put: 1. Smith 45-3 (10), 3. Kampman 41-0 (6), 5. Marcus Richard, JV 40-1 (2), 6. Carter Grimm, JV 39-8 (1).
4×100 relay: 3. Oliver Burns, Quillin, Jake Timmons, Grant Gerdin 46.53 (6), 4. JV Brayden Moore, Zach Capper, Gavin Sieverding, Kampman 47.24 (4).
4×200 relay: 3. Trin Eidahl, Jeremy Bachus, Gerdin, Blake Timmons 1:34.69 (6), 4. JV Ryan Walsh, Dawson Fordice, Charlie Hamill, Oliver Owens 1:40.78 (4).
4×400 relay: 1. Austin Knight, B. Timmons, Rhett Mesch, Jeremy Bachus 3:35.41 (10), 5. JV Ryan Stiegelmeyer, Charlie Karam, Gabe Nicholson, Ty Bell 4:18.17 (2).
4×800 relay: 1. Yeomans, Ty Becicka, Wyatt Applegarth, Grant Bumsted 9:03.52 (10).
Shuttle hurdle: 1. Kotar, Brandt, Carney, Mullen 1:07.18 (10), 2. JV Foster, Duckett, Bell, Jordan Schmidt 1:13.46 (8).
800m SMR: 2. Quillin, Pentico, Knight, Grant Knipper 1:44.51 (8), 4. JV Jace Janssen, Milo Ashbacker, Zach Capper, Stiegelmeyer 1:47.76 (4).
1,600m DMR: 3. Rhett Mesch, Grant Knipper, Rhyse Wear, Quinn Felderman 4:07.97 (6), 5. JV Brycen Miller, Keenan Kruse, Matthew Tvedte, Maddox Shipley 4:16.86 (2).
Solon results Jesse Day Invitational at Brady Street Stadium, Davenport, April 14, courtesy of Direct Athletics:
100m: 8. Trin Eidahl 11.94 (1), 15. Oliver Burns 12.61.
200m: 6. Rhett Mesch 24.70 (3), 16. Brent Lumpkin 25.56.
400m: 7. Grant Gerdin 56.07 (2), 12. Grant Knipper 57.57.
800m: 5. Ty Becicka 2:09.24 (4).
1,600m: 9. Grant Bumsted 5:11.31.
3,200m: 4. Collin Bumsted 11:40.54 (5).
110m hurdles: 1. Brady Mullen 15.91 (10), 7. Nash Kotar 16.97 (2).
400m hurdles: 7. Oaken Foster 1:02.42 (2), 8. Keenan Kruse 1:02.73 (1).
4×100 relay: 4. Eidahl, Knight, Timmons, Pipolo 44.97 (5).
4×200 relay: 5. Quillin, Mesch, Knight, Capper 1:35.84 (4).
4×400 relay: 9. Timmons, Quillin, Knipper, Yeomans 3:48.66.
4×800 relay: 8. Becicka, Bumsted, Applegarth, Felderman 9:35.57 (1).
800m SMR: 3. Eidahl, Gerdin, Bachus, Timmons 1:42.50 (6).
Shuttle hurdle: 2. Kotar, Brandt, Carney, Mullen 1:05.40 (8).
Long jump: 3. Parker Pentico 19-11 (6), 7. Brett White 19-5 (2).
Shot put: 3. Adam Smith 43-7 (6), 14. Ben Kampman 39-3.
Discus: 5. Kampman 131-8.5 (6), 6. Smith 130-6.5 (3).
Solon results from Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival at West High School, Iowa City courtesy of Varsity Bound Meets:
200m: 4. Blake Timmons 23.77, 10. Michael Pipolo 24.60.
400m: 10. Jeremy Bachus 54.40.
800m: 10. Michael Yeomans 2:09.33.
110m hurdles: 3. Brady Mullen 15.59, 9. Nash Kotar 16.26.
3,200m: 14. Brick Kabela 11:05.39.
Discus: 7. Adam Smith 149-7, 14. Mason Scott 120-0.
High jump: 4. Oaken Foster 5-10.
Shot put: 9. Smith 44-9.
4×100 relay: 8. Trin Eidahl, B. Timmons, Austin Knight, Michael Pipolo 45.18.
4×200 relay: 7. Trin Eidahl, Bachus, Grant Gerdin, B. Timmons 1:34.80.
4×400 relay: 5. Bachus, B. Timmons, Rhett Mesch, Jake Timmons 3:35.76.
Shuttle hurdle: 2. Nash Kotar, Charlie Brandt, Cole Carney, Mullen 1:05.16.
800m SMR: 11. Grant Knipper, Knight, J. Timmons, Mesch 1:43.6.
1,600m DMR: 9. Eidahl, Pipolo, Bachus, Ty Becicka 3:53.89.