SOLON– The boys track and field team was supposed to compete in several meets the week of April 25, however due to weather the Center Point-Urbana Co-Ed Meet was cancelled, resulting in the Spartans championing the North Cedar Boys Invitational as well as the Clear Creek Amana (CCA) Co-Ed Relays.
The Spartans won the North Cedar Invitational April 26 scoring 192.5 team points and besting Maquoketa (165), North Cedar (138), West Branch (106.5) and Central City (57).
“Tuesday’s meet was an opportunity to go out and compete together and get back to what is important, and that is competing with a sense of pride and passion,” said Coach Mark Sovers. Personal records from the meet included Nash Kotar taking first place in the high hurdles, and Keenan Kruse taking second place in the 400 low Hurdles. Several highlights: Collin Bumsted 3,200-meter champion, Nash Kotar high hurdle champion, Cole Carney runner up high hurdles, Grant Bumsted 800-meter champion, 4×400-meter relay (Grant Bumsted, Kruse, Eddie Johnson, Collin Bumsted) champions.”
He continued, “North Cedar was a good representation from all of our athletes throughout the Track and Field program. They represented Solon in a positive way and took the opportunity to display some of the depth we have developed this year. This is a big credit to them when you make the most of the opportunity in front of you.”
North Cedar Boys Invitational statistics courtesy of H-Tek’s Meet Manager, April 26:
High jump: 4. Oliver Owens 4-10.00 (5).
Long jump: 2. Nash Kotar 18-01.00 (8), 7. Karsyn Regennitter 15-02.25 (2).
Discus: 8. Mason Scott 112-04.50 (1), 9. Grant Wilson 108-09, 15. Trevor Meyers 98-02, 16. Jackson Link 91.09.
Shot put: 5. Carter Grimm 40-06.00 (4), 6. Josh O’Neill 40-05.00 (3), 12. Marcus Richard 36-05.00, 15. Michael DeValk 25-10.00.
800m SMR: 2. Milo Ashbacker, Brayden Moore, Gavin Sieverding, Rhett Mesch 1:47.27 (8), 3. Cole Carney, Owens, Eddie Johnson, Ty Bell 1:49.87 (6).
3,200m: 1. Colin Bumsted 11:44.14 (10).
4×800 relay: 1. Grant Bumsted, Michael Yeomans, Brick Kabela, Wyatt Applegarth 9:23.78 (10).
Shuttle hurdle: 1. Charlie Brandt, Ben Duckett, Keenan Kruse, Cole Carney 1:10.52 (10).
100m: 5. Kotar 11.41 (3.5), 10. Tyler Bell 12.32, 11. Jace Janssen 12.34, 17. Max Ferin 15.50.
DMR: 2. Charlie Karam, Ryan Walsh, Bryce Miller, C. Bumsted 4:27.16 (8).
400m: 2. Yeomans 55.69 (8), 6. Applegarth 1:00.65 (3), 9. Noah Kottenstette 1:05.33, 10. Pierce Cummings 1:06.50.
4×200 relay: 3. Moore, Ashbacker, Zach Capper, Mesch 1:39.75 (6).
110m hurdle: 1. Kotar 15.69 (10), 2. Carney 17.03 (8), 3. Brandt 17.39 (6).
800m: 1. G. Bumsted 2:23.76 (10).
200m: 5. Ryan Walsh 24.46 (4), 12. Ben Duckett 25.78, 14. Pierce Cummings 29.70, 15. Max Ferin 34.63.
400m hurdle: 2. Kruse 1:00.75 (8), 3. Brant 1:03.09 (6).
1,600m: 1. Yeomans 5:01.69 (10), 2. Kabela 5:14.32 (8).
4×100 relay: 3. Moore, Mesch, Capper, Kotar 46.18 (6), 6. Sieverding, Ryan Walsh, Ashbacker, Janssen 19.13 (3).
SMR: 4. Solon A 56.19, 5. Solon B 57.02.
4×400 relay: 1. Capper, Johnson, Kruse, G. Bumsted 4:04.27 (10), 2. Ty Bell, Miller, Applegarth, Kottenstette 4:08.91 (8).
The Spartans also found success at CCA’s Pacha Relays in Tiffin April 28 by outscoring all other competitors with 156 team points. Tipton (92) followed, then Williamsburg (92), CCA (88.5), Benton Community (57.5), Monticello (56), Anamosa (53), Regina (52), Mount Vernon (31), Durant (30), Assumption (16), Wilton (16) and Clear Creek-Amana JV (1).
“Clear Creek-Amana was a great opportunity for our program to show the complementary part of our season goal to everyone,” Coach Sovers extolled. “There were so many ‘good’ performances to share. This time of year, it is important to be present in the moment and not make the moment bigger than it really is. We were able to score 37 points in the Field Events, 45 points in Relays and 74 points in the Individual running events. With this balance and an understanding of the moment, we are ready to set ourselves up for success in achieving our goals. We want to compete with the best Track and Field Teams in the WaMaC and in class 3A. We want to be part of the conversation.”
Pacha Relay results courtesy of Kauder Racing:
High jump: 2. Oaken Foster 6-0.00 (8), 9. Nash Kotar 5-4.00.
Long jump: 4. Parker Pentico 19-0.75 (5), 5. Brett White 19-0.00 (4).
Shot put: 3. Adam Smith 44-8.00 (6), 9. Cayden Knipper 39-0.
Discus: 2. Smith 146-3 (8), 3. Ben Kampman 141-7 (6).
800m SMR: 4. Solon A 1:39.16 (5).
3,200m: 4. Brick Kabela 10:55.19 (5), 10. Colin Bumsted 11:44.11.
4×800 relay: 5. Solon A 9:00.33 (4), 11. Solon B 9:45.01.
Shuttle hurdle: 3. Solon A 1:04.70 (6).
100m: 5. Trin Eidahl 11.97 (4), 10. Jake Quillin 12.16.
1,600m DMR: 2. Solon A 3:41.54 (8).
400m: 1. Jeremy Bachus 50.74 (10), 13. Dawson Fordice 56.30.
4×200 relay: 2. Solon A 1:31.87 (8), 10. Solon B 1:39.06.
110m hurdle: 1. Brady Mullen 16.01 (10), 3. Kotar 16.82 (6).
800m: 1. Michael Yeomans 2:05.99 (10), 3. Ty Becicka 2:09.67 (6).
200m: 3. Blake Timmons 23.07(6), 4. Bachus 23.21 (5).
400m hurdle: 3. Foster 59.34 (6), 4. Keenan Kruse 1:00.17 (5).
1,600m: 8. Kabela 4:59.63 (1).
4×100 relay: 3. Solon A 45.29 (6).
4×400 relay: 2. Solon A 3:30.37 (8).
The Spartans qualified one event for the Drake Relays – the 4×100-meter team which competed Saturday, April 30 (see related story).
The Spartans compete Thursday, May 5, in the WaMaC Conference Meet at Beckman Stadium with a scheduled 4 p.m. start. Monday, May 9, in the WaMaC Conference JV Meet at South Tama High School starting at 4:30 p.m., and the Class 3A State Qualifying Meet on Thursday, May 12, at Benton Community High School starting at 4 p.m.
“Moving into championship season next week, we are ready to keep the most important thing the Most Important Thing moving forward, and that is SPEED,” Coach Sovers emphasized. “Running fast along with the best version of who we are is our goal in attacking the championship part of our schedule.
“We are ready to show everyone what we stand for and what is important to us.”