VAN HORNE– Head Coach Mark Sovers quoted John Wooden in his comments following the Spartans’ performance in the Iowa Girls and Boys 3A-2 Qualifying Track Meet on May 12, “Success is the inner satisfaction and piece of mind that comes in knowing I did the best I was capable of doing for the group.”
The Solon boys championed the team standings scoring 131 points, followed by Benton Community (114.5), Marion (96), Mount Vernon (94.5), Cedar Rapids Xavier (85), DeWitt Central (77.5), Maquoketa (55) and Vinton-Shellsburg (38).
Coach Sovers detailed the automatic qualifiers from the meet: Adam Smith claimed the shot put championship, Jeremy Bachus championed the 400-meter dash, Michael Yeomans was victorious in the 800-meter dash and Brady Mullen claimed runner up in the 110-meter high hurdles. The Spartans’ at-large qualifiers included the shuttle hurdle relay team of Nash Kotar, Charlie Brandt, Cole Carney and Brady Mullen with alternates Ben Duckett and Oaken Foster; the distance medley relay quartet of Grant Gerdin, Jacob Timmons, Austin Knight and Ty Becicka with alternates Parker Pentico and Michael Yeomans; and the 4×400-meter relay foursome of Austin Knight, Rhett Mesch, Jacob Timmons and Jeremy Bachus.
Coach Sovers extolled the representation the Spartans made at the State Qualifying Meet facing the evolving conditions the night presented.
“Our athletes did a great job of representing Solon in a positive way,” he detailed. “Thursday night presented some very challenging circumstances from the weather to dealing with challenging performances. What is the most important thing to do when events are challenging? Respond, our response mattered and that is what we were the most proud of. When people know they matter and value the success of others, your response can make a difference. In the end, our team’s response led to the opportunity for us to be the best version of who we are and the opportunity to be State Qualifying Meet Team Champions. Their response mattered and they never stopped competing throughout the meet. Our Team grew so much this year and, in the end, the relationships they were able to build and strengthen throughout the year set the foundation for a successful season.”
Solon statistics courtesy of Hy-Tek’s Meet Manager for the State Qualifying Meet on May 12:
800m SMR: 5. Trin Eidahl, Michael Pipolo, Blake Timmons, Rhett Mesch, Jeremy Bachus, Jacob Timmons 1:37.50 (4).
3200m: 4. Brick Kabela 11:09.59 (5), Gabe Hinman 11:14.56 (4).
4x800m: 4. Grant Bumsted, Ty Becicka, Quinn Felderman, Michael Yeomans, Wyatt Applegarth, Mesch 8:40.42 (5).
Shuttle hurdle: 4. Nash Kotar, Charlie Brandt, Cole Carney, Brady Mullen, Ben Duckett, Oaken Foster 1:05.03 (5).
100m: 4. Pipolo 11.95 (5), 6. Jake Quillin 12.26 (3).
DMR: 3. Grant Gerdin, Jacob Timmons, Austin Knight, Ty Becicka, Yeomans, Parker Pentico 3:48.18 (6).
400m: 1. Bachus 50.89 (10), 12. Grant Knipper 56.78.
4x200m: 5. B. Timmons, Eidahl, Pipolo, Mesch, Bachus, Knight 1:32.77 (4).
110m hurdle: 2. Mullen 15.59 (8), 6. Kotar (16.44 (3).
800m: 1. Yeomans 2:05.57 (10), 8. Becicka 2:13.76 (1).
200m: 6. B. Timmons 23.63 (3), 13. Brent Lumpkin 25.75.
400m hurdle: 4. Foster 1:00.15 (5), 5. Keenan Kruse 1:00.92 (4).
1,600m: 3. Kabela 4:51.91 (6), 6. Yeomans 5:10.88 (3).
4x100m: 4. B. Timmons, Eidahl, Knight, Pipolo, Mullen, Quillin 44.50 (5).
4x400m: 4. Knight, Mesch, J. Timmons, Bachus, Yeomans, Becicka 3:32.55 (5).
High jump: 4. Foster 5-10.00 (5).
Long jump: 5. Brett White 19-00.00 (4), 7. Parker Pentico 18-10.75 (2).
Discus: 3. Adam Smith 138-05 (6), 9. Ben Kampman 113-06.
Shot put: 1. Smith 47-01.00 (10), 4. Kampman 44-01.50 (5).
Coach Sovers heaped added praise for the program and this season’s performance.
“We feel good about the direction of our program and what lies ahead for the people in our program. They are ready to be the best version of who they are in all that they do. Track and Field is a great example of a team sport. It appears to be individual focused but, as the athletes showed all year long, when you are willing to be selfless and invest in others through the sacrifices you make, you can experience success.”