IOWA CITY — As the saying explains, ‘Tie goes to the runner.’ In cross country, when two teams are tied, that means you wait for their next runner across the finish line. At the Bob Brown Invitational meet held Thursday, September 1 in Iowa City, that was Solon sophomore Sydney Dee. Her role as the girls’ varsity ‘tiebreaker’ sent Class 3A top-ranked Solon home with the team title.
Scoring in a high school meet combines the finish (place) of the top five runners on each team. With a 64-64 tie between Solon and Monticello after their top five girls crossed, it came down to number six. That was Dee, crossing in 26th place at 22:24. Monticello answered with Emily Hendricks but she was 52 seconds back and in 52nd place. The win? To Solon!
Credit her teammates too. Senior Kayla Young was the overall meet winner at 20:15 along the five kilometer course. Close behind were senior Mary Fiala (21:26) in the seventh spot, juniors Anna Quillin and Gracie Federspiel were 15th and 17th (21:59 and 22:13 respectively). Sophomore Lydia Hogan (22:30) snagged 24th for Solon’s five place winners among the 86 runners.
“As it was underway, Monticello was running a strong race. I wasn’t sure, wondering if they might have beaten us,” said Solon head coach Emy Williams. “I was pleasantly surprised when we won, and then also to see that our 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 runners were all ahead of their sixth girl. That really shows how important team depth is. On a different day, it could’ve been one of them.”
Coach Williams added, “Having Mary Fiala in that ‘2’ varsity slot early this season is encouraging. Mary dealt with injuries last year, but the way she’s been coming back this season, and with her confidence, she has really been running well.”
Insurance for the varsity effort also came via Mara Düster (22:45) 27th place, with Ashlyn Williams (23:20) 39th place, Sophia Stahle, (24:01) 46th and Mia Duckett (24:02) at 48th.
Behind Solon and Monticello in the girls’ team results, came Iowa City Liberty High (83) and Clear Creek Amana (107). Tipton (119) and 13th ranked Washington (137) were fifth and six. Marion (159), Cascade (230), Regina (251) and Anamosa (287) closed out the girls’ team standings.
Insurance in another form came via the Junior Varsity lineup. Solon sophomore Ella Sheeley notched the win there in 23:58 across the Iowa City course. “That was Ella’s first win, so that was great to see!,” lauded Williams. Senior Kerrigan Lyons was fifth (24:32) with senior Grace Fiala a slot back (24:47). Senior Addison Burden was 15th (26:28) in a strong Solon showing. As a team, the girls were second in the JV race, just six points back of Washington (38). Iowa City Liberty was third (72), followed by Marion (95), Western Dubuque (117), Monticello (146) and Clear Creek-Amana (176).
Boys keep pace with ranked teams
With two runners in the top 12, Solon’s boys held for a seventh place team finish in that September 1 Regina run. Junior Brick Kabela was tenth crossing in 17:47. Junior Michael Yeomans was 11 seconds behind in the 12th spot.
“Those two put in a lot of work this summer,” said Williams. “That has helped them a lot, especially Lawsin, who had a broken collarbone early in 2021, then come on at the end of the season.” Solon’s boys were ranked 14th in Class 3A last week by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. Keeping close to Kabela and Yeomans for Solon were junior Lawsin Sinnwell, 33rd (18:55), and Evan Burg, 34th (18:59), among the 108 varsity runners.
Jedidiah Osgood of Marion (16:58), Isiah Hammerand from Epworth, Western Dubuque (16:27), and Micah Rees of Washington (17:01) stood 1-2-3 on the medal stand.
Marion, rated #1 in 3A, pushed five of their runners into the top 20 to claim the boys’ varsity team race. Their 50 points undercut runner-up Western Dubuque (86) in the 12-team race at Kickers Complex in Iowa City. Tipton (ranked #1 in Class 2A) had four top-20 runners, taking third place. Pushing them were Regina (131), ranked third in Class 1A, Monticello (140), and Clear Creek-Amana (144). From there, Solon, rated #14 last week in the state 3A Coaches poll, was the best of the rest (151). Washington was right behind (152), followed by Anamosa (201), Cascade (240), Calamus-Wheatland (311) and Prince of Peace, Clinton (313).
There were 100-plus JV boys runners. Leading Solon to a second place team finish were juniors Tristan Freeman 8th (21:08), Wyatt Applegarth 14th (21:36), Owen Young 22nd (21:52), and Jack Hosking 24th (22:14).
Clear Creek Amana (26 points) won the JV boys race. Washington (73) was runner-up followed by Solon (97), Monticello (109), Marion (129), Regina (162), Tipton (169), Western Dubuque (176) and then West Liberty (257).
Solon was at Tipton Tuesday the 6th, and heads to Ballard of Huxley High School September 12.
Wyatt Applegarth paces a Monticello runner as they charge up the hill at Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City Thursday, Sept. 1 in the JV race of Regina’s Bob Brown Invitational. Applegarth was 14th in 21:36.29.