All the work, all the adjustments, and all the miles have been good for Solon Cross Country in the past several years. They paid off again. Both teams, girls and boys, will be at the starting line again at the 2022 Class 3A State Meet Saturday, October 29.
Five Lady Spartans pushed into the top 15 individual spots at their state qualifier in Manchester to secure the team win; and ensure the long bus ride this weekend across Highway 20 to Fort Dodge. Class 3A state champions in 2021, the girls will defend their title at 10:30 and are making the trip for the fifth consecutive year. They were fifth in 2020, up from seventh place in 2019.
The Spartan boys return to State for the third year in a row after a second-place finish last week at their qualifier in Manchester; and are also running Saturday. They look to improve on a sixth-place team finish last year. They grabbed the Class 3A runner-up trophy in 2020.
“We need to really just go and run our race now at State,” underscores Solon coach Emy Williams as she looks over the prospects for both teams. “We probably ran our best race of this season at the Manchester qualifying meet.”
Solon’s Young sets girls’ course record
The daytime fireworks started as senior Kayla Young’s head and shoulders topped the last slope onto the flat and ‘fan crowded’ straightaway to the finish line at Hart’s Ridge Golf Course. “I was ready. I felt like I had a really good race. That hill kind of sucked…not gonna lie,” said Young. “But it was a good finish. I was excited to see the time (on the finish line clock). I just wanted to run and get the best time that I could!” ‘Best’ indeed. Young’s 18:32 five-kilometer clocking is the new course record and was 36 seconds ahead of runner-up Haidyn Barker of Clear Creek Amana.
Over the hilly, sharp turns, it was easier to catch glimpses of the 61 girls chasing her. “Around some of the tight U-turns, I could kind of see where everybody was. It was surprising,” Young admitted. “Earlier in the race, I could see I was close to people. Further along, I could see the distance was spreading. It was kind of cool!”
She had help from her teammates. Sophomore Sydney Dee’s 20 minutes flat was sixth overall. “Sydney has been moving up in a subtle way,” Williams said. “We are still trying to figure out how she can best run.” Gracie Federspiel was a slot behind. The junior crossed in 20:06, a ‘great race’ as Williams saw it. Senior Mary Fiala’s 20:11 scored 11th with junior Ashlyn Williams 15th in 20:32. Mara Düster, a senior, was 20th in 20:51. Sophomore Ella Sheeley’s 44th place finish clocked at 21:39. (Note: some places are adjusted up a notch. A runner who finishes without a full team is not counted in the team results. For instance, four schools in this state qualifying meet did not field a full (five to seven runner) team. Their entries competed only for individual recognition.)
In Class 3A, the top 15 runners to the finish chute qualify for State as do the top three teams. Heading to State along with #3 rated Solon (with its 40-point winning score) are 13th ranked Clear Creek Amana (76 points) and Clear Lake (83). Following (but not advancing as teams) were Dubuque Wahlert (107), Decorah (126), Marion (162), Cedar Rapids Xavier (164), Waverly-Shell Rock (165), Charles City (260), West Delaware (277) and Vinton-Shellsburg (322). According to the scorer’s sheet Hampton-Dumont and Independence did not field full girl’s teams.
Strong second place gets boys a foothold at State starting line
A strong top half showing kept ninth ranked Solon’s boys on the road to State. They’ll go into the Class 3A state meet as runner-up with five runners among the top 25 in their state qualifier last week.
“We were looking for second place at the state qualifier after our strong WAMAC Conference race the week before’” said head coach Emy Williams. “Mike Yeomans and Lawsin Sinwell ran very good races.”
Marion (rated third in 3A) should be near the top at State. Top ranked Marion Senior Jedidiah Osgood, as he has done all season, took charge and posted a 15:33 win over the sharp turns and slopes of the five-kilometer course at Hart’s Ridge Golf Course. Marion’s 52 points were good for first place over Solon (79). Following were 13th ranked Clear Creek-Amana (91), #16 Vinton-Shellsburg (132), #20 Decorah (142), Waverly Shell Rock (167), Charles City (169), Clear Lake (170), Wahlert Dubuque (198), West Delaware (251), Cedar Rapids Xavier (274), Independence (383) and Hampton-Dumont-CAL (408)
The Spartans held close in the 13-school qualifier and now lock in on the course in Fort Dodge. Solon, rated ninth in 3A as the season winds down, had all five scoring runners in the top 25. Yeomans hung with the leaders to lodge a sixth-place finish (16:46). His effort was the tops for the Spartans and continued a slow rise up the meet-to-meet rankings during the latter half of the season. “Definitely it showed up later in the season when we started dropping our times and realizing we could actually go to state as a team,” Yeomans said.
Junior Brick Kabela was 17:09 and 11th. Teammates Grant Bumsted, a junior, was 17th (17:17). Sinwell (17:23) was 20th. Close behind was sophomore Evan Burg, returning to the lineup, (17:29) for 25th place. Wyatt Applegarth (17:55) came through 37th. Camden Lyons, with a late season step up to varsity, lodged a 53rd place finish in 18:24).
Gracie Federspiel hits the finish line at the October 19 regional qualifying cross country meet. Solon’s boys’ AND girls’ teams qualified for a starting box at this weekend’s Class 3A State meet in Fort Dodge. Solon’s girls will be defending their 2021 State championship and the boys will look to improve on their sixth place finish a year ago.