Snow piled up outside? Temperatures in the 30s? Yep. It was the opening of the 2023 Iowa high school girls track season. Well, the indoor season, anyway, as the Iowa Association of Track Coaches held its statewide girls indoor meet at Iowa State University’s Lied Athletic Center, March 10. Solon’s girls enter this season as the defending Class 3A champion.
With weather and travel conditions disrupting plans last week, the girls’ meet combined into a ‘one class’ format. The number of events was pared to 15. Of course, with a shorter track, some event distances (ex: 100-meter hurdles become 60 meters) are trimmed. Longer events require more and tighter turns than on an outdoor 400-meter track.
Overall, though? “I think the girls did crazy good in many of the events”, said Solon first year head coach Jess Brimeyer. “The meet went really well. We had a couple PRs (personal bests) with Gracie Federspiel (58.52) in the 400 and Kayla Young (10:45.64) in the 3000–a couple of the girls who’ve put in a lot of work in the offseason. Sophia Stahle, too, in the sprint medley (a 59.99 400-meter anchor leg) is running strong.”
In that sprint medley (100-100-200-400) relay, Aly Stahle, Emma Wolff, Grace Erwin and Stahle put together a 1:54.7, good for ninth place among the 37 teams in the field. The 4×800 quartet of Grace Hoeper, Ashlyn Williams, Federspiel and Kayla Young posted a 10:08.56, good for sixth among 29 schools entered. Federspiel ran away from the 56-girl 400-meter field, winning in 58.52; more than six-tenths of a second ahead of runner-up Avery Winter from 4A Waukee-Northwest.
Ashlyn Williams’ 5:28.56 was 25th of 49 1500-meter run entries. In the 800, Jillian Elijah went 2:46.74 in a packed 58-girl field. In the shuttle hurdle relay, Solon snagged third place. Mia Stahle, Sophia Stahle, Calla Foster and Trea Eidahl notched a 40:33 in the field of 30. “Not bad for the first week after their basketball season ended,” noted Brimeyer of Mia Stahle and Eidahl. “They showed up ready to go!” Sophia Stahle had earlier qualified sixth (9.56) among 65 girls in preliminary heats of the 60-meter hurdles. In the finals she dropped to 12:17.
Wolff and three Stahle’s’ (Piper, Aly and Sophia) were sixth among 36 statewide teams in the 4×100 relay, crossing in 51.87. In the 3000, Solon’s Kayla Young joined a crowded 38-girl field to grab tenth place in 10:45.64. In the 4×400 relay, Kerrigan Lyons, Grace Hoeper, Anna Quillin and Grace Erwin’s 4:25.02 was good for 14th out of 31 statewide teams in all enrollment classes.
That left the three field events. (Sorry, no room indoors for the discus throw). Lilly Towne (4-09) and Sophia Miles (4-05) were in the top half of 66 high jumpers. In the long jump, a 15’5½ Piper Stahle leap was good for 14th. Aisley Foster’s 14’10 was also in the top half of a 56-jumper field.
Upcoming events
Saturday, March 18 – WaMaC Indoor Meet, 10:00 a.m. at Grinnell College
Saturday, March 25 – Varsity meet at University of Dubuque