IOWA CITY — With a big push from a senior-led boys team, and a strong freshman-to-senior boost from the girls; Solon left the Regina-hosted Bob Brown Invitational cross country meet last Thursday (August 31) with a pair of second-place finishes. Solon’s girls pushed their five scoring runners into the top-25 spots for 73 team points, just short of Clear Creek Amana’s 76. In the boys race, Washington (Iowa)’s top five slipped by Solon 66-81 for the win.
For the boys
The Spartans’ first five crossed 3-12-20-22-23. Had each team’s sixth and seventh runners been scored, Solon would have been a 40-point winner. In cross country however, only the top five runners’ points determine the team finish. That depth may well pay off though down the road this season.
Micah Rees (Washington) was the boys’ overall winner, crossing in 16:10. Quentin Nauman (Western Dubuque) was runner up (16:42). For Solon, senior Brick Kabela (16:51) was third in the 216-runner field. Three seniors follwed as Lawsin Sinnwell was 13th (18:02), Michael Yeomans crossed 20th (18:22), and Grant Bumsted was 22nd (18:26). Sophomore Spencer Michaels landed the 23rd spot (18:28) in the 16-school field.
“Brick was our top runner. He had his strongest race so far this season. He really competed,” reviewed Solon coach Emy Williams. “Lawsin ran a really good race too, going out well to finish as our second runner. Spencer Michaels cut 4:30 off his (previous) race time at this meet. It’s great to see where he is starting this season. He really worked hard over the summer to be where he is now.”
The rest of the boys’ field went: Clear Creek-Amana (95) third, then Waukon (113), Marion (138), Tipton (184), Western Dubuque (200), Monticello (204), Regina-Iowa City (216), Anamosa (252), Calamus-Wheatland (281), Springville (299), Cascade (350), North Cedar (437), Prince of Peace-Clinton (440) and West Liberty (477).
For the girls
The margin was even tighter. Clear Creek-Amana edged the Lady Spartans 73-76 in the nine-team finish. Four CCA girls crossed from 10th-to-15th with their fifth at 25th in the field of 158. The girls’ meet featured teams from three enrollment classes.
Individual honors went to Noelle Steines of Calamus-Wheatland. The 2022 Class 1A state meet champion crossed in 20:08. Running without a full five girl team, Steines’ win did not figure into the team scores. Western Dubuque’s Alyssa Klein (20:50) was runner up. In team results, Solon junior Sydney Dee crossed tenth at 21:56.19, nine seconds faster than in her season opener. On her shoulder was senior teammate Anna Quillin, who hit the finish mat in 12th, at 21:56.98. Just tenths of a second back were teammates Falyn Svalstad (14th, 22:02.36), Gracie Federspiel (15th, 22:02.58), and freshman Ava Rolwes (25th, 22:52.48) to cap the team finish for Solon. For insurance, Rose McAtee backed the Solon push (28th, 23:00).
“Sydney Dee had a strong race. She moved up throughout the entire race, and really moved during the second and third mile,” notes Williams. “Our girls, the pack, tightened up as the race went out. That’s what we are working on.”
Another challenging week ahead
Lingering late summer heat still plays into the early season schedule. With temps forecast in the high 90s, Solon’s Tuesday meet, (Sept. 5 at Tipton) was moved to Thursday (Sept. 7).
Coming out of last weekend, Kabela was ranked 12th among Class 3A boys’ runners by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. Yeomans came in at 30. For the girls, Quillin was listed 26th in the coaches’ polls with Rolwes 29th. Rankings are not updated until Tuesdays, after many weekly newspaper articles are published.
Looking ahead, Solon will run at Ballard of Huxley, September 11, then comes ‘home’ to the Solon Nature and Recreation Area course on the 18th.
Anna Quillin (268) and Ava Rolwes (271) chug along in a pack after reaching the top of the short, steep hill at Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City during Regina Catholic’s Bob Brown Invitational Thursday, August 31. Quillin finished 13th in 21:56.98 while Rolwes was 27th in 22:52.48.