ANAMOSA — For Solon’s girls, it was a crowd in the top-20 for the meet win. For the boys, meet medalist Brick Kabela’s first place, followed by four teammates in the top-24, brought home a second-place team finish at the September 23 Anamosa Invitational: Version II.
Kabela’s 16:46 was eight seconds ahead of meet runner-up Matthew Schaul of Maquoketa Valley and a 5:24 mile pace over the 3.1-mile course that opened Solon’s season on August 26. Michael Yeomans (17:57) was next across for Solon, eighth overall. Lawsin Sinnwell (18:25) was 20th.
“We talked with both the boys and the girls about running as a pack, not running just one-and-one. I think our boys did a great job of that today,” reviewed Solon Coach Emy Williams. “They got out in that first mile, we had a couple get out, and (at the finish line) the rest of our scoring five together. They did just a good job of running. Grant Bumsted (32nd, 19:13) had been injured. He came back and ran strong. Collin Bumsted (21st, 18:32) also had a great race.” Evan Burg (18:43) crossed 24th, with Spencer Michels (19:30) 35th.
Fort Madison won the 12-team, 95-runner boys’ varsity race with 57 points from their top five. Solon (74) was second followed by Tipton (97), Oelwein (129), Anamosa (140), Monticello (150), Maquoketa Valley (163), Davenport Assumption (193), Calamus-Wheatland (215), Cedar Rapids Jefferson (220), Cascade/Western Dubuque (253) and Rivermont (326).
The varsity girls individual win went to North Linn’s top ranked (Class 1A) Meghan Wheatley (18:55) nearly a minute ahead of the runner-up. The Lady Spartans though, were on pace for the team title with senior Anna Quillin (9th, 21:26) and freshman Ava Rolwes (10th, 21:32) leading the pack. Next across for Solon came Sydney Dee (15th, 21:44), Falyn Svalstad (18th, 21:54) and Gracie Federspiel (19th, 21:55) to fill out the 71-point team score and claiming the meet championship over a course with a dozen curves, twists, and hills.
“They competed. Ava and Anna just went out and ran great races and just attacked the course today!” continued Williams. A third freshman, Jillian Jansen (25th, 22:45), and junior Ella Sheeley (42nd, 24:17) backed up the varsity push among the 70 runners on the turf.
The rest of the field? Monticello (77) was close behind followed by Tipton (88), Fort Madison (97), Davenport Assumption (135), Oelwein (190), Cascade/Western Dubuque (196), Anamosa (223), and Cedar Rapids Jefferson (278).
JV support comes with wins from both boys and girls
They might be seen more next season, or maybe next week, but Solon’s junior varsity (JV) presence weighs heavily in the meet-to-meet competition each season. To have such a dominant JV presence? “It’s super fun to be competitive in all four races every meet that we go to,” applauds Williams, “just to get to see them again. There are challenges, like ‘run as a pack’ and ‘get to the front. We can do this!’ And they’ll have a good opportunity to win. They took advantage of that.”
Solon swept the JV titles at Anamosa. For the girls, Rose McAtee, Mia Duckett and Mya Fordice went 1-2-5 in the 49-girls JV field. Keegan Kleppe, Joli Sinnwell, Kate Richards, and Sophia Miles went 11-12-14-16 to ensure the win among four full teams and eight other partial squads.
For the JV boys, it was similar. Wyatt Applegarth for the win, with Rene Meza third, Camden Lyons fourth, Owen Young sixth, Brayden Baker 11th, and Caden Mai 12th among the six full teams and half a dozen partial squads in a 65-runner field at Anamosa.
Upcoming events
Wartburg College will host the 2023 Steve Johnson Invitational Saturday, Sept. 30 in Waverly. North Linn’s meet is Saturday, October 7 at the high school near Troy Mills with an 8:10 a.m. start.
Collin Bumsted hits the finish line at the September 23 Anamosa Cross Country Invitational. Bumsted was 21st in the boys' race, helping the Spartans to a second-place team finish. Solon’s boys are ninth in 3A, as the week got underway.