TROY MILLS — With the temperature dipping below 40 at the starter’s gun, and autumn reds and browns along the course, there was no doubt it was ‘late season’ for hundreds of runners at the October 7 Lynx Invitational cross country meet, on the grounds of North Linn High School. That was a 50-degree swing from their meet in Anamosa just a week before.
Solon took advantage of season bests from their top runners; with the girls taking the title among 13 schools and the boys running a close second in their 17-team field.
Senior Brick Kabela ran a personal best 15:59.9 5K over the shallow slopes and long straights to take second in the 117 runner boys’ field. “Great day to run on a great course. The grass is cut short here. Today, I went out in front of the ‘back’ pack and stayed steady through two (miles),” recalled Kabela. “Then I put in a surge and gave it everything I had. That put me in a perfect place today.”
For the girls, junior Sydney Dee (19:58) and senior Anna Quillin with her season best (19:59) went 7-8 among 98 girls in their pack. “I like this course a lot; hills not too steep, but you can fly down the other side. Then you finish up running around the track, like it’s track season,” described Quillin. Freshman Falyn Svalstad (20:30) was 11th with senior Gracie Federspiel (20:34) in 13th. Ella Sheeley snagged the fifth scoring spot (17th) with her 20:45 tour of the course.
Following Kabela in the boys’ lineup, Evan Burg turned in a 16:55 for 12th place with Michael Yeomans coming through the chute 13th at 17:07. Chasing them were Collin Bumsted at 17th (in 17:28) and Lawsin Sinnwell 27th, (17:29).
“Brick ran just a great race, with that personal best,” reviewed coach Emy Williams. “On the girls’ side we ran as a pack. It just seems to get closer and closer. Falyn had a great race and took advantage of the weather, and then how to put a surge in and continue to run well the entire race.”
And pointing to the depth that has boosted the Spartans and Lady Spartans all year, Mia Duckett (21:47) and Mia Fordyce (21:50) went 1-2 among the 89 runners in the girls JV race. Then, Spencer Michels (17:26), Rene Meza (18:46) and Camden Lyons (18:49) finished 1-2-4 among 116 junior varsity runners.
Now, the season is measured in days, not weeks. “We will be tapering our workouts; less mileage, but staying fit to run our best,” anticipates Quillin as they look toward their WaMaC Conference meet this week (Thursday, October 12 at Antioch Christian Church near Marion), and the state qualifying meet October 18 at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area. Also in their sights? The Class 3A State Meet, October 28 in Fort Dodge.
Gracie Federspiel, Falyn Svalstad, and Ella Sheeley run Saturday, October 7 at North Linn HS near Troy Mills. Svalstad, a freshman, was 11th in 20:30 with senior Federspiel 13th in 20:34. Sheeley snagged the fifth scoring spot for Solon (17th) with her 20:45 tour of the course.