MOUNT VERNON — The Solon boys’ track team opened the outdoor season with a strong performance winning the inaugural Mount Vernon Relays on the Mustangs’ newly opened track Thursday, March 28. The Spartans defeated class 1A defending champion Lisbon by winning the 1600 relay in the last event of the evening, outscoring the Lions 129-119 in the eight-team meet.
Solon’s two individual event winners were in the field events. Senior Ben Kampman threw the discus 164-7 and freshman Kaden Hoeper cleared 6-2 in the high jump to each claim gold. Kampman also scored in the shot put taking 6th place with a 43-11 effort. Senior Marcus Richard was top Spartan in the shot taking third with a 47-7 1/2 toss. Junior Jordan Schmidt competed in the long jump taking 6th with a 19-4 measurement.
The Spartan seniors dominated the relays. The senior quartet of Brick Kabela, Mike Yeomans, Wyatt Applegarth and Grant Bumsted ran away with the 4×800-meter relay in a time of 8:17.41. The senior 4×400 relay foursome of Yeomans, Bumsted, Rhett Mesch and Grant Knipper cruised to a win in 3:26.91, less than two seconds off the Drake Relays Blue Standard. Kabela and Mesch teamed with junior Cole Carney and sophomore Eli Kampman to easily win the 1600 medley relay in 3:39.76.
Seniors Ben Duckett, Nash Kotar, and Charlie Brandt joined Carney in winning the shuttle hurdle relay with a 1:03.53 clocking. Senior sprinters Austin Knight, Milo Ashbacker and Brayden Moore joined Knipper to bring home gold in the 4×200-meter relay (1:33.15). Eli Kampman joined Knight, Ashbacker, and Moore to earn silver in the 4×100-meter relay with a 44.29 time.
The individual races saw Solon picking up second place medals in the 3200 and 800-meter runs. Sophomore Spencer Michels had a breakthrough race setting the Spartan fresh/soph record clocking 10:16.55 in the 3200. He also placed 5th in the 1600-meter run (4:54.53). Bumsted used a strong kick in the 800 to clock 2:04.45 (2nd) with Kabela close behind placing 4th in 2:05.30.
Solon added points in each of the sprint races. Ashbacker was third in the 100 (11.61). Mesch was runner-up in the 200 with a personal best 22.89. Schmidt was 4th in the 400 (56.82) with sophomore Gavin Wisman right behind in 6th (57.96). Kotar and Carney took 5th and 6th in the 100-meter high hurdles (16.13 and 16.31).
Upcoming events
The Spartans were to hit the track three times this week traveling to Williamsburg Tuesday (April 2), Tiffin (Clear Creek Amana) Thursday (April 4), and Iowa City (West High) Saturday (April 6). However, due to weather, the Williamsburg meet was postponed until Monday, April 15.
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