IOWA CITY — Seniors Ben Kampman and Brick Kabela had a hand in three of the four Solon records set at the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival Saturday, April 13 at Iowa City West High School. Kampman uncorked a discus toss of 188-4 1/2 to improve his Solon record and take the state lead. The toss makes him the favorite at the upcoming Drake Relays beginning April 25. Kampman also took gold in the shot-put Saturday with a 52-9 mark.
Solon’s shuttle hurdle team of seniors Nash Kotar, Ben Duckett, Charlie Brandt and junior Cole Carney were the next record setters winning the event and knocking a second off their best to put the all-time Solon mark at 1:00.90. The team sat 11th in state and just under the Drake Blue Standard with a week of qualifying to go. Carney added a 6th place finish in the 110-meter hurdles (16.30).
Next up was Kabela joining Grant Bumsted (Sr.), Mike Yeomans (Sr.) and Spencer Michels (So.) to knock over three seconds off the Solon 4×800 meter relay all-time mark recording an 8:09.30. The foursome finished 5th in the event and took the Class 3A lead by over 6 seconds. Kabela added another 5th place finish in the 1600-meter run, a race that featured several of the state’s top 24 runners in that event. Kabela’s time of 4:27.25 took 4 seconds off his 2023 school record in the event. He sits in the 18th position among Iowa 3200-meter runners with the top 21 advancing to Drake.
Not to be outdone by the upperclassmen was sensational freshman Kaden Hoeper who cleared a personal best 6-4 1/2 to win the high jump. Hoeper moved into an 18th place tie in the state with the top 24 jumpers advancing to Drake next week.
Other top finishes for Solon included junior Eddie Johnson in the 200-meter dash (23.60), senior Marcus Richard 4th in the shot put (50-0 1/2) and senior Rhett Mesch in the 400 with a new PR of 50.96 (7th in 3A). Mesch joined Yeomans, Bumsted and senior Grant Knipper in the 4×400 relay to also finish fourth in 3:27.22. The foursome has a season best 3:26.10 putting them 14th in the state and comfortably in the top 24 teams advancing to the Drake Relays.
Solon sprinters teamed up for 5th and 6th place finishes in the 4×100 meter (44.32) and 4×200 meter (1:32.28) relays. Seniors Austin Knight, Brayden Moore and Milo Ashbacker ran both relays with sophomore Eli Kampman rounding out the 4×100 and Knipper running the 4×200.
The Spartans continue their Drake qualifying push this week with meets at Williamsburg April 15, Solon’s Denny Gruber Relays April 16 and split squads competing at City High and Davenport Assumption on April 18. Drake Relays qualifiers will be announced April 20.
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Grant Bumsted (at left) led off for Solon in the 4x800 relay Saturday at the Eastern Iowa Track and Field Festival at Iowa City West. Bumsted, Brick Kabela, Mike Yeomans, and Spencer Michels knocked three seconds off Solon’s all-time record for the event with an 8:09.30 finish, good for fifth place.