DES MOINES — Solon’s boys track team competed in eight events at the Drake Relays last weekend in Des Moines.
Seniors Ben Kampman and Brick Kabela led off Thursday in chilly and windy conditions. Kampman, the state leader in the discus entering the day, grabbed a Drake medal with an 8th place finish tossing 172 feet 9 inches. Kampman hit season bests in the shot (54-10) and discus (200-5) April 23rd at North Cedar.
Kabela entered the 3200 with a 19th-seed and 9:25.62 season best. He nearly eclipsed the time finishing in 9:25.98, good for 18th place in one of the fastest 3200-meter races in Iowa history. Sophomore Jaden Merrick of Cedar Falls won in 8:55.14 to set the new Drake record and place 4th all-time among Iowa 3200 meter runners.
The distance medley team of seniors Milo Ashbacker, Rhett Mesch and Kabela, along with junior Eddie Johnson opened up a chilly and drizzly Friday morning placing 19th in 3:39.97. The foursome had previously set the Solon record April 15 with a 3:34.62 clocking in Williamsburg.
Senior shot putters Marcus Richard and Kampman also competed through a steady drizzle with Kampman scratching on each of his attempts and Richard throwing a best of 45-10.25 (20th place). Freshman Kaden Hoeper competed in a rain delayed high jump but failed to clear a height. Friday evening saw severe weather, which postponed several events including the boy’s 4×400 relay prelims.
Saturday morning saw the boys’ shuttle hurdle take to the blue oval and run 1:02.16 in windy but dry conditions. Seniors Nash Kotar, Charlie Brandt and Ben Duckett teamed with junior Cole Carney to place 16th in the 20-team field. The 4×400 team of seniors Mike Yeomans, Grant Knipper, Grant Bumsted and Mesch hit the track in the meet’s final event after waiting out a 2-1/2 hour weather delay. They delivered a season best 3:24.25 time, less than a second off last year’s school record, grabbing an 11th place finish.
The Spartans set their sights on a repeat of their 2023 WaMaC conference title today. Solon will pull into Marion as a slight favorite over Williamsburg. The Spartans have posted leading conference marks in the discus (Kampman), 3200 meter and 1600 meter runs (Kabela), 4×400 relay (Yeomans, Mesch, Bumsted, Knipper) and 4×800 relay (Bumsted, Kabela, Spencer Michels, Yeomans).
The 4×800 squad leads class 3A (8:09.3) with WaMaC foes Mt. Vernon and Center Point-Urbana sitting second and third at five-and-six seconds behind. Four of the top five and seven of the top-14 Class 3A 4×800 teams reside in the WaMaC. The 4×400 relay ranks 3rd in class 3A (3:24.25).
Solon’s distance medley squad (4th in class 3A), Kampman in the shot put and Yeomans in the 800 meter run all sit with 2nd-best WaMaC marks going into to the meet. Solon will host a boys and girls state qualifying meet next week Thursday May 9.
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Mike Kabala/Special to the Solon Economist