MARION — It was Mount Vernon, Solon, then everyone else fighting for their spot in the 2024 WaMaC Conference Track and Field Super Meet Thursday, May 2 in Marion. Solon posted five wins and placed in all 19 events.
Solon went 1-2-3 through the three events opening the conference meet. A win in the (800 meter) sprint medley was delivered by Piper Stahle, Avery Kellen, Kobi Lietz and Gracie Federspiel with the baton coming around in 1:48.85. Next, in the 3000 meters, Solon’s All-WaMaC golfer, Sydney Dee was second (11:11.21) followed by the third place (9:49.88) 4×800 relay foursome of Ava Rolwes, Grace Hoeper, Falyn Svalstad and Anna Quillin.
Dee, a first year distance runner, would double back later with first place (5:08.14) in the 1500. Teammate Mya Fordice was eighth (5:25.25). Other wins on the night came from Mia Duckett (12.52) in the 100 meter dash with Aly Stahle (12.67) third. Duckett anchored the winning 4×200 with Piper Stahle, Marin Ashbacker and Grace Hoeper delivering the baton for her anchor carry. With their 1:48.69 finish line sprint, there was less than four/tenths of a second separating Solon from Marion (1:48.84), and Clear Creek-Amana, (1:49.08).
Aly Stahle took first in the 100 meter hurdles (15.69). Later, in the 4×100, she, Avery Kellen, Piper Stahle and Duckett triggered the electronic tape (50.57), for another win. Aly Stahle legged a 26.55 200-meter dash. Duckett (26.61) was on her shoulder.
Other WaMaC highlights included third place in the 4×400 with Lietz, Quillin, Hoeper and Federspiel crossing at 4:11.29. The shuttle hurdle relay produced a fourth place finish with Mia Stahle, Hailey Miller, Zoey Grimm and Trea Eidahl (1:11.92). Eidahl later claimed fifth (1:11.97) in the 400 hurdles. Miller was fifth in the long jump, stretching 15-7.5. Lilly Towne’s 5-0 high jump was also good for fifth. Abi Felton scored big in the throws flipping the discus (108-7) for second place and putting the shot (35’11) for third.
WaMaC points came also from Mia Stahle, Marin Ashbacker, Jerzey Haluska and Ava Rolwes (4:26.88) in the 1600 distance medley. Federspiel (59.03) and Lietz (1:00.72) ran second and fifth in the 400 with Anna Quillin (2:29.23) third in the 800. Aly Stahle (26.55) and Duckett (26.61) went fourth and fifth in the 200.
For all the successes, there were also setbacks in the form of two key injuries during the meet.
Senior Gracie Federspiel sustained a foot injury during her 400-meter dash and senior Mia Stahle took a hard tumble at the end of the 100-meter hurdles. The points the duo would have likely scored in their next events could have pushed the Lady Spartans into first place, but the team fought to the end.
Looking through the results, Solon coach Jessica Hotek liked what she saw. “I thought everyone did a really great job, really battling when they needed to”, reviewed Hotek. “Now, we still need to get together, spend the hours looking over other teams’ performances; do some ‘puzzle piecing’ before we set a state qualifier lineup.
Heading to postseason the Lady Spartans host a Class 3A state qualifier Thursday, May 9 at 4:00 p.m. There, the top-two finishers in each event plus the next eight statewide advance to the state lineup next Thursday through Saturday in Des Moines at Drake Stadium.
And having it at ‘their place,’ Spartan Stadium? “We have a bit of an advantage. We know the exchange zones. We have enough girls in enough areas we can experiment some in the relays,” anticipates Hotek. “Maybe make a shift before State: the recovery time, calm the nerves, and all that. We are in pretty good shape.”
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Mia Duckett, shown here in the 100-meter dash with Aly Stahle, won gold three times in last week’s WaMaC Super Meet with a 12.52 showing in the 100, anchoring the winning 4x200 with Piper Stahle, Marin Ashbacker, and Grace Hoeper, and the 4x100 with Aly Stahle, Piper Stahle, and Avery Kellen.