It’s the can’t miss event of the Solon Beef Days: a competition of strength with a good ole’ Midwestern twist; the Hay Bale Toss.
The signature event packed a massive crowd onto Main Street Friday night, including a few who got a view above the crowd in the second and third floor of the building overlooking the ring. The event began with the women’s division. Many got a rude awakening of just how tough the competition was as only five of the twelve participants advanced past the first round.
Quinn Morelock, Kara Duchter and Alisha Boles were locked into a battle for the first-place prize, the champion’s belt and some cash. In the third round, they had to throw the bale over the eight-foot bar. One after the other, they did so with ease. But that was the last time any of them would be able to make it over. In the final round, all three fell just short of clearing the bar and the competition ended in a three-way tie.
The masters’ division followed with seven contestants signed up, and each one making a run for the title. It was Steve McElmeel and Moose Kueter who took over during this round as both made it over the ten-foot bar, knocking out the rest of the division. Kueter then cleared the next mark at 10’- 6”. And after missing the first, McElmeel cleared the bar to stay alive in the competition. However, they both were unable to reach the 11-foot bar. The round ended with the second tie for first place of the night.
22 people signed up for the open division, the division that Iowa Hawkeye football offensive-linemen have turned into a tradition to win with some winners even going on to make the NFL. Tyler Elsbury, Leighton Jones, Cael Winter, and Kade Peiper all continued that tradition and were four of the final five competitors. Haden Hammel was the outlier, making a push for the crown but ultimately the underdog story ended on the 11-foot bar.
It was down to the Hawkeye athletes from there.
Pieper was the only one to make it over the next bar at 11’-6”. Pieper had won the championship, but he did not want to stop there; he wanted the 14’-6” record set by two-time Champion Gennings Dunker last year. Pieper cleared 12-feet with ease, but that was where the tossing ended. Pieper said, “I think the bales were lighter last year, they were pretty green and heavy this year.”