SOLON — Last spring the varsity boys track and field team clinched their second consecutive WaMaC Conference Championship, were crowned with the District Championship, and sent 16 events to the 2024 State Co-Ed Track and Field Meet for a fifth place team finish (in Class 3A) on the blue oval at Drake University in Des Moines.

24 seniors – Wyatt Applegarth, Milo Ashbacker, Kaleb Behrends, Charlie Brandt, Colin Bumsted, Grant Bumsted, Ben Duckett, Cole Farnsworth, Tyler Gregory, Carter Grimm, Brick Kabela, Ben Kampman, Austin Knight, Grant Knipper, Nash Kotar, Noah Kottenstette, Keenan Kruse, Rhett Mesch, Brayden Moore, Trevor Myers, Gabe Nicholson, Marcus Richard, Mason Scott, Gavin Sieverding, CJ Tabor, Brett White, and Michael Yeomans graduated last May. Coach Mark Sovers, in his 29th year of coaching track and field, said, “We will have exciting opportunities for athletes to step into roles this year to fill out our lineup and share their gifts and Talents with the graduations from last year.”

58 athletes have answered the call with a dozen returning letterwinners on the roster – seniors Caleb Bock, Eddie Johnson, and Cole Carney; juniors Eli Kampman, Spencer Michels, Will Brandt, and Gavin Wisman; and sophomores Kade Hoeper, Maddox Kelley, and Owen Gange.

Bock is a three-year letterwinner in long jump and sprints. He took eighth place in long jump at State last May. Johnson is a two-year letter winner specializing in short sprints and was on last year’s state qualifying 4×200 relay. Carney does hurdles and sprints and was on the state qualifying shuttle hurdle relay. Kampman handles long sprints and was on last year’s state qualifying 4×200 and 4×100 relays. Michels, a two-year letter winner, is a distance man who qualified for State in the 1,600-meter run and the third place 4×800. Brandt does long hurdles and long sprints and is a two-year letter winner. Wisman does long sprints and is also a two-year letterman. Hoeper specializes in high jump and long sprints and was a Drake Relays qualifier last year. Kelley does long jump and sprints. Gange is a sprints man.

New to the team are senior Evan Burg, sophomores Lucas Feuerbach and Jackson Burk, and freshman Anders Holmes. Feuerbach, Coach Sovers said, is “ready to build off very successful football and wrestling seasons.” Burg has been a letter winner in cross country and will specialize in long sprints as will Burk who Sovers said is “…ready to step in and contribute.” Holmes was a cross country State qualifier and will concentrate on distance events.

“Our TEAM success this year will start with the sprint relays and the jumps setting the standard early,” said Sovers. “Our standard is set by developing a complimentary lineup throughout the season. The Best Version of Spartan Track and Field will have the opportunity to score points throughout the lineup regardless of the event on the track or in the field.”

The season opened Monday, March 10 with the 2025 A.D. Dickinson Relays at the UNI-Dome. Grinnell College will host the WaMaC Conference Indoor Meet Tuesday, March 25, the same day the Junior Varsity (JV) squad will kick off the outdoor season. The varsity squad’s first outdoor meet is set for Saturday, March 29 at Iowa City West High.

The Spartans and Lady Spartans will host the annual Denny Gruber Relays Tuesday, April 22.

Gruber, Pat Parysz, Bryce Pierce, and Austin Dall will assist Sovers this season.

U of I Prep sports journalism student Aj Dolan contributed to this story