DES MOINES — As the sun rose on a cloudy Saturday morning in Des Moines, the final day of the Lady Spartans track season had arrived. One event left, one more attempt at a podium finish. It had eluded Solon all weekend long. All the 800-meter sprint medley team had to do was shed three seconds off their time from districts.
A task that is much easier said than done.
The girls stepped onto the track, one that was already warmed up from the class 1A and 2A races. Piper Stahle led things off for the Spartans, followed by Marin Ashbacker – both 100 meter legs. The handoffs were clean, and Solon was right in the thick of it when Ashbacker handed the baton to Kobi Lietz at the 200-meter mark.
Lietz held their position, and Jerzey Haluska did the same with her 400-meter leg. They put the Lady Spartans in eighth place overall after their heat, the second of three, with a time of 1:50.27. However, the third heat provided some of the best times in the state. Solon finished in 14th place with nine teams in front of them running their season best. Four teams ran a top ten time in the state for all classes, including Clear Lake – the victor – who broke the state record with a time of 1:45.39.
“They went out and did their best. That’s all you can really ask for,” said Jessica Hotek, the Solon girls track head coach. “Times are fast this year.”
Lietz will be the only runner on the relay team that will not return next season. The team is primed to travel back to Des Moines to run at the Blue Oval once again next year. Ashbacker, Stahle, and Haluska are left striving for more, a mindset that will fuel their off season workouts.
“[We] just have to come back stronger,” said Haluska. “Continually putting in the work outside of the season and supporting each other, no matter what is really big.”