The 2024-2025 season was a bit of a championship hangover and a rebuilding year for the Solon Girls Basketball team as they ended with a 12-11 record. A year later, the team is now back and ready to compete. However, the team will face a new set of competitors as this will be their first year in the 4A classification. Despite the upgrade in classification, the team is focused on their own development and not on the challenges that await them.
“I haven’t really thought about the 4A part of it,” Head Coach Jamie Smith said, “I think we have good basketball players, so we’ll take our chances this year.”
The Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union released its preseason rankings last week with Solon at number 12 in Class 4A. They sit below Burlington, who went 16-6 last season, and above Marion, who finished 13-10 last year.
Solon will play its first game Saturday, November 29, at 2:00 P.M. at home against Class 5A Linn-Mar. Last season, the Lions finished with an overall record of 5-19 and 4-15 in the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division.
Two years ago, Solon won the 3A State Championship for the first time in 26 years. The sixth player (the first player off the bench) from that championship team is Solon’s only senior on the 2025-2026 roster, guard Delainey Durr.
“It was surreal. It was one of the best feelings in the world,” Durr said, “I just want to go back.”
Following the state championship, Durr stepped into her new role as a leader after the departure of many seniors. As one of the leaders on the team last season, Durr averaged a team-high 12.3 points per game.
“I was excited to be a leader [last year], and you know [us] not being as good as we were, it was hard, but it was definitely still so much fun,” Durr said, “Practice was fun. Every game was still fun. And that’s kind of what I want to do this year.”
Durr, who’s committed to play basketball at Coe College next year, is planning to cherish every moment of her last high school basketball season.
“I don’t want to take any second for granted,” Durr said, “Coach Smith told me I only have a maximum 130 days left [of high school basketball] and that really hit me hard.”
Despite having her own aspirations for this season, Durr is set on winning games and making it back to the state championship. To do so, she’s trying her best to bring the same vigor to the court as Coach Smith does on the sidelines.
“I’m pretty much like a second Coach Smith on the court,” Durr said, “I’ve been playing for him for four years now, so I’m able to [be like him].”
Smith agreed with this comparison as he believed that he and Durr both bring the same level of intensity to practices and games. The fiery nature of the two sometimes leads them to butting heads, but Coach Smith ultimately loves her competitive drive.
Smith has also been grateful for veteran junior guards Laney Johnson and Jerzey Haluska, who he believes have really bought into the values of the Solon Girls Basketball program.
Laney Johnson, who started eight games last season, has also made an effort during practice to help mentor the younger players on the team.
“I had the privilege to play varsity [last year] and I learned a lot from the seniors,” Johnson said, “[So I’m] taking what they taught me and implementing it [for the younger players].”
Jerzey Haluska was impressed with the team’s hustle during their preseason practices.
“[Practices have] been good; we’ve been getting a lot of time in, and we’re going at a fast pace to get in shape and get ready for the season,” Haluska said.
Haluska has high hopes not just for herself and the veteran players, but also for the newcomers to the varsity team.
“We have some great people joining our program that will help us build off last year,” Haluska said.
Joining the team this year are some sophomores who will get their first taste of varsity basketball, as well as freshman guard Tenley Levin, who Coach Smith confirmed will be a starter for the 2025-2026 season. Levin is the younger sister of Callie Levin, a University of Iowa Women’s basketball player.
“We will have more depth than we’ve had in a while here,” Smith said, “maybe ever, at least since I’ve been here.”
Even though the season hasn’t started yet, Smith is already excited to see how strong the team’s bond is.
“With this group, what you see is they really like each other, I’d almost use the word love,” said Smith, “As a coach, that’s what you really want.”
2025 Varsity Girls Basketball Home Games
Saturday, Nov. 29 – Vs. Linn-Mar, 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 9 – Vs. Grinnell, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 13 – Vs. Regina Catholic, 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 16 – Vs. Mount Vernon, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 3 – Vs. Mid-Prairie, 3:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 6 – Vs. Williamsburg, 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 27 – Vs. CPU, 6:00 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 30 – Vs. Marion, 6:00 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 6 – Vs. Independence, 6:00 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 9 – Vs. Cascade, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 10 – Vs. Vinton-Shellsburg, 6:00 p.m.