Solon’s Sophie Nicol and Erin Kerkhoff Your Prep Sports

Coaches often say at some point in the season freshman are no longer viewed as newcomers.

That moment for the Solon girls cross country team may have come on Monday.

Strong performances from a trio of freshmen helped the Spartans capture the team title at the IMS Invitational on Monday at the Wellman Golf Course.

Freshmen Ella Duster, Nicole Shafer and Aira Foster all earned top-20 finishes as Solon finished three points in front of Mid-Prairie for the team title.

Duster finished seventh in a time of 21:05.96 to lead a trio of top-10 finishers for the Spartans who finished with 54 points.

Junior Sophie Nicol was ninth in 21:16.16 and sophomore Erin Kerkhoff was 10th in a time of 21:20.12 to pace Solon.

Freshmen Shafer and Foster rounded out to the scoring for Solon finishing 11th and 17th respectively.

Kaylie Barker placed sixth in a time of 21:04.64 to lead Clear Creek Amana which finished seventh with 174 points.

Team scores – 1. Solon 54; 2. Mid-Prairie 57; 3. Williamsburg 96; 4. Fairfield 97; 5. Danville 147; 6. Washington 153; 7. Clear Creek Amana 174; 8. North Mahaska 180; 9. Iowa Mennonite 241.

Individual results – 1. Anna Hostetler (MP) 18:08.99; 2. Marie Hostetler (MP) 18:11.35; 3. Ashley Bloomquist (Fair) 20:18.27; 4. Claire Horak (Wash) 20:27.36; 5. Cheyenne Shaw (NM) 20:39.53; 6. Kaylie Barker (CCA) 21:04.64; 7. Ella Duster (Sol) 21:05.96; 8. Alyssa Pfadenhauer (Dan) 21:13.69; 9. Sophie Nicol (Sol) 21:16.16; 10. Erin Kerkhoff (Sol) 21:20.12.

Solon (54) – 7. Ella Duster 21:05.96; 9. Sophie Nicol 21:16.16; 10. Erin Kerkhoff 21:20.12; 11. Nicole Shafer 21:25.84; 17. Aira Foster 22:15.16; 29. Haley Kluesner 23:18.9; 30. Calista Haasl 23:38.37.

Clear Creek Amana (174) – 6. Kaylie Barker 21:04.64; 34. Ally Loren 24:29.77; 38. Olivia Fairholm 25:07.75; 43. Danielle Wnek 25:49.03; 53. Emilie Harder 27:28.4.