Susan Harman

Your Prep Sports 

SOLON – The Solon girls cross country team wanted another shot at the state meet after placing 15th a year ago, but the Spartans found themselves in a district loaded with three ranked teams and fell just short.

However, freshman Kiersten Conway earned a spot at state by placing sixth individually in 19 minutes, 36 seconds on her home course.

Center Point-Urbana’s top-ranked Adriana Katcher was the winner in 18:40. Top-ranked Dubuque Wahlert, No. 12 Grinnell and No. 13 Benton were the girls team qualifiers. Solon was fifth.

Conway passed a couple runners on the home stretch and had nothing left at the finish.

“I honestly thought I would collapse before the finish line, but I couldn’t,” she said. “I had to make it. I wanted it so bad; it was awesome.”

Conway was so spent she could barely croak out the words, but her eyes were shining.

“I knew there was going to be fast people and some good sprinters, so I wanted to get out before they got in front of me and I had to pass some of them,” she said.

Katcher and runner-up Mary Blanchard of Grinnell, ranked second in the state, broke early.

“I wanted to keep up with them,” Conway said. “But then in the first mile I felt like I had a good 100 meters behind. I thought I could keep them in my eyesight.”

While the top runners eventually separated themselves Conway knew she was running a good pace but also thought it was time to pick it up.

“I may have felt tired, but I was telling myself I could push harder and I could catch some girls,” she said. “It was my fastest PR by 50 seconds on this course. I really want our team to make it to state.”

Teammate Erin Kirkhoff, a junior, was 17th in 20:41, barely missing an individual berth at state. She staggered across the line, completely out of breath.

“My nerves never went away,” she said. “Right when the gun went off I was like in a panic and sometimes that can affect your breathing.”

Despite feeling some pressure with the meet on her home course, Kirkhoff was satisfied.

“I’m really happy with the way I ran today,” she said. “I think I passed a pack of three at the end. The whole time it was just a battle. People passing people and trying to stay ahead as best you could. In the second mile I was a lot stronger than I have been all year.”

Solon was only eight points back of Benton for that elusive third qualifying spot. Davenport Assumption was fourth, five back of Benton.

Sophie Nicol was 27th in 21:17, Ella Duster 29th in 21:31 and Nicole Shafer 35th in 21:39 for the Spartans.

The boys team placed 10th and was led by Ethan Kober, who was 38th and Carl Ritchey who was 46th.

3A State Qualifying Meet

At Solon Nature and Recreation Area

Girls Results

Team scores – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 47; 2. Grinnell 99; 3. Benton 106; 4. Davenport Assumption 111; 5. Solon 114; 6. Mount Pleasant 139; 7. Fort Madison 163; 8. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 177; 9. Center Point-Urbana 196; 10. South Tama 288.

Individual Results – 1. Adriana Katcher (CPU) 18:40; 2. Mary Blanchard (GRI) 18:43; 3. Gabby Moran (DW) 18:48; 4. Sophia Gilbert (BC) 18:56; 5. Abby Ryon (MP) 19:31; 6. Kiersten Conway (SOL) 19:36; 7. Camille Mac (ICL) 19:38; 8. Grace Herber (DW) 19:48; 9. Sierra Howardson (FM) 19:50; 10. Brett Schneider (FM) 20:03; 11. Kaylee Osterberger (DW) 20:12; 12. Anjali Jones (GRI) 20:20; 13. Emma Earles (DW) 20:21; 14. Julia Schumacher (DW) 20:22; 15. Aubrey Frey (MVL) 20:26

Solon – 6. Kiersten Conway 19:36; 17. Erin Kerkhoff 20:41; 27. Sophie Nicol 21:17; 29. Ella Duster 21:31; 35. Nicole Shafer 21:39; 49. Ashley Stinocher 22:33; 59. Saige Hauer 23:18.

Liberty – 7. Camille Mac 19:38; 44. McKenzie Logan 22:07; 72. Avery Clark 25:21; 73. Samantha Schildroth 25:32.

Boys Results

Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 62; 2. Grinnell 69; 3. Center Point-Urbana 79; 4. Benton 105; 5. Dubuque Wahlert 124; 6. Mount Pleasant 146; 7. Fort Madison 170; 8. Davenport Assumption 205; 9. Liberty 231; 10. Solon 238; 11. West Burlington-Notre Dame 351; 12. South Tama 383; 13. Keokuk 389.

Individual results – 1. Myles Bach (CPU) 16:17; 2. Cody Mertens (MP) 16:28; 3. Thomas Clover (GRI) 16:39; 4. Trenton O’Halloran (GRI) 16:50; 5. Patrick Gorkow (BC) 16:53; 6. Thatcher Krob (MVL) 16:53; 7. Peyton Bahl (MVL) 16:56; 8. Aaron Steffensmeier (FM) 17:00; 9. Peter Woodward (ICL) 17:01; 10. Garrett Herring (MVL) 17:06; 11. Chris Guise (DA) 17:12; 12. Luke Post (CPU) 17:14; 13. Dylan Spina (BC) 17:16; 14. Joe Simon (GRI) 17:17; 15. Tristan Miller (CPU) 17:17.

Liberty (231) – 9. Peter Woodward 17:01, 42. Jack Kinzer 18:22, 57. Caleb Schillinger 18:57, 60. Iziah Poulsen 19:08, 63. Spencer Knight 19:25, 77. Gavin Hayes 20:42, 79. Gaven Forbes 21:47.

Solon – 38. Ethan Kober 18:14, 46. Carl Richey 18:30, 49. Payton Philipp 18:40, 51. Andrew Bransky 18:43, 54. Tyler Bilskie 18:52, 67. Edward Richey 19:37, 70. Brad Yeoman 19:48.

*- Top 3 Teams and top 15 individuals qualify for state meet