Click here for more photos of Solon at the state track meet. 

Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – With four medals in three trips to the state track and field meet to go with a Drake Relays medal Tyler Linderbaum has enjoyed a lot of good memories at Drake Stadium.

The final event for the Solon senior at Drake Stadium was one of the toughest to swallow.

Linderbaum controlled the Class 3A shot put from his opening attempted but settled for a runner-up finish when Algona senior Dominick Etherington uncorked the winning throw of 61-0 ¾ on his final attempt.

“It’s hard,” Linderbaum said. “At the end of the day I have to throw farther than him which I didn’t.”

The runner-up finish capped a strong weekend for the Solon throwers and a brilliant career for Linderbaum.

Linderbaum placed third in the discus on Thursday and collected a medal in the shot put for the third straight year with his runner-up finish on Friday.

“Coming out my sophomore year it was kind of new to me but with coach Wymer’s help I made a lot of progress,” Linderbaum said. “I wouldn’t be where I’m at without him.”

Linderbaum got off to the strong start he wanted with a career-best throw on 59-1 ¼ on his first attempt.

No competitor got within a foot of that throw until Etherington produced the winning toss on his final attempt.

Linderbaum had five attempts over 58-2 ½ and threw better than 58-7 on four of those.

I was more consistent today but at the end of the day I didn’t the job done and he threw further than me,” Linderbaum said.

Linderbaum had one final chance to best Etherington on the final throw of the competition but his final attempt went for 58-7 ¼.

“I was way more consistent than what I have been all season but I just didn’t get the job on that last throw,” Linderbaum said. “It’s tough.”

CCA's Gerard Just Getting Started

Clear Creek Amana sophomore Nick Gerard made school history on Friday with his fifth place finish in the 3A long jump, the best finish ever for a Clipper in the event.

Gerard, who finished behind four seniors, said his first state medal that came on a jump of 21-3 ¾ is just the beginning.

“I am one of the youngest here and I have two more years,” Gerard said. “I have plenty of time to hit 23 feet.”

Gerard entered with the third best jump in Class 3A this season, soaring 22-4 ¼ at the Clippers home meet last month.

He didn’t reach that mark on Friday but still managed to secure a medal in his first state meet experience.

“I most definitely didn’t have my best jump,” Gerard said. “Coming into it I wanted to hit 22. I knew that it would take 22 something to be up there it just didn’t happen today.”