Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – After missing out on a trip to the state meet in 2017 the Solon girls cross country team returned to Fort Dodge a year ago but had to sweat out a third-place finish at its state qualifier to do it.

The Spartans earned a second consecutive state meet bid on Thursday this one coming without the stress of last season.

Solon had three runners finish in the top 15 on its way to the team title at the Class 3A state qualifier on Thursday at the Solon Nature and Recreation Area.

“Last year wasn’t a for sure thing and we knew we had to push as hard as we could just to make it,” Solon junior Kiersten Conway said. “This year we knew we had a good chance but we couldn’t let that get to our heads, we wanted to approach it the same way where we had to give it everything we had to make sure we got to state.”

Paced by top-10 finishes from Conway and sophomore Emma Bock Class 3A sixth-ranked Solon finished with 68 points to edge No. 14 Center Point-Urbana by 10 for the team title.

No. 10 Grinnell was third with 81 points to edge fourth-place Davenport Assumption by six for the final spot at the Class 3A state meet November 2 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

“We knew that we were the highest ranked team coming into this district and we didn’t want that to get to our heads,” Conway said. “We wanted to use that as motivation to run even faster. We knew we had a decent chance to make it but we didn’t want to take anything for granted.”

An individual state qualifier as a freshman in 2017 Conway helped make sure the Spartans returned to Fort Dodge as a team for the second straight season.

The junior was seventh in a time of 19:53.4 and Bock was 10th in 20:18.4 as the Spartans took advantage of running on its home course.

“I love having this meet at home,” Bock said. “I was kind of nervous about it at the beginning of the season but it really helped having so many more people cheering.”

It was the depth behind Conway and Bock that helped Solon keep its season alive.

Freshman Mary Fiala finish 14th in 20:29.9 and sophomores Meghan O’Neill and Kaia Holtkamp each added top-20 finishes.

O’Neill was 18th in 20:58.8 and Holtkamp was 19th in 21:00.7.

“It’s so nice at the end of the year for everyone to come together because that helps push us and we all do better if someone is pushing us,” Bock said. “Those girls all work so hard in practice and I expected them to peak this time of year as they learn about a 5K and how to race it.”

Clear Creek Amana freshman Haidyn Barker secured a spot at the state meet in her first postseason race, placing fourth in a time of 19:44.1 as the Clippers placed seventh with 163 points.

Defending 3A runner-up Adrianna Katcher of Center Point-Urbana won the individual title in 18:46.6 while Abby Ryon of Mount Pleasant was second in 19:01.7.

Class 3A State Qualifier

Team scores – 1. Solon 68; 2. Center Point-Urbana 78; 3. Grinnell 81; 4. Davenport Assumption 87; 5. Mount Pleasant 98; 6. Central DeWitt 141; 7. Clear Creek Amana 163; 8. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 182; 9. Fort Madison 278; 10. Maquoketa 301; 11. Washington 306

Individual leaders – 1. Adrianna Katcher (CP-U) 18:46.6; 2. Abby Ryon (MP) 19:01.7; 3. Mary Blanchard (GRI) 19:19.3; 4. Haidyn Barker (CCA) 19:44.1; 5. Kay Fett (CP-U) 19:46.1; 6. Taylor Quick (DA) 19:52; 7. Kiersten Conway (SOL) 19:53.4; 8. Kora Katcher (CP-U) 19:57.4; 9. Anjali Jones (GRI) 19:58.8; 10. Emma Bock (SOL) 20:18.4; 11. Carly Small (CD) 20:19.8; 12. Laney Fitzpatrick (DA) 20:21.9; 13. Morgan Jennings (DA) 20:28.9; 14. Mary Fiala (SOL) 20:29.9; 15. Laura Swart (MV-L) 20:39.8

Solon – 7. Kiersten Conway 19:53.4; 10. Emma Bock 20:18.4; 14. Mary Fiala 20:29.9; 18. Meghan O’Neill 20:58.8; 19. Kaia Holtkamp 21:00.7; 33. Aira Foster 21:38; 39. Nicole Shafer 22:01.8

Clear Creek Amana – 4. Haidyn Barker 19:44.1; 21. Emily Coleman 21:10.4; 38. Kayla Jiras 21:53; 46. Karsyn Stratton 22:18.3; 54. Avery Allan 22:34.3; 57. Madeline Fox 22:36.7; 60. Allie Kounkel (CCA) 22:50.7

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