Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – The finish came as a slight surprise to some.

The final time for the Solon 4×800 relay team on Thursday was maybe more of a shock to others.

But make no mistake the Spartans knew what they were capable of entering the state track and field meet.

Solon dropped nearly 22 seconds from its previous top time and easily pulled away from the field to win the Class 3A 4×800 relay on an overcast afternoon at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

“It was in our heads that we wanted to win it but we didn’t want to go in over confident,” Solon junior Kaia Holtkamp said. “We wanted to come out and compete for it.”

Solon entered with the third fastest qualifying time after finishing more than five seconds behind Dubuque Wahlert at the state qualifying meet last week.

The runner-up state qualifying finish provided a confidence boost for the Spartans.

Solon ran a school-record 9:43.58 at the state meet without junior standout Emma Bock.

With Bock added to the fold for the state meet the third-seeded Spartans entered Drake Stadium on Thursday with a quiet confidence.

“It felt great to break the record at districts and we knew that now that we had Emma coming in we could do it all over again,” Solon freshman Anna Quillin said. “We knew we could possibly win state.”

What the Solon foursome pulled off on Thursday surprised even the Spartans.

Holtkamp and Quillin got Solon off to a strong start on Thursday and freshman Gracie Federspiel and Bock closed the deal as Solon won the first 4×800 title in program history in a school-record time of 9:21.84.

“I was surprised with our time,” Federspiel said. “Honestly, it’s shocking but hard work pays off sometimes.”

Solon entered with the fourth fastest time in 3A this season trailing Dubuque Wahlert, Dallas Center-Grimes and Ballard.

The Spartans trailed for less than 200 meters on Thursday while finishing more than 13 seconds in front of runner-up Dubuque Wahlert which clocked a 9:34.99.

Harlan was third in 9:40.24 and Dallas Center-Grimes was fourth in 9:40.84.

“We knew there would be a lot of teams competing like Ballard and DCG and Wahlert and we had to work off those guys,” Quillin said. “Honestly I was expecting to be running with them most of the time but it was a lot different than I expected.”

Holtkamp gave Solon an early lead with a 2:19 opening 800 and Quillin led until the final 100 meters of her second leg.

“When that girl passed me at the 100 I got a little worried but I knew I had Gracie and Emma coming up behind me,” Quillin said. “Those two are just amazing runners I was confident they could bring it home.”

The deficit for Solon was short lived.

Federspiel needed less than 100 meters to put Solon back in front and by the time she handed to Bock had provided the junior anchor a nearly 50-meter cushion.

“I was just thinking that I had to get out and I had to go,” Federspiel said. “I knew it was all or nothing so I just went out and went strong.”

For Bock the approximately 2:18 split for Federspiel was no surprise.

“I knew she was going catch her as soon as she got the baton, Gracie is that competitive,” Bock said. “I was confident in her.”

Bock put the finishing touches on the win that provided a strong start to the meet for Solon which hopes to push itself into the team title conversation.

“It really gives confidence to everyone on the team,” Bock said. “When you start out and do something like this, you win an event it gives a little spark and everyone wants to go for it.”

The Solon shuttle hurdle relay team of Jada Buffington, Mia Stahle, Calla Foster and Sophia Stahle qualified for the finals running the eighth best time in Thursday’s prelims at 1:09.46.

The top-seeded Clear Creek Amana team of Emma Mathis, Cileigh Smiddy, Kayla Jiras and Silvana Kabolo posted the fastest time in 3A this season in the prelims at 1:05.78.

Regina qualified for the finals of the Class 2A shuttle hurdle relay as the team of Peyton Naeve, Abby Clark, Alli Clark and Annie Gahan ran the third fastest time in prelims at 1:08.62.

Class 2A Girls

State Track and Field Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Team scores – 1. Mid-Prairie 21; 2. Van Meter 14; 3. Sibley-Ocheyedan 13; 4. Hudson 12; 5. Waukon 11; 6. West Lyon 10; 7. Williamsburg 9; 8. Kingsley-Pierson/Woodbury Central 8; 8. Union 8; 8. Southeast Valley 8

Individual results (event winners; area placers)

Shot put – 1. Annika Headington (Waukon) 42-6

Long jump – 1. Kylee Sallee (Hudson) 17-11 ¾

400 – 1. Kennedy Kramer (West Lyon) 56.25

3,000 – 1. Danielle Hostetler (M-P) 10:25.26; 11. Annalee Bartles (Regina) 11:13.45

4×800 – 1. Van Meter 9:42.03; 21. Regina (Berlyn O’Connor, Mya Whitaker, Annalee Bartels, Josie Pursley) 10:25.8

Class 3A Girls

State Track and Field Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Team scores – 1. Ballard 19; 2. Charles City 16; 3. Oskaloosa 13; 4. Dubuque Wahlert 12; 4. Western Dubuque 12; 6. Davenport Assumption 11; 6. Waverly-Shell Rock 11; 8. Solon 10; 8. Keokuk 10; 10. Bondurant-Farrar 8; 10. Carlisle 8

Individual results (event winners; area competitors)

Discus – 1. Faith DeRonde (Oskaloosa) 140-1; 10. Ava Conrad (Solon) 113-1

High jump – 1. Miracle Ailes (Keokuk) 5-7

400 – 1. Audrey Biermann (Western Dubuque) 55.8; 23. Ashley Stinocher (Solon) 1:03.77

3,000 – 1. Shewaye Johnson (Ballard) 9:57.21; 14. Kiersten Conway (Solon) 11:20.29

4×800 – 1. Solon (Kaia Holtkamp, Anna Quillin, Grace Federspiel, Emma Bock) 9:21.84; 20. Clear Creek Amana (Kiera Rogers, Haidyn Barker, Avery Allan, Sam Schrage) 10:26.4

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