Solon Secures Return Trip To State Meet With Runner-up Finish at State Qualifier
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
SOLON – Emy Williams didn’t have a fiery speech or an elaborate race strategy for her Solon cross country team prior to the state qualifying meet on Wednesday.
Instead, Williams offered a piece of simple advice.
“I just told them we just have to go out and do what we do,” Williams explained. “We knew who was here and we didn’t have to try to do anything amazing we just had to do what we do.”
The defending 3A runner-up Spartans did more than enough to return to the state meet.
Fifth-ranked Solon had three runners in the top 13 and finished runner-up with 70 points in the 3A state qualifier at the Solon Nature and Recreation Area.
Solon got top-10 finishes from sophomore Brick Kabela and senior Gabe Hinman while finishing with 70 points.
Second-ranked Marion won the team title with 26 while Mount Vernon/Lisbon finished third with 100 points to secure the final spot at the 3A state meet set for October 29 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
“I was hoping to run a little bit faster but I can’t complain,” Kabela said. “I didn’t want to leave it all out here and not run a good time at state, I’d rather run good there than out here but I still ran overall pretty good.”
The theme for Solon on Wednesday was doing what it does and what the Spartans have done this season is improve.
Solon continued to do that on Wednesday as every Spartan finisher dropped time from the WAMAC meet last week won the same course.
“When you look at times some of them are 20 or 30 seconds faster than they were last week at conference,” Williams said. “I think they ran really well.”
Kabela was among those to improve his time significantly from last week.
The sophomore finished in 16:36 on Wednesday which was more than 13 seconds faster than his time at the WAMAC meet last week.
“I felt a little better today but still not how I felt earlier in the season,” Kabela said. “My legs are getting used to resting now so I think I will be ready for state.”
The Marion duo of Shane Erb and Jedidiah Osgood pulled away from the field and finished first and second respectively while both breaking the 16-minute mark.
Washington senior Lance Sobaski was third in 16:15.5 followed by Kabela.
“In this race I wanted to go out with them and see how long I could stay with them,” Kabela said of the top three finishers. “I wanted it to be longer it was only about a mile but that was my strategy for this race but state might be a little bit different.”
Hinman was eighth in a time of 16:56.1 and became a four-time state qualifier.
A two-time individual state qualifier, Hinman helped the Spartans return to the state meet as a team for the second straight season.
“Gabe coming in as a freshman and watching him mature into the runner and the athlete that he has become and the leader that he has become on the team it’s a great thing to see,” Williams said. “I’m so proud of him.”
Sophomore Michael Yeomans was 13th for Solon taking more than 30 seconds off his time from the WAMAC meet while Ty Becicka took more than 30 seconds off his time while placing 17th in 17:26.3.
Solon can now turn its attention to the state meet where it will seek a second straight top-three finish.
“We haven’t really talked much about it but I think we all have a common idea about what we want to do,” Kabela said. “We just want to go compete and do our very best and what that is will be determined.”
Class 3A State Qualifier
At Solon Nature and Recreation Area
Team scores – 1. Marion 26; 2. Solon 70; 3. Mount Vernon/Lisbon 100; 4. Washington 101; 5. South Tama 142; 6. Mount Pleasant 184; 7. Benton Community 198; 8. Davenport Assumption 199; 9. Fort Madison 236; 10. Central DeWitt 247; 11. Maquoketa 351; 12. Keokuk 369
Individual leaders – 1. Shane Erb (MAR) 15:56.5; 2. Jedidiah Osgood (MAR) 15:56.8; 3. Lance Sobaski (WAS) 16:15.5; 4. Brick Kabela (SOL) 16:36; 5. Blake Roling (MAR) 16:39.3; 6. Tommy Tyynismaa (ST) 16:40.2; 7. Chris Oberbrockling (MAR) 16:46.2; 8. Gabe Hinman (SOL) 16:56.1; 9. Micah Rees (WAS) 16:56.4; 10. James Brant (ST) 17:04.3; 11. Cooper Cook (MAR) 17:07; 12. Trey Schulte (BC) 17:11.5; 13. Michael Yeomans (SOL) 17:16.2; 14. Jordan Fischer (MAR) 17:20.2; 15. David Lochner (DA) 17:20.6
Solon (70) – 4. Brick Kabela 16:36; 8. Gabe Hinman 16:56.1; 13. Michael Yeomans 17:16.2; 17. Ty Becicka 17:26.3; 28. Nate Ferguson 17:59.8; 30. Ethan McLaughlin 18:01.9; 32. Grant Bumsted 18:04.9;
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