Kabela Earns First Career State Medal As Solon Posts Second Straight Top-five Team Finish
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
FORT DODGE – With 50 meters left in the Class 3A state cross country meet Brick Kabela knew exactly where he was at.
The Solon sophomore could also see precisely where he needed to be.
Thanks to a late charge over the final several meters Kabela got to where he wanted.
Kabela charged past a pair of runners in the final meters and earned the first state medal of his career with a 14th place finish on a cool and breezy afternoon at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
“I knew that was the top 15 and that’s exactly where I was going,” Kabela said. “I’ve never run that fast in my life.”
Kabela got his feet wet at the state meet last season placing 26th in a time of 17:03.1.
In his return to Fort Dodge on Friday Kabela took nearly 30 seconds off his time from a year ago while helping Solon to a fifth-place finish in the 3A team standings.
“I’m thrilled with it that was one of my goals all season was top 15,” Kabela said. “I probably didn’t run the time I wanted to but when you get the place you wanted to it’s all right especially at state.”
Dallas Center-Grimes won its third consecutive team title finishing with 60 points while Marion was runner-up with 62 points.
Kabela was joined in the top 20 by senior Gabe Himan who placed 18th overall in 16:44.29 as the Spartans secured a second consecutive top-five team finish with 190 points, one in front of MOC-Floyd Valley.
Kabela was 28th after a mile and moved up to 17th at the two-mile mark before making a charge late.
“I think this cold I haven’t really been used to this all season and the wind was tough,” Kabela said. “I ran as fast as I could and I think I had a good race.”
Clear Creek Amana senior Gavin Zillyette finished 37th overall in a time of 17:18.3 in his third trip to the state meet.
Class 3A State Cross Country Meet
At Lakeside Golf Course
Team scores – 1. Dallas Center-Grimes 60; 2. Marion 62; 3. North Polk 153; 4. Pella 161; 5. Solon 190; 6. MOC-Floyd Valley 191; 7. Carlisle 205; 8. Western Dubuque 224; 9. Decorah 234; 10. Glenwood 235; 11. Mount Vernon/Lisbon 243; 12. Newton 251; 13. ADM 257; 14. Sioux Center 261; 15. Charles City 365
Individual medalists – 1. Aidan Ramsey (DC-G) 15:36.08; 2. Eli Larson (CP-U) 15:44.16; 3. Shane Erb (MAR) 15:48.28; 4. Jackson Mace Mayard (NEW) 16:06.47; 5. Jedidiah Osgood (MAR) 16:06.86; 6. Eli Naumann (WD) 16:11.1; 7. Sam May (MFV) 16:12.78; 8. Lance Sobaski (Washington) 16:20.15; 9. Zach Sporaa (NP) 16:27.11; 10. Tate McDermott (DC-G) 16:28.51; 11. Bryant Keller (GLE) 16:31.91; 12. Cooper Greenslade (ADM) 16:35.22; 13. Blake Roling (MAR) 16:35.25; 14. Brick Kabela (SOL) 16:35.76; 15. Max Sporaa (NP) 16:35.96
Solon (190) – 12. Brick Kabela 16:35.76; 15. Gabe Hinman 16:44.29; 42. Grant Bumsted 17:41.74; 58. Michael Yeomans 17:54.68; 63. Ty Becicka 17:58.11; 79. Ethan McLaughlin 18:20.13; 96. Nate Ferguson 18:46.1
Clear Creek Amana – 37. Gavin Zillyette 17:18.3
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