Fourth-ranked Solon Finishes Runner-up to Second-ranked Mount Vernon-Lisbon at Home Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
SOLON – A week ago at the Ballard Invitational defending state champion Solon got a first-hand look at some of the top challengers in Class 3A this season.
On Monday the Spartans got a chance to gauge themselves against another of the top teams in Class 3A.
Fourth-ranked Solon and second-ranked Mount Vernon-Lisbon ran to a near deadlock on Monday at the Solon Invitational at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area.
Both teams finished with 46 points with Mount Vernon-Lisbon winning the team title on the tiebreaker of the better finish from its sixth-place runner.
“Monday we got to see that huge crowd of 11 ranked teams and today at a smaller meet to get to see Mount Vernon and where we are at because they have a really great team,” Solon coach Emy Williams said. “It’s good to see how we compare with them.”
Both Solon and Mount Vernon-Lisbon had four runners in the top 15 and the fifth runner from the two teams was separated by just seven spots.
The opportunity to see how it stacked up against another of the top teams in Class 3A was exactly what Solon was looking for in its lone home meet of the season.
“Going out and competing against Mount Vernon they definitely push us a lot,” Solon senior Mary Fiala said. “It was nice to be able to compete against them today because we hadn’t run a meet against them yet. They definitely pushed us.”
Mount Vernon-Lisbon senior Lourdes Mason won the individual title in 18:44.1 while Solon senior Kayla Young was runner-up in 19:29.1.
“I love it when there is someone that is faster than me that I can try to catch,” Young said. “I think it really gives me the motivation to push myself.”
Mount Vernon-Lisbon had runners finish third, seventh, 11th and 24th behind Mason.
Solon matched those finishes with Fiala placing fifth in 20:52.4, junior Anna Quillin placing ninth in 21:12.6 and senior Gracie Federspiel finishing 13th in 21:38.5.
Sophomore Sydnee Dee finished 17th in 21:50.4.
Mount Vernon earned the team title with its sixth runner placing 27th just three spots ahead of Solon’s sixth runner senior Sophia Stahle who finished 30th in 23:12.6.
“It is super cool to get a chance to compete against them because we haven’t seen them yet,” Young said. “Today we got to see where they are at.”
Solon Invitational
At Solon Recreation and Nature Area
Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 46; 2. Solon 46; 3. Tipton 68; 4. Williamsburg 106; 5. Cedar Rapids Xavier 125; 6. Benton Community 142; 7. Davenport North 189; 8. Central DeWitt 230; 9. Bettendorf 254
Individual leaders – 1. Lourdes Mason (MV-L) 18:44.1; 2. Kayla Young (SOL) 19:29.1; 3. Laura Swart (MV-L) 19:40.3; 4. Jaida Lyons (BC) 20:44.7; 5. Mary Fiala (SOL) 20:52.4; 6. Emma Arnold (CRX) 20:57.6; 7. Emrie Johnson (MV-L) 21:03.4; 8. Laura Owen (TIP) 21:09.5; 9. Anna Quillin (SOL) 21:12.6; 10. Analise DeWitt (WIL) 21:14.1; 11. Kiersten Swart (MV-L) 21:19.9; 12. Alivia Edens (TIP) 21:32.3; 13. Gracie Federspiel (SOL) 21:38.5; 14. Addie Nerem (TIP) 21:42.5; 15. Abbie Jones (BC) 21:43.6
Solon (46) – 2. Kayla Young 19:29.1; 5. Mary Fiala 20:52.4; 9. Anna Quillin 21:12.6; 13. Gracie Federspiel 21:38.5; 17. Sydnee Dee 21:50.4; 30. Sophia Stahle 23:12.6
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