Senior Kabela Helps Solon to Runner-up Finish in Final Appearance at Spartan Invitational
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
SOLON – Dating back to his junior high days Brick Kabela has run more races than he can recall on the cross country course at the Solon Nature and Recreation Area.
“At least double digits,” Kabela said. “It’s been a lot.”
Kabela has competed for conference championships and run in state qualifying meets on his home course but Monday’s meet was among the most memorable for the Solon senior.
In his final appearance at the Solon Invitational Kabela was joined by his siblings as younger sister Beckitt and brother Brooks competed in the middle school races prior to the varsity events.
The eldest Kabela continued a strong senior season with a third-place individual finish to help Class 3A tenth-ranked Solon to a runner-up team finish at the 10-team Solon Invitational.
“It’s fun to see all the races with one of my family members in it so every race is interesting to me,” Kabela said. “It’s pretty cool to see three Kabela’s when you look at the results of the races.”
Michael Yeomans joined Kabela in the top 10, finishing sixth in a time of 17:04.3 as Solon finished with 61 points.
Led by individual champion Grady Olberding 3A fourth-ranked Mount Vernon-Lisbon won the team title with 43 points.
Class 2A No. 20 Tipton was third with 102 and 2A No. 10 Williamsburg was fourth with 107.
“There are 11 teams and all of them are competitive,” Solon coach Emy Williams said. “We got to see Marion and Williamsburg and Mount Vernon for the first time and I thought we competed well knowing that we are still juggling around our varsity.”
For Kabela, who is a four-year varsity runner, Monday was one of the final opportunities to run in front of the family and friends that made up a home crowd.
Kabela made the most of that opportunity finishing in 16:43.1, which was 17 seconds off the pace of runner-up Cooper Cook of Marion.
“It’s always good to run at home with the crowd and everyone that supports you,” Kabela said. “So it’s definitely a highlight every year to have a meet here.”
Mon was not the final home meet for Kabela as the Spartans are set to host a Class 3A state qualifying meet next month.
Already a three-time state qualifier Kabela knows the importance of running a familiar course with a spot at the state meet on the line.
He also knows the feeling of securing a trip to state at home would be extra special, much like his race on Monday.
“I love having a qualifier here because when it comes to that meet it’s not about you as an individual,” Kabela said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be a three-time state qualifier as a team so being able to have a chance to go to state again with all our fans here would make it that much better.”
An individual state medalist as a sophomore in 2021, Kabela has emerged as a leader within the program at Solon.
Something that head coach Emy Williams says was imparted on Kabela during his freshman season.
“When he came in as a freshman he had some really great seniors that took him under their wing and showed him what you had to do,” Williams said. “He has taken that role as a senior in full stride and then also become a leader himself. He’s a leader by example just going and doing what he does and I think it has elevated the team with the times he is running.”
Kabela headlined a trio of three Spartans in the top 15 on Monday.
Senior Lawsin Sinnwell finished 13th in 17:31.6 to join Yeomans and Kabela in the top 15.
Evan Burg was 19th in 17:457 and Spencer Michels placed 20th in 17:49.4.
In the girls race eighth-ranked Solon got top-15 finishes from Sydney Dee, Anna Quillin and Ava Rolwes on its way to a runner-up team finish.
Fourth-ranked Mount Vernon-Lisbon won the team title with 54 points, 15 in front of Solon.
2A fourth-ranked Tipton was third with 90 points followed by 3A No. 10 Marion with 110.
Dee led Solon finishing 10th in a time of 20:43.6.
Quillin was 12th in 20:52.9 and Rolwes placed 14th in 21:08.9.
“We had some really good times today,” Williams said. “We haven’t seen Mount Vernon and now we know where we stack up and what we are going to have to do but they ran a great race and they are a super strong team but I think all in all we competed well. It was a great day for us.”
Solon Invitational
Girls Results
Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 54; 2. Solon 69; 3. Tipton 90; 4. Marion 110; 5. Clinton 131; 6. North Linn 135; 7. Williamsburg 156; 8. Cedar Rapids Xavier 182
Individual leaders – 1. Meghan Wheatley (NL) 18:23.4; 2. Camryn Sattler (CLI) 18:56.8; 3. Kiersten Swart (MV-L) 19:50; 4. Addison Dabroski (MAR) 20:01; 5. Eastin Whisner (MV-L) 20:02.8; 6. Carryn Sattler (CLI) 20:14.4; 7. Evelyn Moeller (MV-L) 20:21.8; 8. Laura Owen (TIP) 20:35.7; 9. Mia Deegan (CRX) 20:37.8; 10. Sydney Dee (SOL) 20:43.6; 11. Alivia Edens (TIP) 20:43.6; 12. Anna Quillin (SOL) 20:52.9; 13. Edie Axmear (WIL) 21:02.9; 14. Ava Rolwes (SOL) 21:08.9; 15. AudryElla Meyer (MAR) 21:15.1
Solon (69) – 10. Sydney Dee 20:43.6; 12. Anna Quillin 20:52.9; 14. Ava Rolwes 21:08.9; 16. Falyn Svalstad 21:17.4; 17. Ella Sheeley 21:18.3; 18. Gracie Federspiel 21:23.3; 33. Rose McAtee 22:22.5
Boys Results
Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 43; 2. Solon 61; 3. Tipton 102; 4. Williamsburg 107; 5. Davenport North 117; 6. Marion 135; 7. Cedar Rapids Xavier 193; 8. Clinton 205; 9. North Linn 211; 10. West Liberty 296
Individual leaders – 1. Grady Olberding (MV-L) 16:01; 2. Cooper Cook (MAR) 16:26; 3. Brick Kabela (SOL) 16:43.1; 4. Clay Bohlman (TIP) 16:48.3; 5. JC Nuci (DN) 17:01.6; 6. Michael Yeomans (SOL) 17:04.3; 7. Dawson Scheil (MV-L) 17:04.7; 8. Klayten Perreault (MV-L) 17:20.4; 9. Jordan Fischer (MAR) 17:21.9; 10. Wesley Sadler (MV-L) 17:22.7; 11. Calvin Seeman (WIL) 17:24.7; 12. Marcus Camacho (CRX) 17:27.8; 13. Lawsin Sinnwell (SOL) 17:31.6; 14. Caleb Bohlmann (TIP) 17:33.9; 15. Nile Busch (WIL) 17:35.9
Solon (61) – 3. Brick Kabela 16:43.1; 6. Michael Yeomans 17:04.3; 13. Lawsin Sinnwell 17:31.6; 19. Evan Burg 17:45.7; 20. Spencer Michels 17:49.4; 29. Collin Bumsted 18:34.1; 41. Camden Lyons 19:23
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