Junior Dee Continues Strong Season Helping Solon to Second Straight WAMAC Runner-up Finish
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
MARION – Sydney Dee has learned a lot in her first two seasons of cross country.
One of the tricks the Solon junior has picked up is the harder you push in practice the easier things become on race day.
“I always give 100 percent at practice so in the race I can remind myself that I’ve done hard practices before,” Dee said. “I’ve done longer workouts I’ve done faster workouts so I can do it in the race.”
That work in practice paid off in a big way for Dee on Thursday.
A fifth-place finish from Dee helped Class 3A fifth-ranked Solon to a runner-up team finish at the WAMAC Conference meet at Antioch Church in Marion.
“She is learning a lot, learning how to run her best race,” Solon coach Emy Williams said of Dee. “She has put a lot of work in and our team does a good job of working together and putting the work in and she put that work in. Every day she comes to practice and works hard.”
Dee joined the cross country team last season as a sophomore and finished seventh at the WAMAC meet in a strong finish to her debut season.
This fall Dee has continued her ascent placing fifth on Thursday in a time of 20:19.8.
Dee joined senior Anna Quillin in the top 10 on Thursday as Solon finished with 69 points, 11 behind fourth-ranked Mount Vernon-Lisbon which won its second consecutive WAMAC title.
“Last year was her first season and you could see she was good and once she got in shape we knew she was going to be huge for us,” Quillin said of Dee. “She did more off-season training and she has that confidence now which is huge and I love running with her.”
The runner-up finish was the second straight for Solon and marked the sixth consecutive season the Spartans finished in the top two at the conference meet.
Class 3A No. 16 Marion was third with 88 points followed by Center Point-Urbana with 109 points and 3A sixth-ranked Clear Creek Amana with 133 points.
“It was kind of a tough night for our girls, we are just not at 100 percent right now and that’s o.k.” Clear Creek Amana coach Ben Robison said. “I know I feel good about where we are sitting moving into next week.”
Solon had five runners in the top 25 on Thursday led by Dee and Quillin.
Quillin finished ninth in a time of 20:31.9 while freshman Falyn Svalstad was 11th in 20:48.4.
“The big thing for us is getting into the summer runs and talking to the freshmen early when they are eighth graders and letting them know that we believe in them because it’s really about the future generations coming up and what they can bring to help us out,” Quillin said. “We know what we can do but having the help us out like they have this year is really big.”
Junior Ella Sheeley placed 21st for Solon in 21:16.2 and senior Gracie Federspiel was 23rd in 21:24.5.
“I think our team has gotten ourselves to a good spot,” Dee said. “The beginning of the season is always hard but we’ve been moving up and passing teams in the rankings so I think we in a good spot.”
Kira Barker finished 15th in a time of 21:00.1 to lead Clear Creek Amana while Sara Kinzenbaw was right behind in 16th place in a time of 21:00.4.
Kadence Whitmer placed 28th in a time of 21:43.6 for the Clippers.
WAMAC Conference Meet
At Antioch Church
Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 58; 2. Solon 69; 3. Marion 88; 4. Center Point-Urbana 109; 5. Clear Creek Amana 133; 6. Williamsburg 158; 7. Benton Community 167; 8. West Delaware 182; 9. Vinton-Shellsburg 216; 10. Grinnell 260
Individual leaders – 1. Addison Dabroski (MAR) 19:34.7; 2. Eastin Whisner (MV-L) 20:05.4; 3. Grace Estling (CP-U) 20:07.2; 4. Brynn Kartman (WD) 20:07.6; 5. Sydney Dee (SOL) 20:19.8; 6. Jaida Lyons (BC) 20:23.2; 7. Evelyn Moeller (MV-L) 20:24; 8. Emma Wilkerson (CP-U) 20:24.9; 9. Anna Quillin (SOL) 20:31.9; 10. Emrie Johnson (MV-L) 20:41.2; 11. Falyn Svalstad (SOL) 20:48.4; 12. Edie Axmear (WIL) 20:52.5; 13. Olivia Primrose (V-S) 20:55; 14. Kendall Orozco (MAR) 20:56; 15. Kira Barker (CCA) 21:00.1
Solon (60) – 5. Sydney Dee 20:19.8; 9. Anna Quillin 20:31.9; 11. Falyn Svalstad 20:48.4; 21. Ella Sheeley 21:16.2; 23. Gracie Federspiel 21:24.5; 24. Ava Rolwes 21:26.7 41. Rose McAtee 22:13
Clear Creek Amana (133) – 15. Kira Barker 21:00.1; 16. Sara Kinzenbaw 21:00.4; 28. Kadence Whitmer 21:43.6; 36. Kiera Rogers 22:05; 38. Sienna Stitner 22:08l7; 40. Harper Tecklenburg 22:09.9; 57. Eva Leighton-Dick 23:55.1
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