Class 3A Fifth-ranked Solon Finishes Runner-up at Home Invitational
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
SOLON – The most important meets for the Solon cross country teams come next month.
Solon closes the season with three consecutive high-leverage meets in the WAMAC Conference meet, a state qualifier and the Spartans hope the state meet in October.
The most enjoyable meet for the Spartans came on Monday.
Class 3A fifth-ranked Solon finished runner-up at its own Solon Invitational on Monday in front of a large crowd at the Solon Nature and Recreation area.
“That’s something that we really talked to our kids about is we are so blessed because we go to other meets and it’s really only parents there but we come here and we have the community supporting us,” Solon coach Emy Williams said. “Our kids take pride in competing in our town and they want people to see all the work they put in.”
Third-ranked Mount Vernon-Lisbon won the team title with 41 points followed by host Solon with 63 points.
No. 15 Williamsburg was third with 89 points followed by 2A No. 18 Tipton with 117 and 3A No. 17 Cedar Rapids Xavier with 125.
“I was really proud of our girls today,” Williams said. “We hadn’t seen Mount Vernon yet this season and it’s always good to see where we compare because they are super good but I felt like we went out and competed and now we know where we are at and we know where we are going to have to make moves if we are going to try to catch them sometime.”
Racing on its home course and in front of plenty of family and fans Solon had four runners finish in the top 16.
Junior Falyn Svalstad led the Spartans placing seventh in a time of 20:27.4.
“I really like this meet because it feels like the whole community is here coming together to support us,” Svalstad said. “It helps to have people here supporting and I think that gives me a boost and makes it so I am able to go more.”
Sophomores Addison Seamans and Liv Nelson finished 10th and 13th respectively.
Seamans was 10th in 20:54.7 and Nelson placed 13th in 21:08 while freshman Mailee Schmidt finished 16th in 21:14.4.
“I like running at this meet, there are always people there cheering you on,” Seamans said. “The support we get at this meet is amazing.”
Quinn Armentrout finished 25th in 22:11.6 and Stella Beck was 26th in 22:11.8 for Solon.
“We’ve run this course so many times in practice we just know so much more about it,” Seamans said. “We know where to put in surges, we know where there are going to be people and where there won’t be people and how to attack the course.”
Third-ranked Mount Vernon-Lisbon cruised to the boys title with 24 points followed by Tipton with 130 and Springville with 148.
Solon was 10th in the boys race with 211 points.
Sophomore Anders Holmes led Solon with a placing 17th in 17:51 and classmate Preston Raasch was 21st in 17:59.8.
“Our boys can’t catch a break with injuries and sickness but the kids that are running and running faster than they were last year and they are doing a great job competing,” Williams said. “That hope of being able to put it all together at the end of the season is still there and if we can put it all together they are going to be very competitive.”
Solon Invitational
At Solon Nature and Recreation Area
Girls Results
Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 41; 2. Solon 63; 3. Williamsburg 89; 4. Tipton 117; 5. Cedar Rapids Xavier 125; 6. Washington 148; 7. Pekin 167; 8. Davenport North 219; 9. Anamosa 227
Individual leaders – 1. Evelyn Moeller (MV-L) 18:46.1; 2. Chloe Glosser (PEK) 18:59.7; 3. Iris Dahl (WAS) 19:35.6; 4. Kiersten Swart (MV-L) 19:38.5; 5. Mia Deegan (CRX) 19:45.9; 6. Carryn Sattler (CLI) 20:22.7; 7. Falyn Svalstad (SOL) 20:27.4; 8. Channing Becker (WIL) 20:38.5; 9. Rose Pisarik (MV-L) 20:44.4; 10. Addison Seamans (SOL) 20:54.7; 11. Miranda Sellner (MV-L) 21:06.4; 12. Addison Guerra (WL) 21:07; 13. Liv Nelson (SOL) 21:08; 14. Edie Axmear (WIL) 21:10.9; 15. Maddie Gorsh (WIL) 21:13.1
Solon (63) – 7. Falyn Svalstad 20:27.4; 10. Addison Seamans 20:54.7; 13. Liv Nelson 21:08; 16. Mailee Schmidt 21:14.4; 25. Quinn Armentrout 22:11.6; 26. Stella Beck 22:11.8; 31. Jillian Jansen 22:53.6
Boys Results
Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 24; 2. Tipton 130; 3. Springville 148; 4. Williamsburg 165; 5. Anamosa 165; 6. Cedar Rapids Xavier 171; 7. Washington 173; 8. Davenport North 183; 9. West Liberty 203; 10. Solon 211; 11. Pekin 223; 12. Clinton 228; 13. Maquoketa 369
Individual leaders – 1. Dawson Scheil (MV-L) 16:22.6; 2. Sawyer Feldman (MV-L) 16:43.2; 3. Andrew Rees (WAS) 16:48; 4. Benjamin Brinkmann (MV-L) 16:51.7; 5. Andrew Allen (CRX) 17:05.3; 6. Nolan Weers (ANA) 17:17.2; 7. JC Nuci (DN) 17:32.7; 8. Chasen Caskey (MV-L) 17:33.7; 9. Anthony Armstrong (MV-L) 17:38.6; 10. Jackson Burrell (ANA) 17:39.1; 11. Lance Mueggenberg (CRX) 17:42.2; 12. Cole Millikin (PEK) 17:43.3; 13. Tyler Taube (SPR) 17:44.1; 14. Marcus Pirkl (WIL) 17:47.3; 15. Kyler Happel (MV-L) 17:47.7
Solon (211) – 17. Anders Holmes 17:51; 21. Preston Raasch 17:59.8; 44. Charlie Pettit 19:20.5; 52. Colton Kolar 19:34.; 76. Braydon Baker 21:05.2; 82. Ben Yeomans 21:56.8
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