Photo by Jeff Yoder | Solon state track photo gallery

Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – There is almost always a little tinkering to be done to a lineup leading up to the state track and field meet.

The alterations Solon coach Brent Sands made on Friday had the Spartans’ relay team engines operating at peak performance.

Solon posted a pair of third-place relay finishes at the Class 3A state track and field meet Friday on a rain-soaked track at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

The Spartans switched up relay runners from its district qualifying teams on both the distance medley and 4×200 squads and posted third-place finishes on both Friday.

“We knew coming in that we were going to switch some things and coach Sands told us we are going to have the most changes going into the state meet that we have ever had,” Solon senior Rachael Nelson said. “We just roll with it and try to go out and score as many points as we can.”

The two third-place relay finishes on Friday kept Solon in the thick of the 3A team race heading into Saturday.

Solon is sixth with 19 points entering the final day, 7.5 points back of 3A leader Dubuque Wahlert.

Rain pushed the start of Friday’s morning sessions back an hour but the Spartans wasted little time getting going.

Solon got a boost in the opening event as the distance medley team of Makinley Levin, Nelson, Abby Smith and Emma Bock finished third in 4:12.83.

The Spartans entered seeded 17th off state qualifying meet times but shaved nearly 13 seconds off the time on Friday.

“We switched up our order and who was running it so we were here to surprise people,” Nelson said. “We wanted people to know we deserved to be in this race.”

Solon easily won the opening of three heats in the distance medley thanks in part to a 2:19 800-meter split from freshman Bock.

Then Spartans had to wait to see if their time would be topped.

Waiting was intensified when the live results on the video board at Drake Stadium went down as the final heat was completed.

“My heart was pounding,” Bock said. “We were all staring up at the board and waiting trying to see where our time would stack up with theirs.”

Sioux City Heelan won the third and final heat in a time of 4:04.86 to win the distance medley relay and Carlisle was runner-up in 4:06.83.
No other team could top the time Solon put up in the opening heat.

“It’s very tough running in the first heat,” Bock said. “We are all trying to pace ourselves and do what we know we can but without anyone near us to push us it’s tough.”

The 4×200 team of Taylor Ryan, Smith, Khaylor Fleck and Erin Kerkhoff followed suit with a third-place finish in an event that took place in a driving rain.

“We are just trying to be mentally tough with whatever weather condition comes,” Kerkhoff said. “You just have to expect the unexpected I guess.”

The Spartans entered with the third fastest time in 2A this season behind leaders Dubuque Wahlert and Davenport Assumption.

Wahlert cruised to the title in 1:41.42 and Pella was second in 1:45.11 but a strong anchor from Kerkhoff helped Solon edge Davenport Assumption for third in 1:45.45.

“We knew coming in that Assumption and Wahlert were going to have really good times,” Ryan said. “We came in trying to compete with them and we did exactly what we came to do.”

Smith played a key role in both relays on Friday running a strong 400-leg on the distance medley and running second on the 4×200.

The senior was the lone runner on the Spartans relay teams that ran both at the state qualifier last week and on Friday as the Solon lineup shuffled.

“It’s been interesting we knew coming in that some things might be changed and we were ready for it,” Smith said. “We just take it and go out and do the best we can.”
With a wet baton communication and handoffs became key on Friday.

Solon had nearly seamless transitions on its way to a time that was a little more than a second off its best of the

“We just trust the handoffs because we work them all the time,” Fleck said. “Coach tells us to trust our handoffs no matter the weather and just be patient.”

Class 3A

Team scores – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 26.5; 2. Glenwood 26; 3. Pella 22; 3. Davenport Assumption 22; 5. Mount Pleasant 20; 6. Solon 19; 7. Iowa Falls 18; 7. Sioux City Heelan 18; 9. Mount Vernon 15; 9. Keokuk 15

Individual results (Event winner; area qualifiers)

400 hurdles – 1. Janette Schraft (Glenwood) 1:03.5; 13. Gabbi Bullard (Solon) 1:08.63

4×200 – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 1:41.42; 3. Solon (Taylor Ryan, Abby Smith, Khaylor Fleck, Erin Kerkhoff) 1:45.45

Distance medley relay – 1. Sioux City Heelan 4:04.86; 3. Solon (Makinley Levin, Rachael Nelson, Abby Smith, Emma Bock) 4:12.83

Shot put – 1. Lexie Magnani (Mount Pleasant) 42-5 ¼

Long jump – 1. Aliyah Carter (Dubuque Wahlert) 18-8 ½; 13. Makinley Levin (Solon) 15-5 ½; 22. Khaylor Fleck (Solon) 14-10 ¼

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