Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – There is a long history of sustained success within the Solon girls track and field program.

The current group of Spartan seniors haven’t just added to that legacy they have raised the level of what it means to be successful.

On Tuesday those seniors showed one final time on their home track what it means to succeed.

Three different Solon seniors won individual titles as the Spartans won 14 events and cruised to the team title at the Denny Gruber Relays at chilly Spartan Stadium.

“I think the big thing is we had a class of girls come through that are track kids and they are doing other things too but many of them, their focus is track and you don’t always get that,” Solon coach Brent Sands said. “Their dedication to the sport has shown all these younger kids what you have to be successful and they’ve definitely risen the bar of what it takes.”

In the final home meet of their careers seniors Emma Bock, Makinley Levin and Kaia Holtkamp all claimed individual titles Tuesday as Solon rolled up 223 team points.

Mount Vernon was runner-up with 107 followed by Marion with 82.

The dominant effort continued an unbeaten season for Solon and was a perfect way for the senior class to walk away from its final home meet.

“It is a wave emotions,” Holtkamp said. “I think I have cried three times tonight and also celebrated with my teammates. It’s definitely an experience to remember.”

Holtkamp won the 800 in a time of 2:19.87 and was a part of a pair of relay wins to go with a fourth-place finish in the high jump.

She joined Bock, senior Meghan O’Neill and Gracie Federspiel on the 4×800 team that won in 9:58.17 and the same foursome won the 4×400 in 4:04.77.

“This team is so close and we’ve gotten closer over the years,” Holtkamp said. “We are more competitive than ever and that’s what brings us closer and it’s a fun experience competing with each other and being there to congratulate each other.”

Levin won the long jump with a mark of 16-10 ½ and was part of the relay dominance for Solon as the Spartans won six of seven relays.

She anchored the sprint medley team of Addie McQuinn, Emma Wolff and Mia Duckett to a win in 1:53.77 and ran the anchor on the Spartans winning 4×100 squad.

Levin also joined Aly Stahle, Mia Stahle and Duckett on the 4×200 team that won in 1:47.51.

Bock won the 400 in 58.47 to go with her wins in the relays.

“I love running here the whole town comes out and supports us,” Bock said. “It’s been a great four years running here.”

Solon was dominant across the board on Tuesday.

Aly Stahle won the 100, Duckett won the 200, Kayla Young won the 1,500 and Sophia Stahle swept the hurdle events winning both the 100 high hurdles and the 400 hurdles.

The Solon shuttle hurdle relay team of senior Jada Buffington, Mia Stahle, Aly Stahle and Sophia Stahle won in 1:08.48.

“Kaia ran 2:19 in the open 800 and that was really good to see,” Sands said. “The shuttle has been solid, Sophia Stahle is running well and Aly Stahle is running really well.”

Even with all the impressive performances this night was about the Solon seniors.

“I haven’t really thought about it I’ve kind of been focused on the races but I am sure it will hit me later,” Bock said. “This place has meant so much to me for the last four years.”

Denny Gruber Relays

At Solon High School

Team scores – 1. Solon 223; 2. Mount Vernon 107; 3. Marion 82; 4. Vinton-Shellsburg 58; 5. Davenport Assumption 33; 6. Regina 32; 7. North Cedar 31; 8. Dyersville Beckman 15; 9. Solon JV 8

Individual event winners; area placewinners

Shot put – 1. Abby Bartz (V-S) 38-9 ¼; 3. Elly Holubar (SOL) 34-6; 4. Leah Kollar (SOL) 34-2 ¼; 6. Sydney Wagner (ICR) 31-4 ¾

Discus – 1. Brylee Bruce (V-S) 108-3; 3. Elly Holubar (SOL) 100-8; 4. Abigail Felton (SOL) 100-0

Long jump – 1. Makinley Levin (SOL) 16-10 ½; 3. Callie Levin (SOL) 15-8 ¾

High jump – 1. Paige Schurbon (MV) 4-10; 2. Lilly Towne (SOL) 4-10; 4. Kaia Holtkamp (SOL) 4-8

100 – 1. Aly Stahle (SOL) 12.98; 2. Emma Wolff (SOL) 13.55

200 – 1. Mia Duckett (SOL) 27.1; 2. Meghan O’Neill (SOL) 27.4

400 – 1. Emma Bock (SOL) 58.47; 2. Gracie Federspiel (SOL) 59.77;

800 – 1. Kaia Holtkamp (SOL) 2:19.87; 4. Morgan Miller (ICR) 2:41.54; 5. Grace Fiala (SOL) 2:43.92

1,500 – 1. Peyton Steffen (MAR) 5:18.32; 4. Natalie Franklin (ICR) 5:24.36; 6. Ashlyn Williams (SOL) 5:26.32

3,000 – 1. Kayla Young (SOL) 11:04.88; 3. Mya Whitaker (ICR) 11:59.92

100 hurdles – 1. Sophia Stahle (SOL) 16.74; 3. Alli Clark (ICR) 17.37; 4. Calla Foster (SOL) 17.41; 5. Peyton Naeve (ICR) 17.94

400 hurdles – 1. Sophia Stahle (SOL) 1:08.23; 3. Tatum Holtkamp (SOL) 1:14.22

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Solon 1:08.48

Sprint medley relay – 1. Solon 1:53.77; 4. Regina 2:02.43

Distance medley relay – 1. Marion 4:28.17; 2. Solon 4:33.58

4×100 – 1. Solon 50.88; 5. Regina 53.84

4×200 – 1. Solon 1:47.51

4×400 – 1. Solon 4:04.77

4×800 – 1. Solon 9:58.17; 5. Regina 11:01.1

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