Solon Seniors Help Send Spartans Back to State Meet in Final Race on Home Course
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
SOLON – Brick Kabela and Michael Yeomans will cap their prep cross country careers next week with their fourth consecutive appearance at the state meet.
The Solon senior duo locked up their fourth straight trips to Fort Dodge with a fond home farewell in front of friends and family on Wednesday
Kabela and Yeomans each turned in top-12 finishes as No. 13 Solon secured a spot at the state meet with a runner-up finish at the Class 3A state qualifying meet held at the Solon Nature and Recreation Area.
“It was a fun race, when you get to race in front of your home crowd to go to the state meet that is just a great bonus,” Kabela said. “It feels great being out here with all my friends and this community.”
Kabela finished third and Yeomans was 12th as the Spartans finished runner-up to sixth-ranked Mount Vernon-Lisbon.
Mount Vernon-Lisbon put five runners in the top 20 and won the team title with 57 points, 13 in front of Solon.
No. 14 Central DeWitt was third with 81 points followed by No. 19 Grinnell with 116 and No. 20 Marion with 125.
The runner-up finish sends Solon back to the state meet for the fourth straight season and marked the second time in the past four years the Spartans had secured a state berth on their home course.
“We had some great leaders when I came into this program and that helped a ton and just to qualify four years and to do it twice here is awesome,” Kabela said. “It’s nice to set a new standard for boys cross country here.”
Kabela and Yeomans have been at the center of the recent string of success for the Spartans that includes a state runner-up finish in 2020.
Both Kabela and Yeomans made sure their final home race wasn’t the final race of their careers on Wednesday.
“Going into high school one of my goals was to qualify for state all four years which Brick and I have both accomplished,” Yeomans said. “That means a lot.”
Kabela followed up a third-place finish at the WAMAC Conference meet last week with another strong finish on Wednesday.
The senior standout was third behind individual champion Quentin Nauman of Western Dubuque and Mount Vernon-Lisbon junior Grady Olberding.
“I’m a huge math guy when it comes to these cross country meets, I’m looking at the splits I’m looking at the other guys when it comes to the postseason and I just get to go out and race,” Kabela said. “It’s really about having fun and that’s what I’ve done so far and I’m having a great postseason I think.”
Kabela finished in 16:10.1.
“The time is one of the best I have run all year and that always feels good,” Kabela said. “The whole race I felt comfortable which I haven’t had happen a lot this year.”
Yeomans turned in one of his best races of the season in his final home race placing 12th in a time of 16:55.1.
“I felt pretty good,” Yeomans said. “I liked the weather and I am coming back from an illness at conference and I felt better today.”
Sophomore Spencer Michels placed 15th in 16:58.8 and junior Evan Burg was 19th in a time of 17:17.1.
Seniors Collin Bumsted, Lawsin Sinnwell and Grant Bumsted finished 21st, 35th and 37th.
“When this group came in as freshman we had a group of seniors that were great leaders and showed them what it was to be a runner and see themselves as runners,” Solon coach Emy Williams said. “I think that has really helped them and they have continued to carry that on over the last three years as leaders of our team.”
Class 3A State Qualifying Meet
At Solon Nature and Recreation Area
Team scores – 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 57; 2. Solon 70; 3. Central DeWitt 81; 4. Grinnell 116; 5. Marion 125; 6. Center Point-Urbana 151; 7. Western Dubuque 190; 8. Dubuque Wahlert 242; 9. Cedar Rapids Xavier 243; 10. Benton Community 259; 11. Davenport Assumption 277; 12. Maquoketa 311; 13. Independence 355
Individual leaders – 1. Quentin Nauman (WD) 15:57.5; 2. Grady Olberding (MV-L) 16:07.5; 3. Brick Kabela (SOL) 16:10.1; 4. Dawson Scheil (MV-L) 16:26.1; 5. Cooper Cook (MAR) 16:35.8; 6. Kyle Olson (CD) 16:39.2; 7. Liam Crites (GRI) 16:39.3; 8. Jayden Brookins (DW) 16:42.1; 9. Caleb Olson (CD) 16:51; 10. Jordan Fischer (MAR) 16:52.2; 11. Bennett Kautz (MAR) 16:53.3; 12. Michael Yeomans (SOL) 16:55.1; 13. Seamus O’Connor (MV-L) 16:56.3; 14. Cadel Conner (GRI) 16:56.4; 15. Spencer Michels (SOL) 16:58.8
Solon (70) – 3. Brick Kabela 16:10.1; 12. Michael Yeomans 16:55.1; 15. Spencer Michels 16:58.8; 19. Evan Burg 17:17.1; 21. Collin Bumsted 17:17.9; 35. Lawsin Sinnwell 17:46; 37. Grant Bumsted 17:50.6
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