Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

FORT DODGE – When Anna Quillin and Gracie Federspiel joined the Solon cross country program four years ago they were walking into a good position.

The Spartans had made back-to-back state meet appearances and were coming off a seventh-place finish in Class 3A.

As Quillin and Federspiel exited Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge on Saturday following the final meet of their careers there was no question the duo had left the Solon program in a better place.

Making its sixth consecutive state meet appearance Solon finished eighth at the Class 3A state meet on a cold and overcast afternoon in Fort Dodge.

“Not just looking at how many times we’ve qualified or what we’ve placed but the environment and energy since we’ve been here I think we’ve been able to make a real difference,” Quillin said. “All the underclassmen look up to us and I think we’ve taken a lot of pride in that and I know that success will carry on.”

Both four-time state qualifiers Quillin and Federspiel were important pieces in the most successful stretch in program history.

Solon finished in the top five at the 3A state meet the past three seasons winning the program’s first state title in 2021 before finishing eighth with 209 points on Saturday.

Pella won a second consecutive team title finishing with 80 points, 49 in front of runner-up Mount Vernon-Lisbon while Gilbert was third with 142.

Solon and Clear Lake each finished with 209 points with the Spartans winning the sixth runner tiebreaker for ninth place.

Junior Sydney Dee capped an impressive season by placing 18^th in a time of 19:34.4.

Quillin was freshman Falyn Svalstad finished 44^th in a time of 20:04.5 and Quillin was 48^th in 20:07.08.

Federspiel was 113^th in 21:20.5.

“It’s been an amazing four years,” Quillin said. “It’s special because I get to do it with my best friends and I love our coaching staff and it’s something that has made me feel good about myself.”

Seniors Brick Kabela and Michael Yeomans had an equally profound impact on the Solon boys program.

Both four-time qualifiers, Yeomans and Kabela helped Solon reach the state meet for the first time since 2010 as freshman in 2020.

The Spartans haven’t missed the state tournament since, placing seventh in their most recent state meet appearance on Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

“I think that we’ve set a new expectation for Solon cross country on the boys side,” Kabela said. “It’s just nice to know that we left an impact on this team and hopefully the future for all the little boys out there.”

Kabela has been the centerpiece of the Spartans recent resurgence on the boys side.

A medalist as a sophomore in 2021 Kabela recorded the fourth top-26 state meet finish of his career on Saturday placing 18^th in a time of 16:25.2.

“It’s meant everything to me,” Kabela said of the past four years. “It’s been such a fun experience and I have so many memories, I’m going to miss it a lot.”

Yeomans capped his own brilliant career with a 57^th place finish in a time of 17:05.2 as the Spartans finished with 215 points.

Gilbert won the team title with 57 points while Pella was runner-up with 63 and Council Bluffs Lewis Central was third with 100.

Junior Evan Burg placed 70^th for Solon in a time of 17:13.4, senior Grant Bumsted was 71^st in 17:14 and sophomore Spencer Michels finished 75^th in 17:16.7.

Boys Results 

State Cross Country Meet

At Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge

Team scores – 1. Gilbert 57; 2. Pella 63; 3. Council Bluffs Lewis Central 100; 4. Carlisle 144; 5. Washington 186; 6. Winterset 196; 7. Solon 215; 8. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 223; 9. Clear Creek Amana 229; 10. Glenwood 241; 11. South Tama 249; 12. MOC-Floyd Valley 259; 13. ADM 266; 14. Central DeWitt 297; 15. Sioux Center 357

Individual leaders – 1. Canaan Dunham (Pella) 15:18.5; 2. Ethan Eichhorn (Council Bluffs Lewis Central) 15:25.5; 3. Nathan Vander Waal (Pella) 15:39.8; 4. Micah Rees (Washington) 15:47.9; 5. Andrew Smith (Glenwood) 15:51.2; 6. Quentin Nauman (Western Dubuque) 15:52.5; 7. Tommy Tyynismaa (South Tama) 15:53.2; 8. Logan Bleich (Gilbert) 15:55.6; 9. Jacob Tallman (Gilbert) 15:59.5; 10. Bryant Keller (Glenwood) 16:05; 11. Devon Browne (Pella) 16:06.7; 12. Carson Squiers (Gilbert) 16:09.3; 13. Alik McIlravy (North Polk) 16:10; 14. Grady Olberding (Mount Vernon-Lisbon) 16:10.7; 15. Emmett Barber (Gilbert) 16:18.5

Solon (215) – 18. Brick Kabela 16:25.2; 57. Michael Yeomans 17:05.2; 70. Evan Burg 17:13.4; 71. Grant Bumsted 17:14; 75. Spencer Michels 17:16.7; 99. Collin Bumsted 17:34; 105. Lawsin Sinnwell 17:39.6

Clear Creek Amana (229) – 30. Brock Hilsman 16:44.7; 64. Thomas Stiltner 17:11.1; 65. Isaac Sorensen 17:11.2; 66. Jamie Hayes 17:11.3; 98. Nicholas Schieltz 17:33.8; 126. Jackson Van Horn 18:31.6

Girls Results

State Cross Country Meet

At Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge

Team scores – 1. Pella 80; 2. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 129; 3. Gilbert 142; 4. Sioux Center 155; 5. Glenwood 172; 6. Ballard 176; 7. Marion 208; 8. Solon 209; 9. Clear Lake 209; 10. Sioux City Heelan 225; 11. Decorah 235; 12. ADM 250; 13. Council Bluffs Lewis Central 253; 14. Harlan 276; 15. Clear Creek Amana 332

Individual leaders – 1. Marissa Ferebee (Pella) 18:38.6; 2. Lindsey Sonderman (Harlan) 18:42.1; 3. Audriana Jones (Sioux Center) 18:53.8; 4. Avery Rump (Fort Madison) 18:54; 5. Iris Dahl (Washington) 18:57.5; 6. Addison Dabroski (Marion) 19:03.3; 7. Avelyn Vance (Ballard) 19:04; 8. Grace Berglund (Glenwood) 19:08.3; 9. Amelia Roe (Decorah) 19:09.4; 10. Emee Dani (Gilbert) 19:13.3; 11. Tierney Carter (Oskaloosa) 19:14.1; 12. Claire Pellett (Atlantic) 19:16.8; 13. Grace Estling (Center Point-Urbana) 19:22; 14. Lucy Murphy (Dubuque Wahlert) 19:22.3; 15. Anna Feuerbach (Clear Lake) 19:22.5

Solon (209) – 18. Sydney Dee 19:31.4; 44. Falyn Svalstad 20:04.5; 48. Anna Quillin 20:07.08; 92. Ella Sheeley 20:58.8; 111. Ava Rolwes 21:17.8; 113. Gracie Federspiel 21:20.5; 119. Rose McAtee 21:34.7

Clear Creek Amana (332) – 68. Kira Barker 20:32.2; 94. Sara Kinzenbaw 21:00.5; 95. Kadence Whitmer 21:01.3; 112. Sienna Stiltner 21:20; 117. Harper Tecklenburg 21:27; 125. Kiera Rogers 22:04.9; 136. Raegan Wyant 23:27.6

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