Throwers highlight Marion Invitational

MARION — They are strong. They are nimble.

And Garret Wagner and Ava Conrad are perfectionists.

Wagner swept the shot put and discus in the boys’ portion of the Marion Invitational track and field meet Monday at Thomas Park Field. Conrad did the same in the girls’ competition.

Afterward, both spoke less about their accomplishments than their path to future improvement.

“I always want to do better,” said Wagner, a senior at Marion. “I want to be pushing that 60-ball.

“I have to get my left leg back. I need to get on the ball of my foot.”

Despite his nitpicking, Wagner did plenty right, particularly in the shot. His first effort was better than 51 feet, then each subsequent throw was better than the previous. His final heave was 57 feet, 5 inches, a mere three-quarters of an inch off his personal best.

He flung the discus 144-6.

The Drake Relays shot put runner-up, Wagner has his eyes firmly set on a Class 3A state championship.

“I’m working to beat one kid,” Wagner said, referring to Pella’s Cody Huisman. “I didn’t quite feel right today. I feel like I need to warm up more.”

That’s not an issue for Conrad. The senior from Solon has a routine between each throw. A little cardio, in the form of jogging. Then a little strength training, some push-ups before entering the ring.

“I started doing those this year,” she said. “It’s become kind of a ritual. I just want consistency in my routine.”

Conrad’s 125-10 effort in the discus is a career-best.

“I didn’t think it was that good,” she said. “The same with the 122-footer (before it). I didn’t think it was that far.

“I’m working on driving straight through the ring.”

Solon was the class of the six-team girls field, winning 11 events and racking up 225 points. Marion was second with 115.

The Spartans capped the night with an impressive run in the 1,600-meter relay; their time of 4:03.88 moved them to No. 6 in the state in that event. MaKinley Levin won the long jump and the 200.

Marion was the boys’ champion with a 149-point tally. Lisbon, a potential Class 1A state contender, was the runner-up with 111.

Alex Mota led the Indians on the track, winning the 200 (22.87 seconds) and the 400 (53.30).

With conference meets just three days away, most top athletes ran a limited schedule. Lisbon ace Kole Becker competed in just two events, winning both. He led the long-jump field with a leap of 20 feet, 7 1/2 inches, then ran through the 400 hurdles in 56.76 seconds.

MARION INVITATIONAL TRACK & FIELD MEET

At Thomas Park Field

GIRLS RESULTS

Teams -- 1. Solon 225, 2. Marion 115, 3. Benton Community 105, 4. Williamsburg 45, 5. Lisbon 40, 6. Center Point-Urbana 34.

Shot put -- 1. Ava Conrad (Sol), 37-1; 2. Leah Kollar (Sol), 33-8 3/4; 3. Katie Hagmier (Mar), 32-4; Discus -- 1. Ava Conrad (Sol), 125-10; 2. Elly Holubar (Sol), 101-7; 3. Dakota Chappell (Lis), 92-11; High jump -- 1. Inga Dovre (Wmsbg), 4-8; 2. Ella Bartels (Mar), 4-8; 3. Kaia Holtkamp (Sol), 4-8; Long jump -- 1. MaKinley Levin (Sol), 15-2 1/4; 2. Callie Levin (Sol), 14-6; 3. Shakayla Lamer (BC), 14-0 1/2.

Sprint medley relay -- 1. Solon (Stahle, Bachus, Stahle, Bock), 1:54.50; 2. Marion, 2:01.28; 3. Benton Community, 2:05.68; 3,000 -- 1. Ashlyn Williams (Sol), 12:09.21; 2. Annika Kruse (Sol), 12:39.13; 3. Kendal Orozco (Mar), 12:58.11; 3,200 relay -- 1. Marion (Steffen, Fortman, Prier, Andresen), 10:06.01; 2. Solon, 10:26.24; 3. Benton Community, 10:33.21; Shuttle hurdle relay -- 1. Solon (Buffington, Stahle, Foster, Stahle), 1:10.70; 2. Benton Community, 1:17.80; 3. Marion, 1:18.59; 100 -- 1. Shannon Finn (Wmsbg), 13.80; 2. Monet Barnhouse (Sol), 14.23; 3. Isabell Kreel (CPU), 14.23; Distance medley relay -- 1. Solon (Leichtman, Bachus, Federspiel, Holtkamp), 4:26.68; 2. Benton Community, 4:31.83; 3. Lisbon, 4:33.31; 400 -- 1. Callie Levin (Sol), 1:03.16; 2. Ashley Stinocher (Sol), 1:03.90; 3. Kennedy Donald (BC), 1:06.34; 800 relay -- 1. Marion (Burlage, Johnson, Meth, Rompot), 1:53.32; 2. Solon, 1:56.38; 3. Benton Community, 1:58.59; 100 hurdles -- 1. Sophia Stahle (Sol), 17.17; 2. Jada Buffington (Sol), 17.72; 3. Ali Ziltergruen (CPU), 17.96; 800 -- 1. Madison Prier (Mar), 2:23.08; 2. Peyton Steffen (Mar), 2:23.18; 3. Lourdes Mason (Lis), 2:27.84; 200 -- 1. MaKinley Levin (Sol), 27.36; 2. Mia Stahle (Sol), 27.79; 3. Ava Maloney (CPU), 27.96; 400 hurdles -- 1. Janelle Morris (BC), 1:14.85; 2. Molly Dunne (Mar), 1:15.00; 3. Calla Foster (Sol), 1:18.59; 1,500 -- 1. Jaida Lyons (BC), 5:22.26; 2. Abby Rinderknecht (BC), 5:35.24; 3. Mary Fiala (Sol), 5:41.17; 400 relay -- 1. Lisbon (Happel, Czarnecki, Schnipkoweit, Robinson), 52.91; 2. Solon, 53.40; 3. Marion, 54.31; 1,600 relay -- 1. Solon (Levin, Holtkamp, Federspiel, Bock), 4:03.88; 2. Benton Community, 4:23.37; 3. Marion, 4:27.91.

BOYS RESULTS

Teams -- 1. Marion 149, 2. Lisbon 111, 3. Mount Vernon 93, 4. Benton Community 89, 5. Vinton-Shellsburg 84, 6. North Linn 51, 7. Center Point-Urbana 3, 8. Springville 2.

Shot put -- 1. Garret Wagner (Mar), 57-5; 2. Kyler Mahan (BC), 41-5 1/4; 3. Josh Wiley (VS), 41-1 1/4; Discus -- 1. Garret Wagner (Mar), 144-6; 2. Kaden Swanger (Mar), 126-11; 3. Taylor Anderson (VS), 125-7; High jump -- 1. C.J. Rickels (VS), 6-2; 2. Brady Erickson (MtV), 5-10; 3. Mason Lehmer (Lis), 5-6; Long jump -- 1. Kole Becker (Lis), 20-7 1/2; 2. C.J. Rickels (VS), 18-6 3/4; 3. Alex Mota (Mar), 18-3 1/2.

Sprint medley relay -- 1. Marion (Johnson, Unsen, Murphy, McAllister), 1:39.24; 2. North Linn, 1:39.51; 3. Mount Vernon, 1:40.00; 3,200 -- 1. Cooper Cook (Mar), 11:12.75; 2. Elijah Blix (VS), 11:28.39; 3. Henry Steine (MtV), 11:43.33; 3,200 relay -- 1. Mount Vernon (Fall, Meeker, Fencl, Sansenbach), 8:30.85; 2. Marion, 8:44.03; 3. North Linn, 9:06.00; Shuttle hurdle relay -- 1. Marion (Murphy, McAllister, Johnson, Paulsen), 1:04.14; 2. Lisbon, 1:04.59; 3. Mount Vernon, 1:08.56; 100 -- 1. Devyn Decious (Lis), 11.38; 2. Sam Wallace (BC), 11.45; 3. Alontae Wilson (VS), 11.62; Distance medley relay -- 1. Mount Vernon (Rhomberg, Erickson, Meeker, Fall), 3:51.10; 2. Lisbon, 3:55.70; 3. Vinton-Shellsburg, 3:58.59; 400 -- 1. Alex Mota (Mar), 53.30; 2. Cohen Kamaus (Lis), 55.13; 3. Jacob Wilkinson (Mar), 55.45; 800 relay -- 1. Benton Community (Buch, Wallace, Thompson, Brecht), 1:33.57; 2. Lisbon, 1:34.94; 3. Mount Vernon, 1:35.23; 110 hurdles -- 1. DaeQuan Johnson (Mar), 15.47; 2. Bryce Clausen (Lis), 16.13; 3. Jaxson Snitker (BC), 16.39; 800 -- 1. Aiden Harris (BC), 2:00.23; 2. Cade Siebrecht (Lis), 2:08.03; 3. Kaleb Kurt (NL), 2:08.14; 200 -- 1. Alex Mota (Mar), 22.87; 2. Trenton Pitlik (MtV), 23.42; 3. Colin Buch (BC), 24.34; 400 hurdles -- 1. Kole Becker (Lis), 56.76; 2. Josh Bean (NL), 59.42; 3. Bryce Clausen (Lis), 59.74; 1,600 -- 1. Shane Erb (Mar), 4:37.10; 2. Jedidiah Osgood (Mar), 4:43.06; 3. Carson Sansenbach (MtV), 4:56.75; 400 relay -- 1. Benton Community (Buch, Wallace, Thompson, Brecht), 44.90; 2. Marion, 46.02; 3. Vinton-Shellsburg, 46.81; 1,600 relay -- 1. Mount Vernon (Meeker, Fall, Erickson, Brase), 3:32.87; 2. Marion, 3:37.19; 3. Lisbon, 3:37.51.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com