Mount Vernon-Lisbon sweeps individual, team cross country titles at Solon

SOLON — Grady Olberding was as astonished by his first individual cross country championship as anyone.

“No, I didn’t expect this. Not at all,” said the sophomore from Mount Vernon High School. “I was expecting top-five, maybe. I knew Tipton had a really strong top four.”

Olberding was stronger. And he played a prominent role as the Mount Vernon-Lisbon squads painted the Solon Recreation and Nature Area course maroon Monday afternoon.

Led by individual champs Olberding and Lourdes Mason, the Mustangs swept both Solon Invitational team titles by extremely slim margins.

First, the newly anointed Class 3A top-rated girls posted a 46-point total that was matched by No. 3 Solon, with Mount Vernon-Lisbon winning the sixth-runner tiebreaker.

Then, the 3A No. 9 boys edged 2A No. 1 Tipton, 46-48, thanks to a big advantage in the fifth-runner department.

So, depth matters.

“It’s really exciting,” said Mason, a senior at Lisbon. “We’ve been thinking about this race. Solon has beaten us a lot lately, but I’m really excited about this team.”

Mason built a half-minute lead by the midpoint of the race and cruised home in 18:44. Solon’s Kayla Young was second in 19:29, followed by MVL’s Laura Swart in 19:29.

“I was kind of disappointed I didn’t have someone to latch onto and run with,” Mason said. “I was a little disappointed in my time. I went out conservative to see how I felt at a mile. It was hot.”

Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s five scorers went 1-3-7-11-24, compared to 2-5-9-13-17 for the Spartans.

Then it was the boys’ turn. MVL edged Tipton by placing all of its scorers in the top 14, and a sixth at 15th, for good measure. The Tigers had four in the top 10, but it wasn’t enough.

Olberding passed Tipton soph Clay Bohlmann around the midpoint of the race, and extended the lead from there.

“No way did I think I could catch him,” Olberding said. “But I felt good when I passed him, my coach said to run with all guts, and I couldn’t let this (opportunity) go.”

Olberding was clocked in 16:44. Bohlmann followed in 17:08, Solon’s Brick Kabela and Michael Yeomans were third and fourth.

Girls results

Teams — 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 46, 2. Solon 46, 3. Tipton 68, 4. Williamsburg 106, 5. C.R. Xavier 125, 6. Benton Community 142, 7. Davenport North 189, 8. DeWitt Central 230, 9. Bettendorf 254.

Individuals — 1. Lourdes Mason (MVL), 18:44; 2. Kayla Young (Solon), 19:29; 3. Laura Swart (MVL), 19:40; 4. Jaida Lyons (BC), 20:44; 5. Mary Fiala (Solon), 20:52; 6. Emma Arnold (CRX), 20:57; 7. Emrie Johnson (MVL), 21:03; 8. Laura Owen (Tipton), 21:09; 9. Anna Quillin (Solon), 21:12; 10. Analise DeWitt (Wmsbg), 21:14.

Boys Results

Teams — 1. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 46, 2. Tipton 48, 3. Solon 62, 4. DeWitt Central 78, 5. Williamsburg 136, 6. Benton Community 158, 7. Davenport North 193, 8. C.R. Xavier 222.

Individuals — 1. Grady Olberding (MVL), 16:44; 2. Clay Bohlmann (Tipton), 17:08; 3. Brick Kabela (Solon), 17:20; 4. Michael Yeomans (Solon), 17:24; 5. Ty Nichols (Tipton), 17:25; 6. Junior Krob (MVL), 17:49; 7. Caleb Olson (DeWC), 17:53; 8. Ben Zimmer (DeWC), 17:55; 9. Maxson Fogg (Tipton), 18:00; 10. Caleb Bohlmann (Tipton), 18:03.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com