Bach siblings each state track bound in two distance events

SOLON — The discussion the next few days will be comprehensive. After all, there is a lot to chat about.

'Oh, we'll probably talk every night for about two hours about this,' Maddie Bach said. 'It's exciting.'

She and her brother, Myles, are headed to the state track meet next week in Des Moines. They assured that by sweeping the individual distance events at Thursday night's Class 3A co-ed state qualifying track meet at Spartans Stadium.

Maddie is a senior at Marion, Myles a sophomore. They're both really good.

'I'm so happy for him,' Maddie said. 'He deserves this.'

Myles Bach used strong kicks down the stretch to capture first place in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Maddie didn't have to strain nearly that much to win the 1,500 and 3,000.

They'll go to state with legitimately high hopes, considering they came into this meet with the best times in 3A in the 3,000 and 3,200 and in the top five in the 1,500 and 1,600. They are not afraid to admit what they want next week.

'When I was in seventh grade, we made a goal that when I was a sophomore and she was a senior, we'd both be state champs,' Myles said. 'We've been working toward this for the last four years. It'd be nice to finally see it come true, you know what I mean?'

The siblings' talent for distance running comes genetically. Their father, Andy, was a national junior college cross-country runner back in the day.

Younger brother, Mason, is in middle school and also has developed an affinity for the sport.

'Everything is a competition,' Myles said. 'If she gets 55 miles in one week, I've got to get 55 in. It's whoever can get the most. It's a really good competition, having that in your own family. Our dad, with how he trains, and our little brother. It's just really competitive all the way through the family with running.'

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Maddie beat Benton Community's Sophia Gilbert by about nine seconds in the 3,000 (a time of 10:42.35) and by about five in the 1,500. She was more pleased with that run of 4:56.87.

'I was not happy with how I ran the 3,000,' she said. 'So I felt like I had to come back stronger in the 1,500.'

Myles fell behind Mount Vernon's Jack Young by quite a distance in the 3,200 but tracked him down and passed him in the final 100 meters, winning with a time of 9:54.45. He outsprinted Young and Cedar Rapids Xavier's Steven Culpepper in an exciting 1,600.

His winning time was 4:41.79 to Young's 4:42.36 and Culpepper's 4:42.75.

'With the wind today, I was trying to stay with (Young) for the first mile or two miles,' he said. 'He kind of got away from me, but I slowly closed the gap. I just wanted to win. The 1,600, he got me last week (at the Wamac Conference meet) for the first time, so I just wanted to beat him. I don't like losing. I know I can outkick him. I feel like the last 200, no one can stay with me.'

Solon's boys won the team race at Thursday's meet with 152 points, 17 more than runner-up Mount Vernon. The Spartans got individual wins from Nate Christensen in the 100 meters, Graeson Dall in the 400 and from their 400 relay team.

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The girls' team race went to Dubuque Wahlert with 154 points, 30 more than runner-up Solon. The throwing events were individual sweeps as well, with Katy Misel of Solon taking first in the shot put and discus and Tristan Wirfs of Mount Vernon following suit on the boys' side.

Drake Relays champ Wirfs went 151 feet, 8 inches on his first shot-put attempt and called it good for the competition.

CLASS 3A TRACK & FIELD STATE QUALIFIER

AT SOLON

GIRLS

Teams – 1. Dubuque Wahlert 154, 2. Solon 124, 3. Benton Community 116 ½, 4. Marion 104, 5. Mount Vernon 92, 6. DeWitt Central 66 ½, 7. Cedar Rapids Xavier 56, 8. Maquoketa 24.

High jump – 1. Josie Durr (Solon) 5-2, 2. Sabrina Smith (Dubuque Wahlert) 5-1; Long jump – 1. Amber Rohlena (Benton Community) 16-11 ½, 2. Sarah Watson (DeWitt Central) 16-2 ½; Shot put – 1. Katy Misel (Solon) 39-9 ¾, 2. Mahlia Brown (Marion) 38-0 ¾; Discus – 1. Katy Misel (Solon) 135-4, 2. Meghan Joens (C.R. Xavier) 125-2.

3,000 meters – 1. Maddie Bach (Marion) 10:42.35, 2. Sophia Gilbert (Benton Community) 10:51.75; 3,200 relay – 1. Dubuque Wahlert (Ellie Osterberger, Kelly Boge, Jade Romagna, Kaylee Osterberger) 9:54.59, 2. DeWitt Central 9:59.26; Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Mount Vernon (Annie Rhomberg, Libby Ryan, Lily Dahlstrom, Catherine Yeoman) 1:06.82, 2. Benton Community 1:07.65; 100 – 1. Ellie Masten (Benton Community) 12.36, 2. Alli Osterberger (Dubuque Wahlert) 12.49; Distance medley relay – 1. Dubuque Wahlert (Jackie Ganshirt, Anna Sherman, Ellie Osterberger, Jade Romagna) 4:24.14, 2. DeWitt Central 4:25.00; 400 – 1. Katy Fricano (Dubuque Wahlert) 1:00.50, 2. Erin Kerkoff (Solon) 1:00.62; 800 relay – 1. Dubuque Wahlert (Bailey Hasken, Alli Osterberger, Anna Sherman, Laura Sherman) 1:46.97, 2. Benton Community 1:48.08; 100 hurdles – 1. Grace Martensen (Benton Community) 15.07, 2. Catherine Yeoman (Mount Vernon) 15.72; 800 – 1. Andrea Ertz (Marion) 2:23.72, 2. Kelly Boge (Dubuque Wahlert) 2:23.99; 200 – 1. Laura Sherman (Dubuque Wahlert) 26.76, 2. Amber Rohlena (Benton Community) 27.22; 400 hurdles – 1. Grace Herber (Dubuque Wahlert) 1:08.17, 2. Sydney Brase (Marion) 1:10.02; Sprint medley relay – 1. Dubuque Wahlert (Jackie Ganshirt, Alli Osterberger, Laura Sherman, Katy Fricano) 1:53.37, 2. Solon 1:54.03; 1,500 – 1. Maddie Bach (Marion) 4:56.87, 2. Sophia Gilbert (Benton Community) 5:03.09; 400 relay – 1. Dubuque Wahlert (Jackie Ganshirt, Anna Sherman, Alli Osterberger, Bailey Hasken 50.41, 2. Benton Community 51.51; 1,600 relay – 1. Dubuque Wahlert (Ellie Osterberger, Kelly Boge, Katy Fricano, Laura Sherman) 4:10.15, 2. Mount Vernon 4:13.20.

BOYS

Teams – 1. Solon 152, 2. Mount Vernon 135, 3. (tie) Marion, Dubuque Wahlert 95, 5. Cedar Rapids Xavier 92, 6. Benton Community 55, 7. DeWitt Central 53, 8. Maquoketa 25.

Long jump – 1. Blair Brooks (Marion) 21-3, 2. Halston Durr (Solon) 21-0 ¾; High jump – 1. Matt Bandy (Dubuque Wahlert) 6-4, 2. Streeter McIlravy (Solon) 6-2; Discus – 1. Tristan Wirfs (Mount Vernon) 160-5, 2. Tyler Linderbaum (Solon) 145-1; Shot put – 1. Tristan Wirfs (Mount Vernon) 51-8, 2. Tyler Linderbaum (Solon) 48-7.

3,200 meters – 1. Myles Bach (Marion) 9:54.45, 2. Jack Young (Mount Vernon) 9:56.69; 3,200 relay – 1. Mount Vernon (Jack Cochrane, Zach Krogmann, Jeremy Krogmann, Peyton Wilch) 8:12.27; Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Benton Community (Koal Marshall, James Heilman, Hunter Semelroth, Lathan Cooper) 1:00.58, 2. Solon 1:02.78; 100 – 1. Nate Christensen (Solon) 11.02, 2. Terry Harris (DeWitt Central) 11.12; 400 – 1. Graeson Dall (Solon) 52.35, 2. Jacob Feldman (Mount Vernon) 53.11; 800 relay – 1. Benton Community (Connor Sindt, Lathan Cooper, James Heilman, Jordan Michels) 1:31.54, 2. Solon 1:32.12; 110 hurdles – 1. Bryce Charipar (C.R. Xavier) 15.15, 2. Koal Marshall (Benton Community) 15.36; 1,600 – 1. Myles Bach (Marion) 4:41.79, 2. Jack Young (Mount Vernon) 4:42.36, 3. Steven Culpepper (C.R. Xavier) 4:42.75; 200 – 1. Terry Harris (DeWitt Central) 22.50, 2. Nate Christensen (Solon) 22.66; 400 hurdles – 1. Jack Cochrane (Mount Vernon) 56.96, 2. Joe Timm (Mount Vernon) 57.14; 1,600 medley relay – 1. Dubuque Wahlert (Lyle Klein, Alden Kuntz, Joe Duehr, Luke Hilby) 3:41.15, 2. Mount Vernon 3:42.53; 800 – 1. Jonathan Schaefer (Dubuque Wahlert) 2:02.75, 2. Josh Gerke (C.R. Xavier) 2:02.79; 400 relay – 1. Solon (Bo Black, Matthew Roeder, Brandan Childs, Nate Christensen) 43.74, 2. C.R. Xavier 43.84; 1,600 hurdles - 1. Marion (Eli Matthess, Jacob Manderscheid, William Hicks, Nathaniel Schmidt) 3:31.01, 2. Mount Vernon 3:32.42.

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