Spring Grove's Elijah Solum still working his way back to 100 percent
Mar. 20—ROCHESTER — The 2023-24 boys basketball season didn't quite go as planned for Spring Grove.
The Lions were the defending Section 1, Class 1A champions, having qualified for the state tournament last year. Even though standout guard Elijah Solum suffered an ACL injury last spring, Spring Grove was counting on getting the senior back for the majority of this season.
Solum did return after missing the first eight games and Spring Grove had a stellar season. But Solum wasn't his same explosive self as he had been in the past.
"It just wasn't the same," Spring Grove coach Wade Grinde said. "He just never got back to his old form."
Spring Grove finished the regular season 24-3 and earned the No. 2 seed in the Section 1-1A tournament. Solum showed flashes during the course of the season, and even scored 20 points in the section tournament opener.
But Grinde sat Solum down in a lot of practices and subbed for him as much as possible during games. Solum's knee was often stiff and sore following games and he would be limited in practices the next day.
"He was probably 50, 60 percent," Grinde said. "He wasn't the same. He was out there for his teammates and did the best he could. He just wasn't close to being the same player."
The Lions ended up losing to Fillmore Central in the section quarterfinals and finished the season 25-4.
"We're still a little disappointed down here," Grinde said.
The coach felt bad for his team, but also for his standout player. As a junior, Solum quarterbacked the Spring Grove football team to a state runner-up finish in Nine-Player as well as helping the basketball team finish third at the Class 1A state tournament. He was being recruited by colleges in both sports.
"Hopefully he gets back (to 100 percent) and can do something post-high school," Grinde said. "He's still looking at either football or basketball, he hasn't made a decision."
Solum might have had scholarship offers at the Division II level prior to his injury. Grinde said he will now have to consider a Division III or NAIA school. Solum has drawn interest from Wartburg College in football and Gustavus Adolphus College in basketball.
"Elijah's a heck of a football player," Grinde said. "He was one of the top middle linebackers and quarterbacks in the state."
Solum worked hard to recover from the injury and felt frustrated during the season. Grinde had meetings with him about the road to recovery and the time it might take. Solum was a long way from being 100 percent, but he wanted to play.
"But him at 60 percent is better than 90 percent of the kids that we played against," Grinde added. "We just had to try and help him understand that. We saw flashes of it. We had glimpses of what he did his junior season, but it just wasn't consistent."
Grinde said Solum's injury has also been hard on the senior's family. His father, Mike Solum, has been a basketball coach in the Spring Grove system.
"It's a family thing," Grinde said. "It's hard on the mom and dad, too. He's the youngest and their daughter played (basketball) five years at Luther."
Grinde admits that sports can be a big part of small-school life. He is hopeful that Solum gets his shot at playing in college.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what he does," Grinde said. "He's a good kid and he worked hard for us."
Guy N. Limbeck is a sports writer for the Post Bulletin. His Local Notebook appears each Tuesday. He can be reached at
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