PARSONS — Marvin Smith has been called many things as a coach and teacher. Did you know he had quilting skills as well?
“Team medals were given to the top three teams and we dang near got in with our patched together varsity,” Smith said of the Iola High Mustang cross country team.
Smith said Iola’s boys are hampered by injuries and other activities taking runners away. In Thursday’s Parsons High Invitational at Big Hill Reservoir, the Mustang head coach had to piece together a varsity “quilt” to compete.
With Jeremy Spears, who has run No. 1 for the Mustangs in the season’s first two meets, out with a knee injury, Trent Latta and Tyler Powelson stepped up and ran well to lead the Mustang varsity.
“Trent and Tyler ran in the top 10 for almost the entire race. We have been a little depressed this week with all of our misfortune happening to our varsity,” Smith said.
With 15 medals on the line, Latta earned the sixth-place medal in 18 minutes, 15 seconds in the 5K race. Powelson garnered seventh place in 18:25.
Blaine Klubek, back from a two-week lay off because of knee problems, finished 20th in 19:50 and Michael Wilson was 22nd in 19:53. Bryan Mueller, who was back from a hip injury, finished 53rd in 21:39 and Jonathan Tidd was 63rd in 22:14.
The Mustangs ended up fourth as a team with 84 points. Labette County won with 29 points followed by Anderson County with 72 points and Girard with 78 points.
Kohl Endicott is out with a broken arm. Jordan Strickler and Zach St. Clair missed the meet because of commitments to a community theater production.
Freshman Abigail Taylor was a little lonely in the varsity girls’ race for Iola. Jo Lohman, the only other Fillies’ team member to run varsity, was out with a leg injury.
Taylor captured the 15th-place medal, running the 4K race in 17:35. Smith said she ran anywhere from sixth to 15th during the race.
“It was nice to avoid the heat but it was very windy. We still have not had a good day to run this season,” Smith said.
Shannon Vogel led the Fillies’ junior varsity, finishing 20th in 20:59. Klair Vogel was 51st in 25:53 and Courtney Smith placed 53rd in 26:39.
Jacob Cooper placed 12th in the boys’ junior varsity to lead the Mustangs. He ran the race in 16:22 followed by Travis Hermstein in 18th at 16:36, Colby Works in 21st in 16:41 just ahead of Tyler Holloway in 22nd in 16:41.
Others placing for the Iola junior varsity were: 36. Levi Baker, 17:09, 45. Jason Tidd, 17:21, 51. Gerardo Rojas, 17:37; 69. Yohon Sinclair, 18:38, 79. Thomas Elder, 19:03, 84. Sagar Patel, 19:41, 85. Cole Cescon, 20:01, 87. Kaleb Beckham, 20:10, 92. Ankit Gandhi, 20:50, 103. Garrett Prall, 21:57, 105. Tyler Heinrich, 22:08, 107. Jud Wiltse, 22:57.
In races for middle school runners, Iola’s Braden Plumlee and Megan Klubek won their respective races. Plumlee was first in the eighth-grade boys’ two-mile race in 12:54. Klubek took first in the eighth-grade girls’ two-mile race in 14:34.
