GARNETT Head coach Marv Smith was fully aware Thursdays Pioneer League cross country meet would be decided by a slim margin for both the boys and girls. The Fillies were the three-time defending champions, and the Mustangs had won the last five years.
This time around, Iola was dethroned by Anderson County in both the boys and girls divisions to finish second. Despite not securing their respective crowns, the teams performed exceedingly well, Smith said. The boys had lost their top two through five runners over the offseason, and the girls had lost their top three.
So what should have been a rebuilding year, has transformed into a successful season.
Jack Adams went toe-to-toe with Burlingtons Seth Jarvis for the top individual spot. The pair has battled each and every race this season. On Thursday, Jarvis bettered Adams by 5 seconds to come in first. Adams finished with a time of 17:46 to lead the Mustangs. Riley Jay came in eighth (18:48), Kaster Trabuc ninth (18:49), Elijah Fawson 10th (18:56), Nathan Louk 13th (19:11), Jesse Taylor 18th (19:47), and Brett Morrison 40th (20:57).
Anderson County amassed 40 points, followed by Iola with 42. Santa Fe Trail came in a distant third with 69. Adams, Jay, Trabuc and Fawson earned All-Pioneer League honors for their top-10 individual times. Coach Smith has high hopes for the boys to advance to state after regionals in Chanute and praised the boys for their efforts in Garnett.
In the junior varsity division, Iola runners were Eli Adams, Drake De La Torre, Luke Wicoff, Colin Long, Travis Luedke and Eli Smith.
The girls race boiled down to a tiebreaker, with both Iola and Anderson County earning 45 points from their top-five runners. In such occasions of a tied score, the time of each teams sixth-place runner is considered. Anderson Countys sixth-fastest runner placed 16th, while Iolas Ella Taylor finished 17th with a time of 24:02.
Rachel Bycroft finished third (22:11), with Smith defining her final mile as one in a hypnotic state. All season long, Bycroft has been the driving force for the Fillies, as her goal remains to qualify for state as a team. Following Bycroft were Josie Plumlee in sixth (22:45), Averie Sharon 10th (23:20), Elanie Sturgeon 11th (23:31), Kelsey Morrison 15th (23:53), Ella Taylor 17th (24:02), and Audrey Coltrane 22nd (24:34). In 2016, the Fillies missed state by eight points, came up short in 2017 by one point, and were two points away last season. Despite the second-place finish in the Pioneer League, Smith believes the meet in Garnett will inspire the girls to reach their goal.
Other Fillies competing in the JV division were Callie Murcko, Jorja Murcko, Elania Stiffler, Kaylin Klubek, Elsie Fleming and Madi Robertson.
NEXT up for Iola cross country will be the regional meet on Oct. 26 in Chanute.
Iola Middle School
The seventh-grade boys finished first, sliding past Anderson County. Brigg Shannon and Cole Moyer set the pace for the two-mile event. Shannon finished first (13:03), and Moyer followed in second (13:03), finishing neck-and-neck with only half a second separating the pair. Others competing for the Ponies were Alejandro Escalante in 14th (17:32), Ethan Riebel 16th (18:27), and Robert Warren 18th (18:53). No seventh-grade girls were present, due to injuries.
Only three runners competed for the eighth-grade boys, meaning the Ponies were unable to compile a team score. Competing for Iola was Japeth Rutoh finishing second (12:56), Jackson Ulrich 15th (18:06), and Sam Sturgeon (18:29). On the girls side, the Ponies were the only team to field a full roster. Cara Porter was the leading Pony, coming in fifth (16:48). Keira Fawson came in sixth (16:57). Also running in the blue and gold were Abigail Meiwes in 12th (17:43), Rebekah Coltrane 13th (18:10), and Jillian Ward 14th (18:19).
