RICHMOND — A pair of familiar faces led the way for Iola High’s Mustang track team Thursday, and they picked an opportune time to set a couple of records in the process.
Iola’s Tyler Powelson shattered the Pioneer League Meet record in the 1600-meter run, earning the gold with a time of 4 minutes, 39.1 seconds. The effort was four seconds faster than the previous league mark.
Powelson’s stellar day continued in the 800-meter run, where he earned the silver medal with a time of 2:05.
Eli Grover, meanwhile, launched the discus 126 feet, 5 inches, blowing away his personal best record.
“What a great ending to his senior year,” Iola coach Marv Smith said, “with a league gold medal.”
The medal is testament to Grover’s efforts at practice, Smith said.
Meanwhile, Iola’s Jeremy Spears was a silver medalist in the 3200-meter run, while Adam Kauth earned a bronze in the high jump and a pair of fourth-place finishes in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles.
The 110 hurdle race was a heart-breaker. Kauth was neck-and-neck with the leader until he struck the eighth hurdle, slowing his momentum.
Iola came up short in its bid for a league title as a squad. The Mustangs finished in fourth with 81.5 points.
“Our 81 point total was pretty good under the circumstances,” Smith said, noting Iola’s best jumper, Tyler McIntosh, was sidelined because of leg injuries. McIntosh ran with Iola’s 4×800-meter relay team, which won a bronze, but was unable to run with the other two relay teams.
Senior Jacob Harrison, who had been sidelined much of the year with a stress fracture in his leg, took home the bronze medals in the 200- and 400-meter dashes.
Junior Michael Wilson, who usually finds himself near the top of the standings in the pole vault, found himself the victim of circumstance this time.
The Pioneer League features the top two pole vaulters in Class 4A, and the top Class 3A vaulter, Smith noted. Iola switched to the Pioneer League this year from the Southeast Kansas League.
“Wilson vaulted 11’6”, but all that got him was a tie for sixth,” Smith said. “He would have won the SEK by a foot.”
Wellsville won the boys team competition with 126 points. Osawatomie was close behind in second with 120.
Boys
Pole Vault
6 (tie). Michael Wilson, 11’6”
High jump
3. Adam Kauth, 5’8”
Shot put
4. Eli Grover, 41’5 3/4”
Discus
1. Grover, 126’5 1/2”
14. Yohon Sinclair, 77’5”
4×800-meter relay
3. Iola (Jeremy Spears, Jacob Cooper, Tyler McIntosh, Travis Hermstein), 9:38.2
110-meter hurdles
4. Kauth, 16.7
100-meter dash
6. Wilson, 12.7
1600-meter run
1. Tyler Powelson, 4:39.1 — MR
4×100-meter relay
5. Iola (Wilson, Jason Tidd, Jonathan Tidd, Sinclair), 51.7
400-meter dash
3. Jacob Harrison, 52.8
300-meter hurdles
4. Kauth, 43.4
800-meter run
2. Powelson, 2:05.0
300-meter dash
3. Harrison, 24.4
3200-meter run
2. Spears, 11:12.9
4×400-meter relay
3. Iola (Powelson, Harrison, Kauth, Cooper), 3:35.0
Grover, Powelson nab Pioneer event victories
