FORT SCOTT — Iola High’s Christian Kauth could be heard saying he didn’t want to run the 1600-meter race by himself. He jokingly asked teammates to run with him because “I know I’ll finish last.”
Not by a mile. Kauth stayed near the front of the pack then took the lead on the final lap. He held off a runner at the end to win the 1600-meter run in 5 minutes, 7.9 seconds.
Kauth was among the IHS athletes competing in the Fort Scott High JV Invitational track meet Tuesday in Fort Scott. Most of the time the meet has five or six schools but this year’s edition had 15 teams.
“It was much larger than in years past but it was good competition,” said Marvin Smith, IHS head track coach.
There were no team scores kept and medals were awarded to the top three finishers in each event.
The Mustang junior varsity collected medals in six events. The Fillies’ junior varsity claimed five medals in as many events.
Kauth also ran on the Mustangs’ first-place 4×400-meter relay team. The Mustang foursome of Charles Apt, Chris Harrington, Mikal Bossell and Kauth ended the meet on a gold-medal not in 3:48.3.
Ralph Shafer claimed first in the javelin with a throw of 149 feet, 4 inches. Apt was second in the event at 137’7”.
Kyle Heffern won the discus event with a throw of 120’3”. Heffern was also sixth in the shot put at 37’8”.
Bossell took second in the 400-meter dash in 54.8 seconds. Iola’s 4×800-meter relay team of Dylan Lower, Apt, Harrington and Drew Smith was second in 9:52.6.
Kauth was fourth in the triple jump at 36’5 1/2”. Lower took sixth in the pole vault, going over at 8’6”.
“We had a lot of near misses just out of sixth place in several events,” Smith said. “It was a good meet for us and our young kids competed very well.”
Smith said Josh Klubek ran a personal-best in the 3200-meter race in 12:33. Devin Burton ran the 100 meters in 12.2 seconds and Stephen McDonald ran the 200 in 25.5 seconds; both were seventh.
“Drew Smith got his first medal ever in the 4×800 relay. Conditions were very good and most athletes had their best marks,” Smith said.
On the girls’ side, Breanna Stout brought home the gold in the pole vault. She won the event clearing 7’6”.
Ty Ellis was the javelin winner with a throw of 84’4”. She also picked up a bronze medal in the 100-meter high hurdles in 19.4 seconds.
Celeste Ambrose cleared the bar at 4’4” to place third in the high jump. Abby Works ran third in the 800-meter run in 3:02.
The Fillies’ 4×400-meter relay team of Chanel Coyne, Stout, Sydney Owens and Ambrose took fourth in 5:01.2. Coyne was sixth in the 100-meter dash in 14 seconds.
Smith said Essence Owens had a tough day in the shot and discus. Kristen Linn ran the 1600 in 7:18.
Some of the Iola junior varsity athletes will compete in a limited capacity Thursday at the Osawatomie High Invitational. It has several junior varsity events.
Iola junior varsity athletes will compete on their home track May 6 at the Crest High Invitational.
IHS junior varsities collect medals
