BURLINGTON — Iola High’s Kobe Lord, Riley Jay and Brett Willis brought home gold Thursday at the Pioneer League Track Meet.
“If you were at the meet yesterday at all, you would understand why track and field is an awesome sport,” Iola head coach Dana Daugharthy said. “Right when the field events started, you could tell there were a bunch of athletes that wanted to win a league title. While athletes were competing, teammates were actively cheering and supporting each other. It was just an awesome team environment, and I am very proud of all of our team in how we represented Iola High School.”
Jay blasted the competition in breezing to victory in the 800-meter run, finishing in a personal record time of 2 minutes, 6.71 seconds.
He also anchored Iola’s champion 4×800-meter relay team, teaming with Eli Adams, Kaster Trabuc and Jesse Taylor.
“We intentionally left Riley out of the 1600 so that he could win the 800, and he certainly did,” Daugharthy said. “He ran so smoothly and really just crushed the competition in this race.”
Lord cleared 21 feet, 5.5 inches to win the long jump, while Willis edged all comers in winning the 100-meter dash. Willis also took third in both the long jump and triple jump.
“Kobe had not jumped in the 20’s since the very first meet of the year,” Daugharthy said. “I knew that he was capable of it, but I just didn’t know when he would do it. The league meet was definitely the time to do it.”
Daugharthy noted Willis racked up 30 points by himself, an impressive haul for any athlete.
He also took silver in the 200-meter dash. “He really had a big meet,” Daugharthy said.
Taylor took second in the 1600 and fourth in the 3200, “and contributed significant points,” Daugharthy said. “He really had a good day.”
Jack Adams was the only runner in the Pioneer League to medal in the 800 (good for third), 1600 (second) and 3200 (third).
“Usually, that is just insane to ask an athlete to do because there is not enough rest time between these events,’ Daugharthy said. ‘However, Jack wanted to do this. For him to have even run those times is quite remarkable.”
THE FILLIES’ 4×800 relay team of Averie Sharon, Audrey Coltrane, Cara Porter and Sage Barney took silver.
“It is great to see this team get second because they all have worked really hard this season,” Daugharthy said. “Two of them, Averie and Audrey, have worked hard their whole high schools career. This is definitely a job well done.”
Sharon ran despite suffering a foot injury that nearly prohibited her from running. “She toughed it out,” Daugharthy said.
