Iola track set 14 personal records on Thursday en route to a very successful performance at the Fredonia Relays.
The Iola boys finished ninth as a team while the Fillies placed 11th despite competing without top athlete Elysia Kunkler who sat out the meet to compete in the KU Relays in Lawrence over the weekend.
One of the biggest personal records was set by Filly Ella Taylor. She took second in the pole vault with a jump of 80″, a foot higher than any of her previous jumps.
On Wednesday, we finally felt good enough about moving her back on the pole a little bit more, head coach Dana Daugharthy said. As a result, she vaulted a full foot higher.
Taylor also set a personal record in the triple jump with a distance of 306.75. This was the second straight meet that she set a personal record.
Also turning in a top-three finish for the Iola girls was Rachel Bycroft. Bycroft took third in the 3200 with a time of 13:22.06 which was a personal record by 14 seconds.
The 4×800 team consisting of Averie Sharon, Josie Plumlee, Bycroft and Elanie Sturgeon took fourth with a time of 11:27.34.
Sharon took fifth in the 3200 with a personal record time of 13:40.36 which beat her previous time by 13 seconds. This is the second straight meet that shes lowered her time.
The 4×100 team of Kassy Shelby, Elanie Sturgeon, Hannah Hall and Taylor took fifth with a time of 55.04. This was the first time this season that this lineup has been able to run the relay and it proved sucessful.
Shelby ran a season-best time of 1:07.26 in the 400.
The Iola boys, meanwhile, took ninth.
Jack Adams took third in the 3200 with a time of 10:46.22. The time was not a personal best for Adams but Daugharthy said the race was still a good one and with some slight tweaks, Adams can continue to lower his time.
Jack has the drive and desire to be really good in this event but we just need him to work on his pacing a little bit, Daugharthy said. Once we get his pacing down, he should be runnning in the 10:30s or lower, consistently.
The boys 4×100 team consisting of Brett Willis, IJ Badders, Kobe Lord and Evan Casner, took third with a time of 46.23, a record time for the group.
Lord also took third in the long jump with a distance of 198 and fifth in the 200 with a time of 24.52 which was a personal record.
