Mustang boys finish second at Pioneer League; IMS squad takes trophy

It would be easier to list the Iola runners who didn't medal or set a season- or personal-record Thursday as the Mustangs competed at the Pioneer League Meet in Burlington. As it was, Iola's Keegan Hill took second while the Mustang boys finished second as a team. Iola's middle-school boys won the junior high team title.

October 18, 2024 - 4:40 PM

Iola High's cross country runners, from left, Brennen Coffield (100), Ruger Boren (99), Keegan Hill (105) and Cole Moyer depart from the starting line Thursday at the Pioneer League Cross Country Meet in Burlington. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

BURLINGTON — Talk about hitting your stride at the perfect time.

Iola’s cross country harriers racked up 23 season- or personal-best marks, or individual medals at Thursday’s Pioneer League Meet at the John Redmond Reservoir dam site.

Individually, Iola Mustang sophomore Keegan Hill took second overall with a time of 17 minutes, 58 seconds. Not far behind were his teammates Cole Moyer, who took seventh with a season-best time of 18:33, and Brennen Coffield in 10th, who ran a personal-best 18:58.

The triumvirate — each earned all-league recognition — helped guide the Mustang boys to a second-place team finish behind league champion Santa Fe Trail.

But that only tells part of the story, IHS head coach Brittany Daugharthy noted.

“We had almost all the girls on the high school side either get a season best or personal record,” Daugharthy said. “They’ve worked so hard, and the boys have really pushed themselves this season, and it really shows. They really are such a fun group to coach.”

Iola HIgh’s Mahailie Genoble, left, runs in the Pioneer League Cross Country Meet Thursday in Burlington.Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

On the girls side, Iola’s Mahailie Genoble took 12th in the varsity race to secure all-league honorable mention with a time of 24:23.

Iola’s runners now head to Richmond next Saturday for the Class 3A Regional Meet, for a berth in the state meet the following weekend at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence.

THE MUSTANG middle-schoolers had their chances to shine as well.

Iola’s Adam Klubek and Konner Morrison went 2-3 in the eighth-grade boys race to secure all-league honors, as did Eliana Higginbotham, with her sixth-place finish in the eighth-grade girls race.

When coupled with Iola’s seventh-grade boys Bradley Cooper, Logan Sneed and Lee Wanker, who took seventh, ninth and 11th, respectively, the Iola boys middle school program was crowned league champions as well.

“While it was our chilliest meet of the season so far, the kids did amazing,” Daugharthy later wrote in a Facebook post. “For all middle-schoolers and some of the high schoolers, tonight was their last meet of the 2024 season. This season was full of many season bests, personal best, and personal growth.”