RICHMOND — Iola High’s cross country runners were able to see how they will stack up with next year’s new league runners. The Mustangs and Fillies competed in Thursday’s Central Heights High Invitational, which featured all the teams in next year’s Pioneer League.
“The only problem was we withheld six varsity runners in the boys’ race,” said Marvin Smith, Iola head coach.
The Mustangs finished third with 70 points. Wellsville won the varsity boys’ race title with 49 points and Anderson County was second with 58. Osawatomie was fourth with 91 and Central Heights placed fifth with 105 points.
All of those schools are Pioneer League members, which Iola will join in 2012-2013 out of the Southeast Kansas League. Prairie View is the other Pioneer League school and it also competed in the meet.
Senior Roman Yocham led the Mustangs finishing second in the 3.1-mile race in 17 minutes, 33 seconds. Sophomore Trent Latta took the sixth-place medal in 17:58.
“Roman and Trent ran with the leaders and Trent led after the first mile. Jordan Strickler wasn’t far back but still is bothered with lower leg problems.”
Strickler, a junior, ended up 23rd in 19:42. Michael Armstrong took 25th in 19:49, followed by Blaine Klubek in 27th at 20:00, Bryan Mueller in 31st at 20:28 and Jarrett Mosbrucker in 44th at 21:54. It was the first varsity race for these four Iola runners.
The Fillies ended up fifth with 114 points. Spring Hill won the meet with 37 points.
Sydney Owens, a senior, paced the Fillies in claiming 13th in the 2.5-mile race in 18:34. Smith said Owens starts slow and passes a large number of runners in meets so it’s tough to catch up to the leaders.
“Sydney needs to get out better early in the race because her leg speed is adequate to run closer to the lead,” Smith said.
Smith said he put freshman Jo Lohman in the varsity race instead of the girls’ junior varsity because he wanted to get a varsity team score. Loh-man was Iola’s No. 2 runner in the race, finishing 18th in 18:58. That would have won the junior varsity race.
Senior Kelsey Larson placed 33rd in 21:30 and sophomore Shannon Vogel was 38th in 22:19 followed by senior Briann Burris in 42nd at 22:52 and freshman Lauren Hunt in 44th at 23:26.
There were 20 medals awarded in each varsity race and team medals for top three teams. Only 10 medals were handed out in the junior varsity races.
Iola’s boys were third as Smith said he held out six regular junior varsity runners.
“But our other junior varsity runners picked it up a notch,” Smith said.
Jacob Cooper was the No. 1 runner for the Mustang JV, taking 11th in 21:09. Levi Baker was 14th in 21:24 and Travis Hermstein finished 18th in 22:00.
“Jacob, Levi and Hermstein had strong races. It was Jacob’s first race back from leg problems,” Smith said.
Others placing for Iola were: 26. Jason Tidd, 22:34; 27. Christian Ruby, 22:34; 30. Tyler Holloway, 22:43; 31. Jonathan Tidd, 22:46; 38. Arion Kunkler, 23:45; 40. Gerardo Rojas, 23:47; 43. Tyler Shelby, 23:57; 44. Drew Smith, 23:58; 57. Kaleb Beckham, 27:31.
Courtney Smith and Carrie Mock were 20th and 21st, respectively, in the girls’ junior varsity race. Smith’s time was 25:04 and Mock posted a 25:08.
Crest High’s Brooklyn Gray-LaCross ran a personal-best 23:53 to take 17th in the junior varsity girls’ race. CHS coach Tisha Hug said Gray-LaCross ran with a lot more intensity Thursday.
Central Heights also has middle school cross country races at its meet.
In the one-mile races for seventh-grade boys and girls, Iola’s Jacob Rausch was second in 6:18 and Megan Klubek was third in the girls’ race in 6:25
Colby Works placed third in the two-mile for eighth-grade boys in 14:42 and Olivia Bannister took seventh in the girls’ race in 15:30.
Iola goes to the Independence High Invitational next Thursday.
On Oct. 13, Iola High hosts the 2011 Southeast Kansas League cross country meet. It is the final SEK competition for the Mustangs and Fillies. The meet will be at Riverside Park.
Complete results sent to the Register by Crest High’s athletic director reflected the following for runners from Marmaton Valley, Uniontown and Humboldt.
Kelli Wilkinson of Uniontown was 14th in the varsity girls’ race. Her time was 18:41.
In the boys’ varsity race, Uniontown’s Jonathan Wheeler placed 40th in 21:06.
Dakota Henderson was 48th in 22:05 and Alex Bradbury was 50th in 22:35.
Marmaton Valley’s Chance Stevenson won the boys’ junior varsity race in 19:31. Teammate Garret Booth was 19th in 22:01.
Humboldt’s Michael Davis was third in 20:15 and Dylan Greve was sixth in 20:47. Logan Yokum placed 49th in 24:46.
Humboldt’s Kristin Todd finished 25th in the girls’ junior varsity race. Her time was 29:47.
Humboldt also had two runners in the seventh-grade one-mile race. Johnny Hole’s time was 8:26 and Padyne Durand ran the race in 9:40.1.
