WICHITA — Iola High track and field athletes took a crack at the Class 4A state championship at Wichita State over the weekend.
There were a plethora of top finishes for the Mustangs. Four Iola seniors — Jesse Taylor, Eli Adams, Jessica Kroenke and Jake Skahan — ended their high school careers in an impressive fashion.
The Mustangs had a total of nine state championship competitors, one personal-record performance and one season-best finish.
Karingten Hall earned a season-best in the girls 200-meter dash and Jake Skahan snatched a personal record in the javelin.
“We performed well. To be able to go to state is a huge honor,” Iola head coach Dana Daugharthy said. “The number one thing about bringing this many people to state is getting the experience for our young guys. The experience builds their confidence and convinces them of the necessity to put in the work for next season.”
Friday
Rio Lohman got the action started for Iola Friday when she competed in the girls 100-meter hurdles, finishing in 14th place with a time of 17.50 seconds.
Mahailie Genoble then matched up in the girls 300-meter hurdles with a 16th place finish in 52.69 seconds.
“It’s huge for her (Genoble) to get the experience, even getting last in the 300-meter hurdles. She’s just a freshman,” said Daugharthy. “She’s getting that experience to know what state feels like.”
When Hall donned the gold and blue in the 200-meter dash she earned a season-best time of 26.92 seconds, good for a 14th place finish.
Jessica Kroenke competed in the pole vault, taking a 12th place finish with a high of 8 feet.
Jesse Taylor went the distance in the boys 3200-meter run, finishing in 14th place with a time of 10:57.43.
“Jesse is one of those kids who does everything you ask. We’re going to miss him for his results but also his key leadership and the positivity he instills into the team,” said Daugharthy.
Skahan earned a personal-record in the boy’s javelin where he threw 150 feet, 7 inches, earning him a 14th place finish.
“Our throws, in particular the javelin, we’ve improved the most this season,” Daugharthy said. “I’ve coached for 10 years now and I’ve never had a throw above 140 feet. The fact he could pick the spear up and accomplish what he did in one season really speaks to what can be achieved in track. We taught him the basics and he took off with it.”
Saturday
