Two Iola High senior throwers captured their first-ever Southeast Kansas League event championships Thursday.
Another senior ran in a relay with two juniors and a freshman to keep an Iola boys’ track tradition going. The Mustang 4×800-meter relay team made it five consecutive years as SEK champion.
“Man, it feels awesome,” said Kyle Heffern of his SEK discus title. “It’s been my goal all year and Marv (head track coach Marvin Smith) knew this is what I was working for and he pushed me.”
Heffern posted a throw of 127 feet, 4 inches in the preliminaries of the event out of his home ring. It held up for the gold medal.
“I was nervous watching everybody throw in front of me. A Chanute guy was just under a foot away from my distance. I got a victory throw at the end,” Heffern said.
Ralph Shafer was out in the field throwing things too. Shafer planted a throw of 165’4” to capture the SEK javelin championship.
“It is really exciting to be the league champion and to do it at home my senior year,” Shafer said. “I know I can throw farther but I haven’t really been at all the practices I should have this season.”
Shafer said his goal now is to break the school record by the end of the season. He plans to practice a lot more going into regional.
Shafer, Heffern, 4×800 win SEK championships
