GARNETT — Multiple area runners posted strong times while opening the 2025 season at the Coach Howarter Invitational Thursday on the course of the Garnett Country Club.
Area runners tested their joints and dexterity as they completed what some coaches considered a challenging terrain.
“This is a tough course. A lot of our other courses are hilly, but not as bad as this one,” said Humboldt cross country coach Eric Carlson, who held his team out from competing in the boys and girls varsity 5K. “Other than going to Rim Rock Creek in Lawrence, which has a lot of hills and is pretty tough, none of the courses we go to are as bad as this one.”
For the boys, Iola junior Keegan Hill finished in sixth place. A 2024 state qualifier, Hill completed the 5K course in 17 minutes, 39 seconds.
Bryce Roberts, Santa Fe Trail, won the race in 16:38.
Hill said he hopes to use Thursday’s run as a springboard to success.
“I feel great. Last year, my time was 18:11, so I really improved,” Hill said. “I did weights over the summer and I feel I could have ran a little faster. It was more my mentality than any other stuff, but it felt great running with all of my friends from Chanute. From here on, I’m just going to keep getting faster and faster.”
On the girls side, Crest senior Peyton Schmidt came in 10th place with a time of 21:44.
Ella Needham of Paola was first with a time of 20:17.
Last fall, Schmidt placed 10th in the state cross country meet.
“It wasn’t terrible,” Schmidt said of Thursday’s race. “I had fun, but it was a rough meet. The hills were not my favorite. I like it when it’s downhill and flat, but it was OK for the first meet. I just wanted to get a feel for how the year was going to start out. This is one of the bigger meets we’re going to have, so I’m thankful it was our first.”
The local runners have until Sept. 11 before their next meet. Crest and Iola will run at the Fort Scott Invitational. Humboldt will compete at the Girard Invitational.
“Every year, you’ll see kids at the beginning of the season, and they are not going to be happy,” Carlson said. “We will have kids who are not going to be happy with the way they performed today. They felt they should have run faster, and that’s fine. They will feel like they should have progressed and then that light bulb will come on. Then, we will race a little faster. We will practice a little faster until the end of the season.”
Complete results as follows:
Boys Varsity 5K: 6. Keegen Hill, Iola, 18:11. 25. Brennan Coffield, Iola, 19:36; 31. Joshua Wanker, Iola, 20:02; 36. Dagon Denny, Crest, 20:15; 40. Isaac Velazquez, Iola, 20:36.
Boys Junior Varsity 5K: 3. Adam Klubek, Iola 21:35; 5. Jack Works, Humboldt, 21:48; 20. Konnor Morrison, Iola, 24:30; 23. Harley Blankenship, Iola, 24:32; 26. Kaden Vega, Iola, 25:20; 27. Liam Smith, Humboldt, 25:20; 28. Raiden Stowell Iola, 25:28; 55. Allen Grady, Crest, 21:25; 57. Caden Coltrane, Iola, 21:34; 62. Ruger Boren, Iola, 22:10; 70. Wyatt Francis, Crest, 23:45.
