FORT SCOTT — Runners from Iola High, Marmaton Valley High and Crest High took on not just other competitors and the cross country course Thursday. There also were mud and wet conditions to contend with.
Iola High’s Mustangs earned team medals for the second straight meet. The Mustangs took second with 44 points to Labette County’s 34 at Thursday’s Fort Scott High Invitational. Prairie View was third with 66 points.
Iola’s Roman Yocham was the runnerup to Northeast-Arma’s Austin Bogina. Yo-cham ran the 5K course in 17 minutes, 56 seconds. Marmaton Valley’s Zach Louk earned the fourth-place medal in 18:25,
Crest High’s Dustin Davis-Jones took eighth in 18:58.27. Teammate Trevor Holman missed a medal by one place, taking 16th in 20:16.03.
Trent Latta, Iola, claimed the 11th-place medal in 19:29. Dylan Lower was 17th in 20:21. Tyler Powelson and Bryan Miller went 22nd and 23rd, respectively, in 20:40 and 20:45.
Garrett Catron placed 33rd in 21:49. Josh Klubek was 36th in 22:03.
“Our times were not bad for the muddy conditions,” said Marvin Smith, Iola High cross country coach.
Smith was very pleased to see the varsity girls results.
“Finally, we have a team score,” Smith said. The Fillies finished third with 50 points. Labette County won the team title with 31 points and Fredonia was second with 40.
Sydney Owens and Leah Weir led the Fillies. Owens captured the fifth-place medal with a time of 19:59 for the 4K race. Weir earned a medal, taking ninth in 20:32.
“Sydney moved from 13th to fifth in the last half of the race. We started conservatively to keep in a group before allowing individuals to move up,” Smith said.
Abby Works placed 17th in 21:57 and Kristen Linn was 19th in 22:06. Briann Burris was 22nd in 22:34 and Jordan Dillingham was 24th in 23:40.
Crest High’s Italy Loving claimed fourth place in 19:21. Addison Rhea got the 15th-place medal in 21:18.
“It was the first race of the year for both of them. Addi has not run cross country since she was a freshman so it was great to see her medal in her first race,” said Tisha Hug, Crest High cross country coach.
Marmaton Valley’s Jamee McEndree placed 23rd in 23.13.
Iola won the junior varsity boys’ race with 67 points. There were 15 medals awarded.
Christian Kauth led Iola, placing second in 16:25 and Michael Armstrong was seventh in 17:16.
Others placing for Iola were: 18. Bryan Mueller, 18:38; 19. Jeremy Spears, 18:45; 21. Michael Wilson, 18:58; 24. Jason Tidd, 19:10; 25. Arion Kunkler, 19:34; 31. Matthew Cunningham, 20:21; 33. Levi Baker, 20:32; 36. Drew Smith, 20:49; 42. Cody Conner, 22:10.
Marmaton Valley’s Ryan Smith was the individual winner of the junior varsity race in 15:43. Chance Stevenson was eighth in 17:24, Carlos Gonzales was 10th, 17:54, Marcus Miller was 15th in 18:15 and Seth Cuppy was 46th in 22:58.
Crest had Chris Brallier take third in 16:49 followed by David Womelsdorf in sixth in 17:15. Craig Brallier was 27th in 19:42 and Jory Ramsey was 29th in 20:09.
In the junior varsity girls’ race, Marmaton Valley’s Ashtynn Louk was third in 20:46. Iola’s Jennica Rausch took eighth in 23:39 followed by Jamie Spears in 9th in 24:01 and Chalene Hutton in 12th at 25:37.
Crest’s Brittany Belosic was 18th in 26:59 and Erica Holman was 19th in 27:15. Both took medals — 14th and 15th — because seniors finishing ahead of them could not receive medals.
All three area teams will compete at next Thursday’s Parsons High Invitational at Big Hill Lake.
Iola, MVHS, Crest runners compete at Fort Scott
