RICHMOND — As the cross country season nears its home stretch, Iola High head coach Marv Smith is optimistic his runners will be in fine shape to challenge for Pioneer League championships in two weeks. THE FILLIES runners were poised for a second-place team finish, despite having only two healthy, full-time runners. HUMBOLDT AND Iola runners made their marks in the boys junior varsity race, combining to take 12 of the top 15 places. YATES CENTER’S Colin Bedell won the boys eighth-grade race, finishing his 2-mile route in 12:53. 7. Humboldt’s Wyatt Seufert was third at 13:33.6. Boys varsity (5k)
The Mustang runners took home the first-place trophy Thursday at the Central Heights Invitational, edging Spring Hill by six points, 56 to 62.
Individually, Iola racked up five of the top 18 spots on the leaderboard, spearheaded by junior Kohl Endicott.
Endicott, et al, overcame a 20 mph headwind at times to take fifth with a time of 18 minutes, 6.4 seconds. Jeremy Spears followed in ninth at 18:23.4, Braden Plumlee as 11th at 18:33.5, Travis Hermstein was 16th at 19:23, and Michael Wilson, 22nd at 19:45.
Endicott, Spears, Plumlee and Wilson ran as a pack through much of the race, Smith noted.
“We had a slow start, with nobody in the top 20 after the first 600 yards, but by the 1 1/2-mile mark, we were in very good shape,” he said.
The Mustang runners caught another break when Anderson County’s Tanner Wilson faded down the stretch. Wilson is considered a heavy favorite to win the Pioneer League race in Osawatomie Oct. 17, and led Thursday by a wide margin before slowing considerably at the end.
The Mustang runners pounced in the last 800 meters. Endicott passed by first, then Spears, with Plumlee one spot behind.
All of the Pioneer League schools were at the meet, Smith noted, with a caveat.
“This is not a good predictor of what the league results may be,” he said, noting Prairie View elected not to earn a team score because it was missing its top runner. Wellsville and Central Heights also were missing key runners.
And while Iola’s top three runners deserve heaps of praise, Smith cited Hermstein’s efforts down the stretch as the key to the team title.
Wilson had been keeping pace with Iola’s top runners at the start, Smith noted, but had missed several practices over the past week because of other schedule conflicts. He “hit the wall and really struggled to finish.”
By then, Hermstein had caught Wilson, “and really saved us on our team score,” Smith said. “Our times were very good with gusty wind conditions, but I think we can get out a little better in the beginning.”
Yates Center High’s Drake Busteed continued his strong season by finishing sixth at 18:11.5. He was followed by teammate Hayden Splechter in 28th at 20:16.5.
Garrett Booth was Marmaton Valley’s only boys varsity runner, finishing in 21:59.3 for 51st.
Abigail Taylor led the way for Iola, finishing second overall in her 4k, but first among the Pioneer League runners with a time of 17:52.
Megan Klubek finished eighth at 19:16. She was third among Pioneer League runners.
“Both girls ran with the leaders from early in the race,” Smith said.
With Shannon Vogel finishing 28th at 22:02 — she still is hampered by a sore knee — Iola still needed two more runners to qualify for a team score.
Klair Vogel and Karima Hall, both of whom joined the team late, started but could not finish, thus preventing the Fillies from earning a team score.
Marmaton Valley’s Ashtynn Louk also ran, finishing 15th with a time of 19:48.4.â¨
Humboldt secured three of the top four spots, led by Tanner Orth’s first-place time of 19:58. Ronny Jarred was second at 20:09 and Ethan Bartlett in fourth at 20:51.
Just behind was Iola’s Isaiah Fawson, fifth at 20:55.2, and Kendall Jay, sixth at 21:03.9.
Humboldt’s Miah Schiemann was seventh at 21:07 and Iola’s Yohon Sinclair took home 10th at 21:19.5.
In seventh grade boys running, Yates Center’s Hadley Splechter won the mile race in 5:33. Iola’s Bret Plumlee was second at 6:09.1, Jack Eyster nabbed eighth at 6:39.7, Jackson Wiltse ninth at 6:46.5 and David Petty, 10th at 6:50.
Natalie DeGrado led Iola’s seventh-grade runners, finishing her mile in 7:08.2. Chloe Hageman was seventh at 7:46.7.
Iola’s runners return to action Tuesday with a meet at Independence. Humboldt and Yates Center runners will be in Eureka Tuesday. Marmaton Valley heads to Jayhawk-Linn Thursday.
Team scores: 1. Iola, 56 points. 2. Spring Hill, 62, 3. Anderson County, 75, 4. Osawatomie, 128. 5. Wellsville, 131. 6. Yates Center, 146. 7. Lyndon, 148. 8. Central Heights, 153
1. Chase Bouse, W, 17:14.1
5. Kohl Endicott, I, 18:06.4
6. Drake Busteed, YC, 18:11.5
9. Jeremy Spears, I, 18:23.4
11. Braden Plumlee, I, 18:33.5
16. Travis Hermstein, I, 19:23.8
22. Michael Wilson, I, 19:45.1
28. Hayden Splechter, YC, 20:16.5
29. Colby Works, I, 20:18.5
37. Kim Youngsic, YC, 20:45.6
38. Bryan Mueller, I, 21:02.5
49. Eli Spencer, YC, 21:51.8
51. Garrett Booth, MV, 21:59.3
52. Tyler Keenan, YC, 22:03.9
Girls varsity (4k)
Team scores: 1. Anderson County, 18. 2. West Franklin, 67. 3. Osawatomie, 71. 4. Lyndon, 85.
1. Macy Burke, SH, 17:31.3
2. Abigail Taylor, I, 17:52.4
8. Megan Klubek, I, 19:16.3
15. Ashtynn Louk, MV, 19:48.4
28. Shannon Vogel, I, 22:02.9
Boys junior varsity (5k)
1. Tanner Orth, H, 19:58.0
2. Ronny Jarred, H, 20:09.1
4. Ethan Bartlett, H, 20:51.1
5. Isaiah Fawson, I, 20:55.2
6. Kendall Jay, I, 21:03.9
7. Miah Scheimann, H, 21:07.0
10. Yohon Sinclair, I, 21:19.5
11. Jacob Cooper, I, 21:20.1
12. Tyler Holloway, 21:20.6
13. Dillon Aikins, H, 21:35.4
15. Thomas Elder, I, 22:30.0
24. Rayden Goltry, H, 23:28.4
26. Jonathan Tidd, I, 23:33.8
27. Darius Greenawalt, I, 23:34.7
30. Jules Jones, H, 23:53.7
31. Ryan Eyster, I, 24:12.9
34. Ankit Gandhi, I, 24:28.6
42. Dareece Bell, I, 25:23.7
46. Tristan Bruneau, H, 25:56.2
48. Isaiah Gawlas, I, 26:07.2
54. Jason Mangold, H, 27:39.3
55. Steven Lieberman, MV, 28:58.8
58. Dawson Mauk, H, 31:13.4
49. James Clark, H, 32:14.2
Girls junior varsity (4k)
1. Tiffany Mills, AC, 20:05.3
16. Morgan Lea, H, 25:06.3
17. Sabrina Arell, YC, 25:13.2
18. Aubrey Smith, YC, 25:14.1
24. Morgan Wilson, H, 30:05.3
28. Kendra McNutt, H, 32:56.4
Boys eighth grade (2 mile)
1. Colin Bedell, YC, 12:53.7
3. Wyatt Seufert, H, 13:33.6
7. Josh VanAtta, H, 13:56.0
17. Brady Slocum, H, 18:18.6
Boys seventh grade (1 mile)
1. Hadley Splechter, YC, 5:33.0
2. Bret Plumlee, I, 6:09.1
8. Jack Eyster, I, 6:39.7
9. Jackson Wiltse, I, 6:46.5
10. David Petty, I, 6:50.0
17. Jacob Burcham, I, 7:33.4
19. Derek White, I, 12:18.9
20. Conor House, I, 12:42.1
Girls seventh grade (1 mile)
1. Paige McDaniel, W, 6:21.7
5. Natalie DeGrado, I, 7:08.2
7. Chloe Hageman, I, 7:46.7
Iola runners take top spot at Central Heights
