BURLINGTON — Marvin Smith couldn’t help but feel a little guilty Tuesday by the time the boys 4×400-meter relay team neared the starting line.
The 4×400 is traditionally the final event of the day at high school track and field events. Tuesday’s Burlington Invitational was no different.
As such, two of the relay team members, Jacob Harrison and Tyler McIntosh, had plenty of idle time. Both are nursing injuries and were held out of other events Tuesday.
Meanwhile, “we ran the wheels off of Tyler Powelson,” noted Smith, IHS head coach. “It allowed us to get a good race.”
Powelson led the way for the Mustangs with a gold medal in the 1600-meter run and nabbing two fourth-place finishes, including the 4×400.
Powelson also was fourth in the 800-meter run, a race he completed less than 30 minutes before lining up for the relay.
In winning the gold, amid windy conditions, Powelson finished in 4 minutes, 42.28 seconds.
“It’s not a personal best, but it may have been his best race,” Smith said.
Meanwhile, Michael Wilson took home a silver medal in the pole vault, clearing 11 feet, 8 inches, the same height as what was cleared by the winner. Wilson, however, was relegated to second because of the number of previous misses.
In other highlights for Iola, Adam Kauth took fourth in the 300-meter hurdles and seventh in the 110-meter hurdles.
The wind played a factor in Kauth’s hurdle races. Because he was racing directly into the wind, Kauth had to alternate his lead leg, which slowed his momentum considerably, Smith said.
Jeremy Spears took fifth in the 3200-meter run, while Eli Grover placed seventh in the shot put at 41’1”. He missed a medal by one-half inch.
800-meter run
4. Tyler Powelson, 2:06.18
110-meter hurdles
7. Adam Kauth, 19.08
1600-meter run
1. Powelson, 4:42.28
3200-meter run
5. Jeremy Spears, 11:09.46
300-meter hurdles
4. Kauth, 43.57
4×400-meter relay
4. Iola (Jacob Harrison, Powelson, Tyler McIntosh, Kauth) 3:42.67
High jump
6. Kauth, 5’6”
Pole vault
2. Michael Wilson, 11’8”
10. Travis Hermstein, 9’2”
Shot put
7. Eli Grover, 41’1”
Discus
9. Grover, 122’11”
Mustang medalists make mark
