It’s good to be the king.
Iola High’s Mustangs have ruled the 4×800-meter relay race four straight years at the Southeast Kansas League track meet.
Senior Ryan Weir is the lone runner of the foursome who became a four-time SEK champion on the IHS 4×800 here Friday. Seniors Seth Browning and Aaron Cheung made it two in a row and the new guy was sophomore Christian Kauth.
The Mustangs won five events at Friday’s SEK meet on their home track.
Ethan Fulton won his final SEK 110-meter high hurdle championship on the same track he won his first. The senior took the race Friday in 15.26 seconds with twin brother, Aaron, in second place at 15.60 seconds.
“It great to be champion again even though I didn’t have my best race. I’m glad I got it here at home,” Ethan said.
“It feels great to take second place. It was one of my better races even though my time wasn’t what I wanted,” said Aaron. “I ran it a lot smoother.”
The hurdle race came after the Fulton brothers went 1-3 in the long jump — an event they hadn’t competed in since middle school.
Ethan is the SEK long jump champion with a leap of 22 feet, 3 inches. Aaron had a personal-best leap of 21’5” for third place.
“I’m happy about third and with Ethan winning the long jump. This has been our first year doing it since middle school so to go first and third in the league, it’s great.” Aaron said.
Twelve Mustang athletes earned All-SEK honors by placing in the top three of events.
“It was a great showing by our boys,” said Marvin Smith, IHS head track coach. “We scored 118 points and got second for the seventh time in 10 years.”
Pittsburg won the team title with 172 points. Iola was second with 118 and Chanute was third with 98 points.
Another double gold medal winner was senior Darin Hutton. Hutton first won the shot put with a throw of 47’10 1/4”.
Hutton claimed the SEK championship in the discus at 128’7”. Fellow senior Kyler Thompson was third with a throw of 119’7”.
“I’m happy to get both here at home in my final league meet,” Hutton said. “I haven’t been on this season in the discus but I felt good in both events Friday.”
Hutton said he was looking forward to throwing at home again at the Class 4A regional meet. The regional is this Friday at Riverside Park.
“I’ve been so lucky to run with great teammates all four years,” said Ryan Weir following the Mustangs’ winning relay race. The foursome won the race with a season’s best time of 8 minutes, 38.43 seconds.
Kauth led off and had a strong, personal-best time on his 800. Browning took the baton and ran a 2:01 split that put the Mustangs in the lead.
“I thought maybe I took it too soon. I tried to stay out in front to get the lead to Ryan,” Browning said.
Weir, who said he’s known as the “maintainer,” took over and added a personal best leg. Cheung had the anchor for the second year in a row and brought it home.
“I was pumped up for this race and I’m so proud of my teammates. They gave us a good lead and I just ran as smooth as I could,” Cheung said.
Roman Yocham placed third in the 1600-meter run in 4:48.54. Cheung finished 10th in 5:13.84.
Yocham also earned the bronze medal in the 3200-meter run in 10:41.72. Bryan Miller placed 10th in 11:52.69.
Ethan Fulton was fifth in the 100-meter dash in 11.99 seconds. He also took fourth in the 300-meter intermediate hurdles in 43.42 seconds.
Browning returned to the track to take third in the 800-meter run in 2:04.50. Charles Apt, a junior, was sixth in 2:08.76 and Weir was eighth in 2:11.69.
Iola’s 4×100-meter relay team of A. Fulton, Mikal Bossell Shane Snavely and Dylan Allen turned in a fourth-place finish in 45.1 seconds.
Browning, Apt, Bossell and Snavely combined for fourth place in the 4×400-meter relay race. The foursome had a time of 3:39.86.
Junior Drew Shepherd collected the bronze medal in the pole vault, clearing 10’6”. Dylan Lower was sixth at 9 feet.
Aaron Fulton took fourth in the javelin with a throw of 167’2”. Ralph Shafer was fifth at 164’1”.
Apt made the finals of the javelin but finished seventh at 152’10”. Kauth made the finals of the triple jump, finishing seventh at 36’10 3/4”. Kyle Heffern was 10th in the discus at 98’9”.
The Mustangs are preparing for the Class 4A regional meet at home this Friday.
For complete results from the 2010 SEK meet go to www.iolaregister.com.
Mustangs’ 4×800 wins SEK title for fourth time
