EUREKA — The Iola eighth-grade cross country runners picked up a pair of runner-up medals at the Eureka meet on Tuesday.
Trenton Varney and Josie Plumlee each posted strong times to earn those finishes. Varney ran a 5:48 mile while Plumlee ran her mile in 6:23.
Varney charged to an early lead in the seventh-grade boys race, but a runner from Sisk Middle School in Douglass kept pace with Varney and he was able to pass the Iola runner by the three-quarter mile mark and held off Varney to take the win.
Brett Morrison finished 11th with a 6:28 and Brett Willis took 17th with a 6:40.
Colin Long rounded out the Iola seventh-grade boys with a 8:16 to take 38th.
“Long joined the team late and I have really been happy with how hard he works and the effort he gives,” Iola coach Marv Smith said. “His time has improved significantly.”
Plumlee was able to lead the seventh-grade Ponies to the girls’ team title.
Every member of the girls’ team improved their times in Eureka from their previous meet.
Ursula Billings finished the race in fourth place with a 6:40. Natalie Fees was the next Ponies’ runner across the finish-line with a 7:22 time to earn 11th.
Jorja Murcko took 15th place by running a 7:36.
Emily Long rounded-out the Ponies’ runners with a 23rd-place mark by running a 8:04.
The eighth-grade Iola girls’ team also was able to earn a team title with its deep group of eight runners.
Averie Sharon was the top Iola finisher with a 14:05 finish to take fifth in the two-mile race.
Callie Murcko and Lorrie Carpenter each picked up medals as well. Murcko ran a 15:29 to earn eighth place and Carpenter was 10th with a 15:57.
Aubrey Coltrane was one spot behind Carpenter in 11th with a 16:06.
Jessica Tidd clinched the first-place team finish for Iola by finishing 14th and running a 17:11.
Kailey Schinstock finished 17th (18:06), Elaina Stiffler took 18th (18:12) and Rachel Cochran was 22nd (19:30).
The eighth-grade boys also notched a pair of medals in their race.
Nathan Louk was the top Iola runner with a 12:35 to take fourth. Riley Jay was the other Ponies’ medalist with a seventh-place finish by running a 12:58.
Xavier Dickerson and Toby Sander rounded out Iola runners by finishing 23rd (15:26) and 26th (15:55) respectively.
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The league meet is Oct. 13 in Burlington.
