Allen County’s present and future collided during Saturday’s Iola High School Cross Country 5K/1-mile Walk at Riverside Park.
As part of their tuneup for the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic in South Dakota, members of the Allen Community College cross country team put their talents on display.
“I felt good considering we had a 10K worth of speed work at a 5:30 pace yesterday,” said ACC’s Dominick Schnider, who finished first after clearing the course in 16:41 with Iola High senior Keegan Hill following close behind.
“To be able to have a quick turnaround, and run this in the morning, made me feel very confident in what will happen in the season opener,” Schnider said.
Coming in second place was Hill. Schnider said Hill almost matched him step for step, but he had just enough kick in the end to get some distance.
“It was intimidating, and every step he took it was two of mine,” Schnider said. “I thought it’s going to be tough to pass him. I just want to be an All-American and it’s all mentality for me. The fitness is there, and it’s going to get better, but I just have to have the right mindset.”
Hill, after taking 24th last season while competing for a state title at the famed Rim Rock course in Lawrence, hopes to significantly improve his position this season.
His time Saturday was 17:08.
Although satisfied with his finish, Hill said he used Saturday’s race as a chance to experiment with lessons he learned while attending a cross country camp near Yakima, Washington.
“Today was the day. I treated it like a race,” Hill said. “Yesterday, I took a rest day and got a real recovery so I felt good. This was my first time trial of the season, and I’m only going to get faster from here.”
Hill and Schnider were just two of the crowd of runners competing Saturday.
Father-daughter duo Tom and Charlie Granere finished first in the 1-mile race with a time of 8:52.
Whether elementary school and middle school runners challenging themselves on the 1-mile course or the more hearty runners taking on the 3.1-mile distance, Iola coach Brit Daugharthy said she was impressed by the turnout and the area’s passion for cross country.
“I am always excited to see our community come and support our kids, and it’s even better when they run with them,” Coach Daugharthy said.
“Parents got to share the experience of their kids’ day, and I’m so grateful. I didn’t know how many to expect and every time I saw someone sign up I got more and more excited because it provides more and more for our kids and that’s all that matters.”
