CHANUTE — Pristine weather greeted Iola High track and field athletes Friday as they wrapped up the regular season in fine fashion at the Chanute Invitational.
In addition to picking up gold in the boys pole vault (Michael Wilson) and 1600 meters (Tyler Powelson), the Fillies had several “near misses,” Smith said, including a pair of strong hurdles races from Emery Driskel.
“Our boys had a very good meet for the events we could enter,” head coach Marv Smith said. “Emery’s time in the 300 hurdles was better than our school record before the ‘Kendra Taiclet days.’”
The Fillies took seventh with 26 points, despite holding out key contributors. Meanwhile, the Mustangs took eighth with 31 points, but only 15 points out of a top-four finish.
Wilson cleared 12 feet in winning the pole vault, while Powelson won the 1600 with a time of 4 minutes, 52.7 seconds.
Iola’s 4×800-meter relay team of Tyler McIntosh, Powelson, Plumlee and Jeremy Spears took silver with a time of 8:40.7.
Adam Kauth took fifth in the 110-meter hurdles, 16.5 seconds, and sixth in the 300-meter hurdles at 43.7 seconds.
The Mustangs’ team score could have been higher, but Smith held Powelson out of the 800 meters, and two pole vaulters, Braden Plumlee and Travis Hermstein, failed to register a height after clearing 10 feet and 9 feet, 6 inches, respectively, one night before.
Smith noted Powelson ran his leg of the 4×800 relay in 2:03. The winning mark in the open 800 was 2:07.
“Every split on the 4×800 was a personal best,” Smith said.
Two regular relay members, Chase Regehr and Brian Hu, missed due to other obligations.
The absences had an effect on other relays. Iola’s 4×400 relay team took eighth. Darius Greenawalt joined Iola’s 4×100 relay team, which registered a season’s best mark, but out of the medals.
“Darius will likely remain on the relay for the league meet,” Smith said.
The Pioneer League meet is Thursday at Prairie View.
DRISKEL TOOK second in a pair of highly competitive races, finishing the 100 hurdles in 16.4 seconds and in the 300 hurdles at 49.9 seconds.
Driskel also led off Iola’s 4×100 relay team, which took fifth at 57.1 seconds. She was joined by Cassie Delich, Mikaela Platt and Jessica Oakley.
