Iola’s boys, girls cross country teams flood medal stands

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Sports

September 13, 2014 - 12:00 AM

FORT SCOTT — Iola High’s boys and girls cross country teams crowded the medal stands Thursday. The varsity boys placed first and the varsity girls placed second.
Senior Kohl Endicott smoked the competition on the boys side, running his 5k in 17 minutes, 37 seconds.
“Kohl ran a superb race.  An all-state runner from Northeast and a Fort Scott runner opened up a huge lead by the 800-meter mark and Kohl moved up steadily until he took the lead with over a mile to go,” coach Marv Smith said.  
“I expected him to ‘settle in’ and put them away at the finish if he had the leg speed.”
He didn’t need it, winning by 37 seconds.
Sophomore Braden Plumlee also finished strong, passing the Northeast runner with about 400 meters remaining to take third at 18:25.
Isaiah Fawson and Blaine Klubek each came in at 19:18. Fawson crossed slightly ahead at the line to place fifth, while Klubek came in sixth. Travis Hermstein was just a couple of seconds behind, finishing seventh at 19:20. Kendall Jay came in 16th, finishing in 19:57. Jonathan Tidd came in at 33rd at 21:38.
With the boys taking first, Prairie View took second and Frontenac took third.
“We expected a challenge from Labette County, but it never happened,” Smith said.  “We had five runners in the top 15 by the mile mark and I was close enough to the course to convey that to the runners as they came by.  
“After two miles, I told them that all five were in the top 11,” he continued. “They could have coasted since we had first place secured, but that did not happen, either.”

THE VARSITY GIRLS followed suit and took second in their 4k race.
Smith said this made his day because the team only has four varsity girls on the roster. In order to place, a full team must field five runners. Smith  moved freshman Addie Prather and last year’s student manager, Klair Vogel, up to the varsity race.
“I know that they had pain and distress, but they did enough for us to hold off Labette County by five points,” Smith said. “It was a very competitive race with a state champion from Northeast holding off an all-state runner from Fort Scott. It was a nice bus ride home.”
Olivia Taylor led the girls with a seventh-place finish, clocking in at 17:56. Megan Klubek followed her with an eighth-place finish at 17:59. Abigail Taylor took 12th in 18:19, Jo Lohman placed 19th in 18:58, Prather finished 35th in 25:40 and Vogel came in 36th in 26:28.
“The start of the race is a tough 80-yard uphill stretch and a mistake can cost a runner,” Smith said.  “It did.  Abigail got off to a fast start and struggled about halfway through the race.    
“Olivia and Megan both moved around her on the 250-yard uphill just before the final half mile.  They picked up the place that Abigail had been holding.”
Iola’s next meet is Thursday at Big Hill Lake near Parsons.

 MARMATON Valley High’s junior varsity cross country runners also competed at the Fort Scott Invitational. Each team ran a 4k.
For the girls JV team, Casey Allen placed ninth with a time of 20 minutes, 48 seconds. Stevie Allen came in 11th, clocking in at 21:43.
Cody Elam led JV boys, placing seventh with a time of 16:44. Josh Wise came in 34th with a time of 19:41.
Marmaton Valley also runs Thursday at Parsons.

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