Iola’s Cole Moyer finds a lot of similarities between cross country and the movie “Talladega Nights.”
“In ‘Talladega Nights’ they say there’s good days and there’s bad days in racing,” said Moyer. “When I have had a bad day I can’t let that get to me. I have to tune out the noise.”
Moyer was voted the top Athlete of the Month among the male athletes.
The junior has had more good days than bad this year as the primary leader for Iola’s cross country team.
Moyer was preparing for Thursday’s meet at Wellsville with a fresh mindset. He’s focused on pushing through, showing the younger Iola runners what’s possible in his quest to earn another trip to the Oct. 28 state meet. This year’s final competition is at Rim Rock in Lawrence.
“There’s no bigger critic than myself,” said Moyer. “League will hopefully be a stepping stone to regionals. A big part is knowing when to go all out and when not to.”
The Mustang began running cross country in seventh grade after he realized football wasn’t his thing and as one of the fastest kids in PE, he could best use his speed running cross country and track.
Moyer credits his older peers for the strides he’s made through the years.
Moyer reached the Class 4A state meet last year alongside seniors Jesse Taylor and Kaster Trabuc and was also helped by the guidance of senior Travis Wanker.
“Losing those seniors from last year was big for us. It made me step up this year,” said Moyer. “It was really important that I had them when I was younger. My main focus this year has been trying to be a leader and showing it’s done through character and getting it done on the course.”
Moyer has been able to improve his times over the season. At the Central Heights meet on Sept. 28 he finished in 18:30, more than a minute off his time of 19:33 from the season-opening meet at Garnett.
At last month’s Rim Rock Classic in Lawrence, Moyer finished in 18:50, good enough for a 76th place among about 320 runners.
“It’s definitely the hardest course we run. There’s a big mental aspect you have to take on the hills because they’re really tough,” said Moyer of the Lawrence course. “They’re tough, but they help you out and everyone seems to rise up to the challenge there.”
Growing up in Iola, Moyer enjoys being a part of the school’s esteemed cross country program. He knows of the success of the runners who came before him.
“It means everything. It feels good to be a part of such a historical program,” Moyer said. “I think it’s a big deal to a lot of people. And it motivates me to run my best.
Moyer runs year-round, averaging about 20 miles per week.
