LAWRENCE — Local runners had the opportunity to run against the best of the best from across the state Saturday.
The occasion was Lawrence’s 2021 Rim Rock Farm Classic, hosted by the University of Kansas.
Iola High’s Jesse Taylor, junior, led the Mustangs by taking 33rd overall at 18 minutes, 7.7 seconds.
Freshman Cole Moyer wasn’t far behind, taking 44th in 18:18.70. Kaster Trabuc, junior, was 55th at 18:36.
Japeth Rutoh, sophomore, took 131st in 19:59.20, junior Travis Wanker ran the course in 20:58.20, good for 185th, and junior Drake Mathew finished in 21:55.3, for 212th.
A pair of Mustang girls senior classmates Elanie Sturgeon and Sage Barney, also ran.
Sturgeon took 64th in 22:54; Barney took 84th in 23:29.80.
“I am so impressed with today’s finishes,” Iola head coach Brit Daugharthy said. “The kids came out with the intention to do their best, no matter who was there or what the course was like.”
Iola took primarily newcomers to the Rim Rock experience, “so it was even more impressive,” Daugharthy said. “One of the best parts was how positive they were and how much fun they had.”
Iola’s boys finished 13th as a team, out of 34 schools that qualified for team placings. With only two runners, the Mustang girls did not qualify for team standings, as has been the custom this season.
HUMBOLDT’S Drew Wilhite led the Cub contingent, placing 43rd overall at 18:18. Fellow senior Levi McGowen took 123rd at 19:47. Junior Peyton Wallace’s 20:16.4 was good enough for 148th. Cooper Woods took 236th at 22:59.8.
On the girls side, a pair of freshmen led Humboldt’s charge.
Ninth-grader McKenna Jones took 60th with her mark of 22:46.8. Anna Heisler was 148th at 25:12.8.
Juniors Lulu Melendez and Leah Mueller were 151st and 180th, respectively, at 25:14.6 and 26:15.8. Madilyn White, senior, finished 190th at 26:39.5, and Sophia Barlow took 217th at 28:08.6.
The Lady Cubs took 24th overall out of 30 teams. The boys did not have the prerequisite five runners to qualify for a team score.
