The Iola-Scandinavia boys’ cross-country team delivered an impressive performance at the Smiley Invitational held on Saturday, Sept. 21, at Wausau East High School, securing third place out of 10 Division 3 teams in the varsity competition.

Sophomore Ben Beck led the charge for the Thunderbirds, finishing in second place overall with a remarkable time of 16:39.5. His strong showing set the tone for the team’s success, as his brother, Jack Beck, followed closely behind with a fifth-place finish, clocking in at 17:43.3.

Other key contributors included Henry Vater, who took 25th place with a time of 19:01.9, and Evan Linjer, who was just behind him, finishing 27th at 19:04.7. The collective effort of the boys’ team earned them a podium spot, finishing only behind Rib Lake/Prentice and Sheboygan Area Lutheran in a highly competitive field.

In the junior varsity boys’ race, Brycen Jorgensen represented Iola-Scandinavia with a 16th-place finish, crossing the line at 22:50.9.

On the girls’ side, the varsity team finished fifth out of six teams, with Revyn Shrank leading the way for the Thunderbirds. Shrank secured 16th place with a time of 23:28.2. Cedarlyn Otremba and Paige Timdal finished 26th and 27th, respectively, with nearly identical times — 25:50.2 and 25:51.9. Ari Hahn rounded out the varsity squad, finishing 29th with a time of 26:14.6.

Kaia Anderson took 43rd place for the junior varsity girls, clocking in at 32:27.9.