In a stunning performance at the cross-country meet held at Weyauwega-Fremont High School on Thursday, Oct. 10, Iola-Scandinavia High School’s Ben Beck stole the spotlight by finishing first in the Boys’ Varsity race. Beck’s impressive time of 16:22 not only secured him the top spot but underscored his growing reputation as a standout runner this season.
The Iola-Scandinavia Boys’ Varsity team had several strong performances, with Ben’s younger brother, Jack Beck, placing 8th with a time of 17:38. Henry Vater followed up with a solid 12th-place finish, clocking in at 18:26. Evan Linjer rounded out the team’s efforts, placing 36th in 19:32.
For the Girls’ Varsity team, Revyn Schrank led the way for Iola-Scandinavia, finishing in 30th place with a time of 22:59. She was followed closely by Cedarlyn Otremba, who finished 35th in 23:30, and Ari Hahn, who completed the race in 24:30, finishing 49th overall.
In the Boys’ Junior Varsity race, John McConnell represented Iola-Scandinavia, placing 36th with a time of 36:09.
Middle School
The middle school races also showed promising performances from Iola-Scandinavia’s younger athletes. In the Boys’ Middle School race, John Mork had a strong finish in 10th place, running the 2-mile course in 13:12. Parker Poehlman followed in 24th place with a time of 14:04, and Daniel Burns completed the race in 14:46, placing 40th.
In the Girls’ Middle School race, Nola Mae Vater finished in 11th place with a time of 14:17, while Lola Jones and Ellaina Bestul placed 30th and 36th, respectively, with times of 15:22 and 15:33.
The meet showcased a range of talent from Iola-Scandinavia High School, with both individual and team successes across various age levels. Ben Beck’s outstanding first-place finish in the Boys’ Varsity race was undoubtedly the highlight, as he continues to emerge as one of the premier runners in the region.