P-C Girls Open Outdoor Track Season Today

Paton-Churdan High School teams kick off spring meets at Audubon

Mar. 30, 2026 at 4:20pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A fragmented, geometric painting in shades of green, yellow, and blue, depicting the dynamic movements and competitive spirit of a high school track and field event.The vibrant energy of a small-town high school track meet is captured in a cubist-inspired illustration, reflecting the community spirit and athletic drive of the student-athletes.Audubon Today

The Paton-Churdan High School girls track and field team will open their outdoor season today with a meet at Audubon, while the boys' team will compete at the same location tomorrow. Both teams are led by fourth-year head coach Kory Jeschke, who has seen a surge in participation in recent years.

Why it matters

Track and field is a popular spring sport in rural Iowa communities, providing opportunities for student-athletes to compete and represent their schools. The Paton-Churdan teams' season openers mark the start of the outdoor season for many local programs.

The details

Jeschke, the head coach of both the girls' and boys' teams, said the program has seen a significant increase in participation since he started, going from struggles to field full relay teams to now having over 25 athletes across all grade levels. Both the girls' and boys' teams will face over a dozen other schools at the Audubon meets, which have a 4:15 p.m. start time.

  • The girls' team will compete in their first outdoor meet today, March 30, 2026.
  • The boys' team will compete in their first outdoor meet tomorrow, March 31, 2026.

The players

Kory Jeschke

The fourth-year head coach of the girls' and boys' track and field teams at Paton-Churdan High School.

Paton-Churdan High School

A rural high school in Iowa whose girls' and boys' track and field teams are opening their outdoor seasons this week.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“When I started at Paton-Churdan, there were times there weren't enough runners to put together a relay, but now there are more than 25 freshmen through senior girls and boys out for the sport.”

— Kory Jeschke, Head Coach

The takeaway

The increased participation in Paton-Churdan's track and field programs reflects the continued popularity of the sport in rural Iowa communities, providing student-athletes with opportunities to represent their schools and compete against neighboring towns.