Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

This week was supposed to give Ashlyn Keeney the chance to defend her Drake Relays 3,000-meter title.

Unfortunately for the Liberty High sophomore standout that opportunity never presented itself.

The Drake Relays were postponed indefinitely last month by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and last week COVID-19 caused the cancellation of the entire spring prep sports season in Iowa.

That news stung for many athletes including Keeney who established herself as one of the brightest young track stars in the state last season as a freshman.

“It’s really disappointing but people’s safety and health is the most important thing,” Keeney said. “I kind of expected it so I wasn’t too surprised but it is still really disappointing to hear. I especially felt bad for all the seniors that didn’t get to run in their final year.”

In her Drake Relays debut last spring Keeney posted the fourth fastest time in state history while winning the 3,000 in 9:39.64, the fastest ever for a freshman in Iowa.  

Keeney went on to sweep the 1,500 and 3,000 titles at the Class 4A state meet.

Her sophomore season was over before it ever got going.

The extent of her sophomore season was a runner-up finish in the 1,500 at the Dickinson Relays last month at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Even with the cancellation of the season and the lost opportunities the always optimistic Keeney has found plenty of ways to stay active and more importantly remain as positive as always.

“It will be nice just to focus on workouts and try to build for a longer time than I would have had with meets coming up,” Keeney said. “It will be difficult but I’m just going to focus on the long term and eventually I will be racing again.”

The cancellation of the season was the end of a rough year for Keeney.

She dealt with a serious eye infection to start cross country and finished the season with a runner-up finish at the 4A state meet despite a bout of whooping cough.

Keeney underwent offseason surgery and dealt with another round of sickness this spring before getting the news last Friday that the season was cancelled.

Just a few minutes following the announcement there would be no prep track season Keeney was already planning her future with her usual upbeat attitude and picking out the positives.

Not even a global pandemic has found a way to slow down Keeney.  

“I’m just going to keep training as if I did still have meets coming,” Keeney said. “Not having meets I don’t have to do pre-meet low mileage days or post-meet low mileage days and then of course there isn’t a meet day bringing down the mileage so overall there is more capacity for mileage. Having more freedom during the day and more free time allows me to stretch more and take ice baths, things I normally wouldn’t be able to do so I can better take care of my body to allow me to run more miles. It’s exciting and fun and that keeps me busy.”

Like many distance runners, Keeney was already accustomed to training on her own.

Keeney, who is a triplet, said she often trains alone but has taken advantage of having two active training partners by running with her brothers.

She has also used the extra time to be active outdoors away from her intense training.

“I’ve been training as I normally would just by myself and sometimes I will run with my brothers, they are just a little faster than me so it’s good,” Keeney said. “I’m doing lots of good training and then everyday I go for a bike ride or a walk and do some of that extra stuff that I normally wouldn’t be able to do.”

While Keeney has made herself comfortable by remaining positive during this difficult time she has relied on her teammates and attempted to help them get through it as well.

“Having to workout by yourself is kind of difficult but we all text each other and help each other through it,” Keeney said. “I want to stay connected to my teammates through all of this and help each other out as much as we can.”

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