Senior Leader Mac Helps Liberty High Win Team Title at Bob Brown Classic
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – When Cami Mac joined the brand new Liberty High cross country program four years ago taking on a leadership role was the furthest thing from her mind.
Not only was Mac a freshman in her first year as a varsity runner but she didn’t exactly have a lot of teammates to lead.
Mac was one of only a handful of members of the first Liberty High team in 2017 and one or only two varsity competitors along with classmate McKenzie Logan.
Oh how things have changed for Mac and the Lightning.
Mac finished second behind teammate Ashlyn Keeney as Class 4A No. 15 Liberty opened the season in impressive fashion with a team title at Regina’s Bob Brown Classic on Thursday at Kicker Soccer Complex in Iowa City.
“We’ve come so far,” Mac said. “We started out with five or six girls on the team and just two varsity runners. We’ve tripled our numbers since then, we’ve even won a meet and we’re talking about getting on the podium together at state. It’s a long way from where we were a few years ago.”
Led by the 1-2 finish from Keeney and Mac Liberty High put four runners in the top eight while cruising to the team title with 35 points.
Logan was seventh while freshman Cori Mac was eighth helping Liberty High finish 52 points clear of 4A eighth-ranked Western Dubuque.
Class 3A Solon was third with 97 points while 1A top-ranked Regina was seventh with 207.
“This team, our program has come so far,” Mac said. “We really want to get to state and we really want to be on the podium together. We have high goals.”
Behind the defending 4A runner-up Keeney and its senior lead Mac, Liberty High looked like a state qualifying team on Thursday.
Keeney, who was hampered by a hip injury for much of the summer, won the individual title in 19:33.61.
Mac was just less than 10 seconds off the pace finishing in 19:43.41.
My hip was hurting a little bit and Cami was right there with me so I just ran with her,” Keeney said. “It seemed like the best thing to do. I’m not 100 percent yet so it was great to have Cami there with me today.”
One of the top distance runners in the state, Keeney is used to leading the pack at races.
If you ask Keeney there is no question that Mac is the team leader at Liberty High.
“She is just what you want from a leader,” Keeney said of Mac. “She has such a good attitude, she is always positive, she encourages everyone in workouts and really brings the team together.”
On Thursday, Mac showed she was ready to lead on race day.
She led for most of the first two miles before Keeney took control.
The time of 19:43.41 for Mac was more than a minute faster than the time of third-place finisher Alyssa Klein of Western Dubuque.
“I’m probably in the best position I’ve ever been in,” Mac said. “I’m feeling really good in workouts.”
Mac credits her work in the summer with her strong start to the season. With COVID-19 forcing the cancellation of track in the spring Mac had six months to prep for the cross country season.
According to Keeney there wasn’t a single wasted day for Mac.
“She is always encouraging everyone and she is such a hard worker,” Keeney said. “(Coach Tonya) McDonough even has to hold her back sometimes. She is just an incredible teammate.”
Solon didn’t have a runner finish in the top 10 but put seven runners in the top-25 on its way to a third-place finish.
Senior Kiersten Conway was 15th for the Spartans in a time of 21:39.3 while Emma Bock was 18th in 22:19.05 and freshman Gracie Federspiel was 20th in 22:24.7.
Regina senior Annalee Bartels placed fifth in a time of 20:56.53 to pace the Regals while Clear Creek Amana sophomore Haidyn Barker was 13th in 21:33.87.
Thursday’s field was split into two races to allow for greater distancing among runners due to COVID-19 concerns.
Bob Brown Cross Country Classic
At Kickers Soccer Complex
Team scores – 1. Liberty High 35; 2. Western Dubuque 87; 3. Solon 97; 4. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 131; 5. Tipton 131; 6. Monticello 180; 7. Regina 207; 8. Marion 209; 9. Clear Creek Amana 228; 10. Prince of Peace 259; 11. Anamosa 319; 12. Wilton 332; 13. Cascade 333; 14. North Cedar 342
Individual leaders – 1. Ashlyn Keeney (ICL) 19:33.61; 2. Cami Mac (ICL) 19:43.41; 3. Alyssa Klein (WD) 20:46.26; 4. Lauren Klein (WD) 20:56.49; 5. Annalee Bartels (ICR) 20:56.53; 6. Lilly Boge (WD) 21:01.7; 7. McKenzie Logan (ICL) 21:12.37; 8. Cori Mac (ICL) 21:13.91; 9. Laura Swart (MV-L) 21:19.97; 10. Emma Althoff (MON) 21:21.29
Liberty High (35) – 1. Ashlyn Keeney 19:33.61; 2. Cami Mac 19:43.41; 7. McKenzie Logan 21:12.37; 8. Cori Mac 21:13.91; 17. Chaise Lange 22:06.35; 22. Malia Taylor 22:28.76; 32. Grace Ceynar 23:22.91
Solon (97) – 15. Kiersten Conway 21:39.3; 18. Emma Bock 22:19.05; 20. Gracie Federspiel 22:24.71; 21. Meghan O’Neill 22:25.7; 23. Anna Quillin 22:36.71; 24. Mary Fiala 22:37.83; 25. Kaia Holtkamp 22:39.46
Regina (207) – 5. Annalee Bartels 20:56.53; 28. Mya Whitaker 22:52.44; 54. Natalie Franklin 24:27.77; 57. Josie Pursley 24:40.64; 63. Josie Voss 25:07.96; 70. Allison Hein 25:26.57; 72. Keira Sickels 25:31.15
Clear Creek Amana (228) – 13. Haidyn Barker 21:33.87; 43. Avery Allan 23:50.72; 53. Allie Kounkel 24:22.65; 58. Kayla Jiras 24:42.14; 61. Alaina Schwitzer 25:00.69; 71. Emily Coleman 25:26.72; 79. Ava Oldman 26:17.55
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