Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – With almost exactly 300 meters remaining in the Class 4A 3,000 on Thursday Ashlyn Keeney made up her mind to go.

Ankeny senior Lauren McMahon went right along with her.

In the final few meters of an epic state meet showdown it was McMahon that had a little more left in the tank.

McMahon edged Keeney by less than a second to win the 4A title in a time of 9:57.17 while the Liberty High junior was runner-up in 9:58.57.

“I decided to start kicking around 300 and she went with me so I decided to go faster and by the time I got to the 100 I had nothing left,” Keeney said. “I could tell that I was barely moving but that was as fast as I could go.”

The defending 4A 3,000-meter champion, Keeney ran fourth or fifth in the lead pack for the first six laps on Thursday.

With two laps to go McMahon and Keeney separated themselves from the pack.
What ensued the rest of the way was an impressive battle of the two of the best distance runners in the state.

“I thought I ran well,” Keeney said. “That is the best I have run all season by a lot so I am happy with that.”

McMahon led until Keeney surged past her with 300 meters remaining.

Keeney held that lead until the final 10 meters when McMahon pulled even and eventually edged Keeney at the finish line.

No other runner was under 10 minutes with Kaia Downs of Sioux City East finishing third in 10:07.71.

“I was driving my knees as best I could, I knew she was coming and I was literally telling myself I could make it but she passed me.”

The runner-up finish capped an impressive late-season charge in the 3,000 for Keeney who shaved more than 40 seconds of her season-best time over the past three meets.

Keeney entered with the ninth fastest time in 4A this season after running a season-best 10:20.94 while winning the state qualifier last week.

“I think it was just having the girls to run with,” Keeney said. “I was just trying to stay with whoever I could and I think that really helped.”
Liberty High junior Darya Acas earned the first medal of her career with a seventh-place finish in the shot put.

Acas entered seeded 11^th but finished four spots higher with a career-best mark of 120-3.

Class 4A Girls State Track and Field Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Team scores – 1. Waukee 21; 2. Ames 13; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 13; 4. Sioux City East 12; 5. Johnston 11; 5. Dubuque Hempstead 11; 5. Ankeny 11; 8. Norwalk 10; 8. Southeast Polk 10; 8. Liberty High 10; 14. West High 8; 23. City High 1

Individual results (event winners; area competitors)

Discus – 1. Myah Brinker (Cedar Falls) 128-8; 2. Phoebe Burt (West High) 125-4; 7. Darya Acas (Liberty High) 120-3

High jump – 1. Layanna Green (Waukee) 5-7; 7. Alia Vanderhoef (City High) 5-0; 21. Elizabeth Jaeger (Liberty High) 4-8

400 – 1. Claire Farrell (Norwalk) 56.48; 10. Iris Wedemeyer (City High) 1:01.5; 11. Erinn Varga (West High) 1:01.52; 20. Hailey Noel (Liberty High) 1:03.58

3,000 – 1. Lauren McMahon (Ankeny) 9:57.17; 2. Ashlyn Keeney (Liberty High) 9:58.57; 13. Cami Mac (Liberty High) 10:36.16; 17. Maddy Negley (West High) 10:56.08; 21. Rowan Boulter (City High) 11:07.58

4×800 – 1. Southeast Polk 9:21.62; 11. Liberty High (Cori Mac, Hailey Noel, Malia Taylor, McKenzie Logan) 9:46.2; 18. West High (Annie Schwartz, Sara Alaya, Erica Buettner, Gabby Moniza) 9:58.43; 22. City High (Tatum Frazier, CeCe Kelly-Harvey, Lucy Corbin, Eva Reynolds) 9:59.35

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.