Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Ashlyn Keeney narrowly missed out on state title in the 3,000 on Thursday.

The Liberty High standout more than made up for it by doubling up on Saturday.

Keeney pushed her career title total to four with wins in the 800 and 1,500 on the final day of the Class 4A state meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

“I have just been trusting my coaches, trusting the process, there have been a lot of downs but this I’ve been waiting for this for the past year or so,” Keeney said. “I think using everything that went wrong in the past to fuel me in practice has really helped.”

A two-time state champ as a freshman, Keeney won titles in the 3,000 and 1,500 in her state meet debut in 2019.

In her return to the state meet Keeney just missed adding to her gold medal count on Thursday when she was nipped at the finish line in the 3,000 by Ankeny senior Lauren McMahon.

Keeney avenged Thursday’s near miss by claiming a pair of crowns in impressive fashion on Saturday.

She sprinted away from the field to win the 800 under sunny skies and less than two hours later broke away from a tight pack to take the 1,500 in an absolute downpour.

Beforehand we said, ‘let’s just have fun today, when we are done, we can go jump in the puddles’,” Keeney said. “It was really great for us to all come together.”

Keeney started her big day by adding the 800 to her list of career state titles.

Keeney led after the opening lap and sped away from the field over the final 350 meters to win in 2:11.57.

“Winning that was a little surprising,” Keeney said. “There are so many good mid-distance girls this year that it was anybody’s race.”

The 800 runner-up in 2019, Keeney entered with the fifth fastest time in 4A this season but took more than six seconds off that time on Saturday while finishing better than a second in front of runner-up Kaia Downs of Sioux City East.

“I was hoping to have a shot to win it but I didn’t think I was going to run that time,” Keeney said. “Of course, I was open to the possibility and hopefully but when I crossed the line and saw the time I did not expect that.”

Keeney completed her daily double with a win in the 1,500 which was run entirely in a downpour.

“I could not see,” Keeney said. “I wear contacts so I decided to take off my glasses thinking the speckles of rain drops would make it hard but the water was getting on my contacts.

Keeney entered with the top time in 4:39.24 and slogged her way to her second consecutive 1,500 title in 4:41.3.

Dubuque Hempstead freshman Keelee Leitzen was runner-up in 4:43.18 and Downs was third in 4:45.18 with Keeney pulling away in the final 300 meters.

“I heard lots of splashing on my right and I knew somebody was about to come around,” Keeney said. “I didn’t want them to come around me, get boxed in and then have to go around again so I just decided to go for it.”

Keeney ran behind McMahon and Linn-Mar senior Micah Poellet for most of the first three laps before making her move.

Just as she did in the 3,000 Keeney made a break with 300 meters left.

This time the late surge ended in a title.

“It was right at about the 300 meters so I was a little bit scared that the same thing would happen that happened in the 3,000 but it worked out,” Keeney said. “I was happy with it.”

Class 4A Girls State Track and Field Meet

At Drake Stadium in Des Moines

Team scores – 1. Waukee 96; 2. Pleasant Valley 57; 3. Ames 52; 4. Ankeny 40; 4. Cedar Falls 40; 6. Cedar Rapids Prairie 38; 7. Liberty High 35; 8. Sioux City East 33; 9. Sioux City West 29; 9. Norwalk 29; 15. City High 21; 23. West High 8

Individual results (event winners; area competitors)

100 – 1. Holly Duax (Sioux City West) 12.12

200 – 1. Holly Duax (Sioux City West) 24.59

800 – 1. Ashlyn Keeney (Liberty High) 2:12.7; 13. Cori Mac (Liberty High) 2:21.54

1,500 – 1. Ashlyn Keeney (Liberty High) 4:41.3; 18. Cami Mac (Liberty High) 4:59.14

100 hurdles – 1. Mackenzie Carner (Waukee) 14.54

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. Waukee 1:00.75; 3. City High (Sierra Pruessner, Maya Morales, Mia DePrenger, Jordan Sekafetz) 1:05.47

Sprint medley relay – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 1:46.65; 19. City High (Sierra Pruessner, Jordan Sekafetz, Ava Bell, Lillian Reynolds) 1:53.91

4×100 relay – 1. Pleasant Valley 49.91

4×400 relay – 1. Ames 3:54.72; 2. City High (CeCe Kelly-Harvey, Mia DePrenger, Iris Wedemeyer, Lillian Reynolds) 3:56.76

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