Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – It has been a rough start to the season for Liberty High sophomore standout Ashlyn Keeney though you would hardly be able to tell from her results.

Keeney has won back-to-back races with relative ease to open the season claiming titles at the Trojan Early Bird Invite and Bob Brown Classic.

It is everything that Keeney has dealt with leading up to her first two meets of the season that has made it a frustrating and sometimes frightening start to the season.

“It’s been frustrating and kind of scary,” Keeney said. “I’m just happy to be back running right now.

It all started this summer when a serious eye infection threatened to sideline Keeney for her entire sophomore season.

At one moment doctors were concerned the ailment could cost Keeney her vision and possibly her eye.

“I had to take a couple of weeks off because there were some pretty bad possibilities from it,” Keeney said. “It was pretty serious.”

Keeney sat out for two weeks. Two weeks of no training at all for the always active Keeney.

Even when she was cleared for activity Keeney wasn’t able to jump back into her normal training routine.

“I was completely out, no running at all for two weeks because they thought I wouldn’t run the whole season,” Keeney said. “They said I could start running again so then for another couple of weeks I was training but doing a lot less than I normally do.”

Despite missing months of training Keeney returned in time to win the individual title at the season-opening Trojan Early Bird Invite at Ashton Cross Country Course in a time of 18:45.

Just when Keeney felt like she was back on track another set back hit.

On the Sunday following her first race of the season Keeney, who requires a gluten-free diet due to celiac disease, went out to eat and received cross-contaminated food.

The reaction to the gluten sidelined Keeney for another several days.

“It’s really frustrating,” Keeney said. “Everyone helps to remind me it’s just the beginning of the season and I’ll come back. I have to trust that I am doing the best thing for me right now by not pushing myself too much when I am sick or injured.”

Again, Keeney came back in time to post a win this time at the Bob Brown Cross Country Classic at Kickers Soccer Park in Iowa City.

Keeney won the individual title in 18:50.35, more than 90 seconds faster than teammate Cami Mac who finished runner-up.

“It’s been one thing after another and she just can’t catch a break but today she looked like she’s back,” Liberty High coach Tonya McDonough of the Bob Brown win. “Today I felt like we rounded that corner. She ran better than she has at meets and at practice and she looked today to me like Ashlyn is back.”

The Bob Brown title was extra special for Keeney as it helped the Lightning earn the first team Invitational title in program history.

Liberty High had the top three individual finishers as McKenzie Logan was third behind Keeney and Mac as the Lightning won the team crown with 48 points.

“Everyone is working hard and getting a lot faster,” Keeney said. “We all just build each other up and we’ve made a lot of goals for this season so hopefully we will reach them all.”

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