Crowning of junior Haley Meyer as Class 1A State Champion highlights 2020 Kee cross country season

The 2020 Kee cross country experienced the spectrum of emotions from start to finish this past fall. Beginning with the fear of the unknown as to whether there would even be a season due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has had the entire globe in its grip since the first couple months of the year 2020, the Hawks had their fall campaign end at every team’s ultimate destination and also experienced the thrill of laying claim to one this season’s ultimate prizes when junior Haley Meyer ran to her Class 1A State Championship.

Facing that cloud of the unknown, the Hawks still prepared for this season as best they could and persevered through the continuing uncertainty of whether or not COVID-19 would impact their season at all, as it did for many teams and individuals. The perseverance with which they faced that uncertainty ultimately led to both the Kee girls and boys cross country programs being represented at the Class 1A season grand finale in Fort Dodge for the second consecutive season.

“The 2020 cross country season was an enjoyable season,” Kee girls and boys cross country coach Pat Wagner shared. “The specter of COVID-19 hung over us all fall but really had no effect on the Kee High program. We were lucky, not only did we avoid the coronavirus, but we also had relatively few injuries. It was really a season of growth and maturity. All runners came into the season with high, yet realistic and attainable goals and made the effort to reach those goals. That is what made it the season what it was - our student athletes made good effort and had a strong approach to their sport all season long.  We had a good group of people who took their sport seriously and did the best they could to represent their school with class.”

Representing not only the best of her school, but the best of all schools in Class 1A, Meyer left little doubt she was prepared to rein atop this season’s Class 1A field. Winning every race she competed in this season, with the exception of two finishes behind a pair of Class 3A All-State runners, Meyer took that winning trend all the way to her first-ever individual championships at the Upper Iowa Conference Meet, Kee’s Class 1A State Qualifying Meet and the Class 1A season grand finale State Meet.

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