Kee cross country freshman Justin Wagner runs best-ever time to finish in top one-third of Class 1A elite at State Cross Country Meet


Top one-third in State Meet debut ... Kee boys cross country freshman Justin Wagner shows his determination as he makes his way down the final stretch of the course to edge out this Clayton Ridge runner at the Class 1A State Cross Country Meet in Fort Dodge Friday, October 28. Wagner finished in the top one-third of the 154-runner race with his 45th-place finish in a personal-best time of 17:37.51. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this webpage.

Kee cross country freshman Justin Wagner brought his inaugural high school season to a close where every high school runner strives to be - competing among the state of Iowa’s best at the State Cross Country Meet held at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course near Fort Dodge Friday, October 28. Proverbially saving his best for last, Wagner ran the best time of his young cross country career to finish among the top one-third of the Class 1A cross country elite in the state of Iowa.

At that season grand finale, Wagner clocked in at his best-ever time of 17:37.51 for a 5K course, finishing 45th among the Class 1A State Meet field of 154 runners and battling a fellow Upper Iowa Conference distance dandy from Clayton Ridge, senior Gavin Moser, who helped the Eagles to a 13th-place team finish in the 16-team Class 1A State Meet field. Wagner edged Moser at the finish line by just over .15 of a second for his 45th-place finish and finished just three-tenths of a second behind the 44th-place runner in front of him.

“It was a great day to compete and Justin did a nice job,” Kee cross country coach Pat Wagner said. “He ran hard, as he typically does. He had a good week of training - more appropriately, a good season of training, and it culminated in his best time of the season. Hopefully this makes him hungry for more, but more importantly, I hope this makes everyone in our program determined to run at the State level.”

The Class 1A individual State Champion was junior Landon Bendgen, who led Woodbine to a third-place team finish with his individual championship time of 15:58.11. This year’s Class 1A team State Champion was Iowa City Regina.

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