Huskies preparing for season with creativity

In running, having a person to run with, tends to make the journey easier. This season, Highland cross-country head coach Angie Strobel has had to be a little creative.

Huskie senior Keiffer Sexton finished eighth in the state cross-country meet a season ago, but lost running partner Evan Mahler (fourth in the Class 1A state meet) due to graduation. With the loss, Strobel has picked up some wheels to help push Sexton.

Strobel hopped on a bike to help push her senior runner, and so far, the results are good.

?I was brainstorming ways to make up for the fact that Evan wasn?t going to be here and that was what was always pushing Keiffer and so I didn?t know how I was going to make that happen this year,? Strobel said. ?It wasn?t going to be with my own body, so it had to be something else.?

With Mahler gone, Sexton said things won?t change too much for him this year.

?I don?t know if it will be too much different, because I?ll still try my hardest,? Sexton said. ?Sometimes, Evan was better than me, so I was running by myself. Now, I?m running with the bike and Ms.

Strobel.?

Sexton has his eyes set on making another trip to state, but said his focus is on catching people, not necessarily lowering his time.

?I don?t like to think (of my past accomplishments) as success,? Sexton said. ?You can always get better. I looked at my times in 1A, and I got a 16:55 at state, and I would have been 61st in 4A. That?s 60 people I could be better than. I?ve told myself that you don?t need to worry about the clock until you obtain first place. That?s when the clock comes in.?

The Huskies are hoping to have a strong team behind Sexton on the boys? side, with Strobel saying that if they all achieve their goals, they might have a shot at state as a team.

?They are all going to make improvements from last year,? Strobel said. ?Nic Rath has really made improvements, because he swam for Iowa City West team, and that put a lot more muscle on him. Everyone who is back has worked a lot harder than in the past.?

On the girls? side of the team, there will only be two Huskies competing, with sophomore Zoe Mahler entering her second season and senior Cheyann Adamson joining the team in her final year at Highland.

?I only have two girls, but Zoe Mahler was in the top 20 of the district meet,? Strobel said. ?She?s looking to make it to state, now that they?ve increased it to 15 (qualifiers). It?s in our sights. Then, Cheyann Adamson, who is a softball star, is coming out, and is a tough girl and it?s her first go at it. Her goal is just to improve every time.?

Highland will open its season at Iowa Mennonite on Sept. 1, when IMS hosts its Early Bird meet.