Heartland Classic: Results - Photos - Videos
AMES, IA- The Johnston girls' cross country team proved to have depth and power at the Roosevelt Heartland Classic in Ames, IA on Saturday September 17th. With Jessica McKee's 2nd place finish and the rest of the 5 scorers finishing in the top 15, Johnston proved they're depth is a force to be reckoned with. Finishing in 1st with a team score of just 38 points, a strong 66 points ahead of the next Iowan finisher (Iowa City West), no one can doubt that Johnston should be fighting for the state title later this season.
After their victory, Coach Pat Hennes had only words of praise for the Lady Dragons. When asked about this race and looking into next weekend's Roy Griak Invitational, Hennes informed us that the Lady Dragons will "be without 2 of our top 5 at Griak next week, so we wanted to put together our best showing at the Heartland Classic." With two freshmen and a rookie sophomore in their top 5, it is clear that the Johnston girls will continue to be a strong force in Iowa. Senior Emily Poss also finished in the top 5 as veteran leadership for the young squad.
Brooke McKee, the stand-out freshman and younger sister to Jessica McKee, placed easily in the top 10, and will certainly be a key player for the Johnston girls during the championship season. Just behind her in 11th was Paige Horner, another stand-out freshman. Josie Hovey, a sophomore newcomer and state-level diver in Iowa, won the varsity race at the Valley of West Des Moines earlier in the week to earn a varsity spot for the Heartland Classic, which led her to a 14th place finish. Following Hennes's coaching philosophy, "to be healthy, happy & hungry for success," this team will certainly remain in the battle for state titles in the future.
Catch the Johnston Lady Dragons at the Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday September 24th, 2016 in St. Paul, Minnesota.