Half of 2017 Kee girls track team brings letterwinning experience, two as State qualifiers
2017 Kee girls track team ... Left to right - Front row: Kristina Dibert, Annabelle Dibert, Rachel Walleser, Jenna Rethwisch, Elena Rolfs, Nicki Wood, McKenzie Hawes. Middle row: Makayla Walleser, Brenna Smith, Jordyn Burroughs, Sydney Strong, Laura Colsch, Makayla Peters, Neve Goetzinger. Back row: Lacey Mitchell, Heather Mooney, Katie Brennan, Kendra Cooper, Chloe Severson. Not pictured: Courtney Cooper, Ashley Schwartzhoff. Photo by Kee High School Yearbook.
The Kee girls track team will field 21 members for the 2017 season, with just over half of this year’s squad returning with letterwinning experience. Within that returning veteran experience lies an even greater benefit for the Lady Hawks with a pair of those veterans bringing back with them experience from every high school competitor’s ultimate destination, the State Meet.
This season’s 12 returning letterwinners are headlined by the senior trio of Jordyn Burroughs, Courtney Cooper and Sydney Strong at the top of that veteran experience chain. Juniors Kendra Cooper, Annabelle Dibert, Ashley Schwartzhoff, Chloe Severson and Nicki Wood also all return with multiple seasons of letterwinning experience, with sophomores Katie Brennan, Neve Goetzinger, Heather Mooney and Makayla Walleser each coming back with experience from their inaugural varsity season last spring.
“I look for them to set good examples of what is expected at practice and meets,” Kee girls track coach Chad Winters said of his returning veterans. “The leadership they will provide for the others will be a big benefit during the season.”
The Lady Hawks were scheduled to get their season underway Monday, March 20 at the Upper Iowa Conference Indoor Meet at Luther College in Decorah. The Kee ladies will then prepare for their first outdoor meet of the season scheduled for March 30 at West Delaware in Manchester.
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