Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Adam Gray is rounding back into winning form

CEDAR RAPIDS — Adam Gray knows his mileage limit.

“Once I hit 45 (miles per week), that could be trouble,” he said. “I’ve been sticking around 38-42, just to make sure I don’t make anything worse.”

Gray has found his training sweet spot. And Thursday’s outcome was both satisfying and gratifying.

A senior at Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Gray captured the boys’ individual title at the Eastern Iowa Classic cross country meet at Seminole Valley Park.

“I’m just excited,” he said after his 15-minute, 18-second effort edged Linn-Mar’s Ethan Cheney by a second. “I’m ready to keep going.”

A two-time podium guy at the state meet (he placed sixth in Class 4A as a sophomore, 12th as a junior), Gray was beset by stress-fracture issues last spring.

His last track meet was April 12. He set personal bests in both the 3,200- and 1,600-meter races that day, then a few days later he got the diagnosis.

“I didn’t start running again until mid-June,” he said. “I’ve been getting back into it, and today it finally clicked.

“I took it out a little slow. Two weeks ago, I kind of (faded late in the race). Today, I put in a little surge at Mile 2. I kept rolling and didn’t stop.”

Cheney was clocked in 18:19; Kennedy’s Slader Buckheister was third in 15:38.

“Slader and I push each other every day,” Gray said. “We laugh a lot on long runs, it’s a good time throwing acorns at each other or whatever.”

After the top four individuals, it was an Iowa City High parade. The Little Hawks had seven runners from fifth to 13th and won the team race with 39 points. Kennedy was second with 48.

  Buy Photo

Linn-Mar dominated the girls’ race. Led by individual champ Hailey Kozloski, the Lions ran 1-4-5-7-10 and posted an impressive 24-point tally.

Kozloski, a junior, took control midway through the race and won in 18:29, building a winning margin of 58 seconds.

“I was hoping for a PR, and I got it,” she said. “I just wanted to be proud of myself after the race.”

Marion’s Addison Dabroski was third. Linn-Mar’s Anna Temple and Marion Spolaore were fourth and fifth and ran sub-20.

Girls Results

TEAMS

1. Linn-Mar 23, 2. Iowa City West 69, 3. Center Point-Urbana 71, 4. Marion 88, 5. C.R. Kennedy 134, 6. C.R. Washington 145, 7. Iowa City Regina 164.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Hailey Kozloski (Linn-Mar), 18:29; 2. Abbi Waskow (Dunkerton), 19:27; 3. Addison Dabroski (Marion), 19:47; 4. Anna Temple (Linn-Mar), 19:55; 5. Marion Spolaore (Linn-Mar), 19:58; 6. Adrienne Hodge (ICW), 20:05; 7. Addie Domer (Linn-Mar), 20:06; 8. Aaliyah Causey (CPU), 20:07; 9. Emerson Dabroski (Marion), 20:18; 10. Myrna Harper (Linn-Mar), 20:41.

Boys Results

TEAMS

1. Iowa City High 39, 2. C.R. Kennedy 48, 3. Iowa City West 68, 4. Linn-Mar 73, 5. Iowa City Regina 181, 6. Marion 196, 7. C.R. Washington 197, 8. Center Point-Urbana 206.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Adam Gray (Kennedy), 15:18; 2. Ethan Cheney (Linn-Mar), 15:19; 3. Slader Buckheister (Kennedy), 15:38; 4. Michael Hanna (City), 15:57; 5. Linus McRoberts (City), 16:00; 6. Max McDowell (City), 16:01; 7. Lincoln McMahan (Kennedy), 16:02; 8. Jarris Prottsman (City), 16:03; 9. Emmett Palmberg (City), 16:05; 10. Jake Weiler (ICW), 16:05.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com