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Highland's Keach Sets Bar High

Highland’s Keach Sets Bar High

Highland Community College sophomore cross country runner David Keach had a successful season this year, a season that was in doubt as he concluded his freshman season.  Keach is the first Divison I All-Region Cross Country runner in College history and also the first cross country All-Conference runner at Highland since 2001.

A 2008 graduate of Neodesha High School, Keach attended Southwestern College in Winfield.  He went for a semester, at which time he found his father, with whom Keach had had no relationship.  His father was in Michigan, so Keach decided to transfer and move to the town where his father lived.  That didn't go very well for Keach, so he decided to come back to Kansas.  Shortly thereafter, he had a gall bladder problem, and had the surgery.  He then attended Neosho Community College in Chanute.  There he had a gall bladder problem again, which put him back in the hospital and took him out of running for a longer amount of time.  Under the care of his mother following his hospital stay, he was able to finish his courses online. 

At this point, and with the number of schools he had attended, there were not many schools that were willing to take the chance on him if his running comeback didn't work.  It was here that Highland entered the picture a year ago.  Having some familiarity with the Highland program under Coach Chad Clevenger, Keach called Clevenger and applied on the 22nd of November in hopes of making a running comeback.  He started taking classes in January at Highland, and was able to start running, but broke a bone in his foot, which set him back again.  He finally was able to run near the end of the outdoor track season for Highland.  Keach then worked hard during the summer and came into the first cross country practice in great shape, which resulted in his great season.  On top of his running accomplishments, Clevenger is equally proud of Keach getting strong grades this semester, with the chance that Keach may become an Academic All-American.

Clevenger relates that one of the best things that Keach has said to him, and continues to tell recruits, is that coming to Highland is the best decision he has ever made, relating how Highland has become a "home" to him.

Keach capped his community college cross country career by coming within a second of the time necessary to become an All-American at the National Meet.  Perhaps he will get that honor on the academic side when he gets his grades for this semester.  Regardless, Clevenger counts Keach as a success story and a very real winner in his book.

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