Keeghan Hurley Makes History as Perham Continues Dominance in MSHSL Class A Boys Championships

Keeghan Hurley (91) leads the pack early in the race. Following are:
third place finisher Ian Torchia(911), runner up Shane Streich(773),
20th finisher Nick Golebiowski(851), and Perham teammate
Jayden Cullen(over Hurley's left shoulder)

Perham's Keeghan Hurley went into his final high school cross country State Championships with confidence.  "I woke up this morning with an epiphany," he said.  "I just knew I was going to win."  He also backed up his premonition with a race plan.

He knew the others would want him to lead, hoping that he would spend his energy towing them around the course, so Hurley decided to give them what they wanted, on his terms.  He led, but he didn't go full throttle.  He calibrated his energy so that he felt comfortable, not on the edge or pushing his limits.  He wanted to have something in reserve as he waited for his moment to pounce, but just in case his end of race move didn't separate him from his rivals, he'd planned way ahead.

During the summer he worked on his speed.  Knowing that eventual runner-up Shane Streich of Waseca was a 1:54 half miler, Hurley didn't want to be unprepared if he found himself in a sprint with Streich."(Streich) ran his half fully rested," Hurley said, noting that he didn't have to get as fast as Streich, just be able to maximize whatever speed he had to use at the end of a longer race.  "This is a 5,000, it's all guts."

Streich had a race plan too. "I tried to stay within 20 yards (of Hurley)," he said.  "That way I could use my kick at the end, but he got away going uphill(in the woods in the last mile)." Hurley had planned to pounce on the hill and he accelerated away from Steich and third-place finisher Ian Torchia, then stretched out his advantage on the following downhill and built a nearly 14 second gap between him and Streich at the finish.

It was an emotional ending as Hurley had wanted to replicate his dad, Don Hurley's back to back MSHSL titles from 1976-77 by winning last year.  Instead he finished fifth, which meant a revision in the plan to winning this year, a feat that would make Keeghan and his dad the first father/son MSHSL XC champions. Having accomplished that goal father and son had a tearful meeting near the end of the finish chute, both overcome by their accomplishments.

Keeghan Hurley celebrates as he approaches
the finish line. Photo by Gene Niemi

As an added bonus, Hurley led the Perham team again to a State team title.  And the season isn't finished.  As will Wayzata and other Minnesota teams, Perham will compete in the Nike Cross Regionals next weekend in South Dakota, hoping to earn a spot for the Nike Cross Nationals on December 7, 2013.

Boys Class A results are HERE.