John Keester IV (Fleming Island)
The Fleming Island sophomore John Keester IV was not his team's fourth runner but instead one of their top runners despite being an underclassman. Keester was a top 25 finisher in the 3A state race with the 9th fastest sophomore time at the state meet in 16:33 for 24th place.
Keester clocked his personal best in the prior week at the 3A Region 1 Meet with a 16:18 5K performance, which ranked 10th fastest statewide for the season among all sophomores. After running 9:40 for 3200 meters and 4:35 for 1600 meters as a freshman last spring, Keester ran consistently in the mid-16-minute range on various cross country courses all season long.