Perspective: Over 100 Kids Run Joe Keany Mile

Editors Note: The following piece was written by nine-year old David Miekley, a participant in the 15th annual Joe Keany Memorial Run.

By David Miekley

More than 100 runners, ages 12 and under, participated in the one-mile run on June 5. The participants ran from the to and back to help raise money for the 15th annual event in honor of Keany, who was a 1986 Miller Place graduate.

The first, second and third place winners were: Robby Williams, 10, 6:08 time; Timmy Hirdt, nine, 6:19 time; and me, David Miekley, nine, 6:35 time. Danelle Rose, nine, was the first girl to finish and took fourth place overall with a 6:50 time.

Most of the kids who were interviewed at the event were running in the Joe Keany for the first time and were running just for fun. The two winners, Williams and Hirdt, said they had run in the event before and, for them, it was all about the competition, each wanting to beat their last year's time and each other.

None of the participants interviewed suffered from the heat or felt sick after the race. When Rose was asked what the race meant to her, she said she felt proud of herself for doing as well as she did.

All of the runners received free t-shirts, ribbons and sherbet. The top ten boys and girls also received ice cream gift certificates from McNulty's and medals. In High School Keany was really good in cross-country and track. He was a member of the 1984 County Championship Cross-Country Team and still holds the record for the fifth best time for a Miller Place runner on the Sunken Meadow Course.

Joe was also the Miller Place record holder at 3,200 meters, as well as a member of two record holding relay teams. He received All County honors in Cross-Country and All Conference honors in Track. The Memorial Run raises money toward a scholarship for deserving Miller Place scholar athletes.