At KCII, we’re continuing to count down the top 10 sports stories at Washington High School in the 2023-2024 academic year. At number six is the final year in the record-setting high school career of distance runner Micah Rees.

A multiple-time state qualifier in both cross country and track & field, Rees made the most of his last seasons before heading to the University of Northern Iowa.

In cross country, Rees ended his brilliant time at Washington by finishing fourth in the state in Class 3A, running a time of 15 47.9 seconds at the state meet in Fort Dodge in October.

The fourth-place finish at state wrapped up a season where Rees finished top five in every race that he ran and concluded a two-year run of earning a medal in every cross country race he competed in.

Rees set the school record for fastest cross country time on five different occasions this past fall on his way to a second straight state medal. He was the individual runner-up at state qualifying and won a Southeast Conference championship.

Rees’ success was part of an overall brilliant season for Demon boys’ cross country, as the team won a third consecutive conference title and used a second-place finish as a team at districts to make it to state for just the second time ever.

But Rees was just getting warmed up ahead of track season. In the spring, the senior won district championships in the 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs to get back to state in both events, part of a season where he won eight events and finished in the top five 12 times.

Three of those victories came at this year’s Southeast Conference Championships, where Washington edged out Fort Madison to win the team title for a fourth straight year, as Rees was king of the conference in the mile, the two-mile and the 800 meters. Rees also helped the Demons reach state in the 4-by-800-meters and the distance medley relay.

Be listening next week as the countdown of KCII’s Top 10 Washington Sports Stories from the last year continues, and find the stories as their spot on the countdown is revealed at KCIIradio.com.