A student-athlete’s impact on a high school sports program is sometimes determined more on what that person does with his time with a team instead of his length of time on the squad. Take Adel-Desoto-Minburn Tigers recent graduate Rylan Heffernan for example. Heffernan transferred to ADM Community Schools as a senior last fall and quickly assumed a vocal leadership role on the Tigers varsity cross country team. Heffernan’s contributions were part of the reason ADM’s boys cross country team qualified for the Iowa State Cross Country meet as a unit last year for the first time since 2006. ADM head cross country coach David Zwank coached Heffernan in cross country and track last school year and was highly complimentary of him. “You can’t think about last year without thinking about Rylan (Heffernan) and the impact he made for our program,” Zwank said, “I’ve never seen one individual come in and so quickly embrace what’s going on, (and) support whats going on. He’s such a positive role model. Probably could talk volumes about him alone.

Heffernan parlayed a good senior running season at ADM into a collegiate opportunity with the Central College men’s track and field team. The Tigers also lost multisport athlete Micah Moyer to graduation and Latvian exchange student Gustav Klavis, who won’t return to America this school year. The 2018 competition season starts on Saturday, September 1, for the ADM Cross Country teams, taking part in the Urbandale Cross Country Invitational.