Mason County seniors Dashawn Overly and Cece Hiatt have signed with Lindsey Wilson college to continue their academic and athletic careers.
Both Mason County runners have been longstanding members of the Royals’ cross country, indoor and outdoor track programs, helping bring their teams success year after year.
Hiatt got her start with Mason County track and field as a seventh grader, competing in three events in the Royals’ first indoor track meet of the year that season, placing fourth in the middle school girls’ 55 meter dash, with a time of 8.75, tenth in the 400 meter dash, finishing in 1:18.01 and tied for fourth in the long jump, leaping for a distance of 10-7.00.
As she continued to grow and improve, Hiatt continued to compete for Mason County, joining both the cross country and outdoor track teams throughout her time with the program. In her last indoor track meet of last year, she placed 12th in the girls’ varsity 400 meter dash, with a time of 1:11.93, and 13th in the triple jump, with a total distance of 25-00.75.
In her last outdoor track meet of 2024, she finished third in the 400 meter dash, finishing in 1:10.92, and eighth in the discus throw, throwing for a distance of 47-7.
On the cross country course this past season, she finished 150th at the 2024 KHSAA State Cross Country Championships, completing the course in 26:07.35.
Now gearing up to get the 2025 indoor track season started, with outdoor track rapidly approaching, Hiatt is eager to round out her final seasons with the Mason County Lady Royals, and prepare to compete at the collegiate level come this fall.
Overly got his start with the Mason County Royals cross country team as an eighth grader, placing first in the Boys’ 2000 meter run in Mason County’s first cross country meet of 2020. That meet, he complete the course in 8:08.00. The following year, he competed in the 2021 KHSAA State Cross Country Championships, finishing 107th with a final time of 19:12.03.
Upon returning to state the following year, Overly quickly climbed the ranks, placing 75th, with a final time of 18:35.96. That year, he also competed in one event for the Mason County indoor track team, at the 2023 KTCCCA Class AA/AAA Indoor State Championships, running a 4:36.12 in the 2A boys’ 1500 meter dash. At the KHSAA outdoor track state championship, he finished 13th in the 2A boys’ 3200 meter run, finishing in 10:38.90.
As he continued to improve, so did his times, gradually placing higher in each event he participated in.
In last years’ KHSAA state cross country championship, Overly placed 16th with a time of 17:16.94. He also finished fourth in the 2A boys’ 3200 meter run, at the 2A state indoor track championship, with a time of 9:25.55, and seventh in the same event at the 2A outdoor track championships, with a time of 9:53.15.
At the end of this past years’ cross country season, Overly placed a career high at the KHSAA State Cross Country Championships, finishing ninth with a final time of 16:39.45.
As both athletes prepare for their upcoming seasons, both will be eager to close out their careers on a high note. The first indoor track meet for the Mason County Royals is scheduled to be held next Saturday at the Mason County STEAM Academy, with over 30 teams slated to attend. As the season gets underway both Hiatt and Overly, along with each of their teammates will be working hard for a strong finish in each event they participate in.
When they both arrive at Lindsey Wilson next year, the pair of Royals will hope to continue picking up solid finishes to help lead their team to success.
