Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Bailey Nock isn’t a defending state champion.

Yes, Nock won the Class 4A individual state title last fall.

And yes, on Saturday she will attempt to become the third runner in West High history to win two individual cross country titles.

But a defending state champion?

Nock says no.

The West High senior isn’t defending anything when the gun sounds at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning to start the 4A girls race at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

“I’m not on the defensive side or trying to defend anything,” Nock said. “Whoever wins state this year isn’t going to take something away from the past runners. It’s a new race every year.”

The ‘new year, new race’ phrase isn’t lip service from Nock.

That has become the mentality for Nock as she looks to cement her status among the best in state history.

“I’ve told Bailey since day one she’s not the defending state champion,” West High coach Mike Parker said. “She doesn’t have to fight anyone off she already owns that she is the pursing, reigning state champion. She is pursing another state title.”

It’s not hard to recognize how Nock adopted her current philosophy.

Following a third-place finish at state as a freshman Nock opened the next season atop the individual rankings.

Parker admitted that pressure weighed on Nock throughout her sophomore season that ended with a disappointing seventh-place state finish.

After winning her first state title last season Nock again entered the season ranked number one this fall.

This time she hasn’t budged from that spot, going unbeaten against in-state competition to enter the state meet the 4A favorite.

Still, Nock has learned from the past.  

“That is written in history now and that’s never going to change but this year no one is going to hand it to me,” Nock said. “This year is a completely new race in a completely new season.”

Nock won the 4A title in 18:06.9 last year, edging Jessica McKee of Johnston by a little more than three seconds.

McKee and younger sister Jessica are among the competitors expected to push Nock on Saturday.  

“It’s another year, I can’t take anything from last year,” Nock said. “I can’t take anything from that race, I don’t get a head start because of last year. It’s more or less just making sure that I stay focused.”

The focus for Nock is closing her brilliant career with a second straight state title.

According to Parker the senior has already left a legacy at West High with her preparation and leadership on a team with four freshman in the varsity lineup.

“We talked to her at the beginning of the year and I said we’ve had a lot of girls that have won, Bailey hopefully will be the seventh time we have won the individual title,” Parker said. “That’s a lot of winning but there are only a few girls that when they leave here they’ve left a legacy and you do that in practice you don’t do that by winning state titles. That’s what young people will read about but they will see is you in practice every day.”

Nock has a chance to make history as the third two-time champion in West High history and the first back-to-back 4A champ since West Des Moines Dowling’s Katie Flood in 2006 and 2007.

She also has her sights set on the all-time 5K record of 17:55 set by McKenzie Yanek of Pleasant Valley in 2015.

“It’s been a goal since last year,’ Nock said. “That’s a huge goal of mind. If everything goes the way that we all want it to I will definitely be going for it.”