Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Alex McKane and Andrew Bickford ran around Kicker Soccer Complex in Iowa City stride for stride with one another for 3.1 miles on Tuesday afternoon.

The two friends and Mississippi Valley Conference running rivals crossed the finished line nearly simultaneously and embraced.

Then McKane and Bickford stood side by side looking at pictures on phones trying to determine which of the two had actually won the individual title at the West High Invitational.

“We were looking at the pictures trying to see who crossed first based on which foot we had the chip on,” McKane explained. “He caught me about halfway through the chute and we finished simultaneously. I’m not sure of the outcome honestly.”

Ultimately there was no photo finish.

McKane was disqualified for runners interference after being ruled to have intentionally made contact with Bickford while battling for the finish line.

Officially, Bickford a senior from Cedar Rapids Prairie, won the title comfortably in a time of 16:18.9 finishing nearly 16 seconds in front of teammate Hunter Kalous.

Unofficially, it was West High’s McKane who nipped Bickford at the tape in another incredible duel between two of the state’s top runners.

“Me and Andrew have been going back and forth for the past three races and we always have fun racing together,” McKane said. “That’s what is great about cross country is the camaraderie of it and the bonds that you make with the people from other teams.”

Bickford got the best of McKane in the first meeting between the two, winning the season-opening Cedar Rapids Prairie Invite by seven seconds.

McKane returned the favor a week later, winning the Pleasant Valley Invite and finishing eight seconds in front of Bickford who was third.

The rubber match was the most even race yet between the two.

Bickford and McKane were virtually even for the entire first lap with neither runner leading by more than a stride.

McKane appeared to gain the upper hand when he created the first significant space between the two near the two-mile mark.

“One of the things that our coach preaches is to top out on the hills,” McKane said. “One of those spots here is the two-mile mark so when I got there he said ‘top out and space out from the pack a little bit’ I did that and just ran with it.”
McKane held his lead until Bickford closed hard in the final 400 meters. The finish was as even as you can get.

“He’s pretty inexperienced racing at the front so far so I think next time he won’t leave the door opening behind him but it was some great racing out there from Prairie,” West High coach Josh Kidman said. “They looked great they are a stellar team but I think we showed that we are too.”

The title by Bickford and the runner-up finish from Kalous helped 4A sixth-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie cruise to the team title with 33 points while 3A sixth-ranked Marion was second with 67.

Even with the disqualification to its top runner West High was third with 78 points followed by 3A No. 7 Mount Vernon-Lisbon with 98.

It was the first competition for West High since September 5^th after activities were suspended as the school year opened online.

“Three weeks off that’s about the best that we could do coming back,” Kidman said. “You are always worried about coming back flat after some time off but not at all today. It was the best we could be back after three weeks I think.”

Junior Caden Noeller led West High with an eighth-place finish in a time of 17:22.2 while sophomore Seth Cheney was right on his heels placing ninth in 17:23.

Senior Mohan Kumar was 12^th in 17:40.5 for the Trojans.

“That was the big question we had today was are we going to be alright after three weeks off,” Kidman said. “I think they answered that with a yes.”

In the girls race Regina senior Annalee Bartels placed sixth in a time of 20:09.4 to lead the Regals to a seventh-place team finish with 152 points.

4A No. 12 Cedar Rapids Prairie won the girls team title with 47 points followed No. 10 Dubuque Hempstead with 74 points and ninth-ranked Bettendorf with 109.

Iowa City West Invitational

At Kickers Soccer Complex

Boys Results

Team scores – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 33; 2. Marion 67; 3. West High 73; 4. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 98; 5. North Scott 124; 6. Cedar Rapids Washington 152; 7. Muscatine 161; 8. Clinton 206; 9. Regina 277

Individual leaders – 1. Andrew Bickford (CRP) 16:18.9; 2. Hunter Kalous (CRP) 16:34.7; 3. Shane Erb (MAR) 16:43.1; 4. Ethan Stout (CRW) 16:54.7; 5. Jedidiah Osgood (MAR) 16:58; 6. Owen West (NS) 16:59; 7. Anthony Lee (CRP) 17:11.3; 8. Caden Noeller (ICW) 17:22.2; 9. Seth Cheney (ICW) 17:23; 10. Bryson Canton (CRP) 17:38.8

West High (73) – 8. Caden Noeller 17:22.2; 9. Seth Cheney 17:23; 12. Mohan Kumar 17:40.5; 19. Tosh Klever 18:03.1; 25. Drew Peterson 18:12.5; 34. Asher Overholt 18:35.2; 38. Sebastian Cochran 18:39.9

Regina (277) – 42. Dan Maley 18:48.7; 56. Adam Boblenz 19:43.8; 58. Riordan Smith 20:10.1; 60. Joe Polyak 20:32.7; 61. Nicholas Abusada 20:32.9; 62. Jacob Barnett 21:07.1; 63. Colin Olney 21:25.7

Girls Results

Team scores – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 47; 2. Dubuque Hempstead 74; 3. Bettendorf 109; 4. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 131; 5. North Scott 132; 6. Marion 147; 7. Regina 152; 8. Clinton 185; 9. Muscatine 232; 10. Cedar Rapids Washington 233

Individual leaders – 1. Keelee Leitzen (DH) 19:43.3; 2. Gabby Cortez (CRP) 19:50.3; 3. Camryn Sattler (CLI) 19:55.5; 4. Brooke O’Brien (DH) 20:02.5; 5. Keirra Hess (CRP) 20:06.1; 6. Annalee Bartels (ICR) 20:09.4; 7. Peyton Steffen (MAR) 20:32.4; 8. Lily Johannes (CRP) 20:37.4; 9. Maddison Prier (MAR) 20:42.7; 10. Laura Swart (MV-L) 20:57

Regina (152) – 6. Annalee Bartels 20:09.4; 17. Mya Whitaker 21:37.9; 38. Natalie Franklin 23:00.5; 40. Josie Pursley 23:01.8; 51. Josie Voss 23:48.7; 53. Allison Hein 23:54; 54. Keira Sickels 24:07.3

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