Your Prep Sports

Last season Liberty High made history at the state qualifying meet securing its first ever trip to the state cross country meet.

The Lightning are headed back to Fort Dodge this fall with the hopes of another historic postseason performance.

Liberty High locked up its second consecutive state tournament trip on Wednesday with a runner-up finish at the Class 4A state qualifier at Crow Creek Park in Bettendorf.

Eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids won the team title with 35 points followed by seventh-ranked Liberty High with 51 and No. 11 Pleasant Valley with 52.

Liberty High had five runners in the top 14 led by senior Bowen Gryp who placed seventh in a time of 16:48.

Freshman Aidan Decker was eighth in 16:48 followed by senior Jack Kinzer in 10^th with 16:55.

Caleb Schillinger finished 12^th in 16:59 and Christian Montover placed 14^th in 17:00.

Pleasant Valley senior Kole Sommer won the individual title in a time of 16:07 while Cedar Rapids Prairie senior Andrew Bickford was runner-up in 16:22.

Class 4A State Qualifier

At Crow Creek Park in Bettendorf

Team scores – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 35; 2. Liberty High 51; 3. Pleasant Valley 52; 4. Bettendorf 107; 5. North Scott 128; 6. Davenport Central 194; 7. Davenport North 219; 8. Burlington 224; 9. Davenport West 242

Individual leaders – 1. Kole Sommer (PV) 16:07; 2. Andrew Bickford (CRP) 16:22; 3. Tarun Vedula (PV) 16:35; 4. Hunter Kalous (CRP) 16:36; 5. Anthony Lee (CRP) 16:37; 6. Luke Knepp (PV) 16:41; 7. Bowen Gryp (ICL) 16:48; 8. Aidan Decker (ICL) 16:48; 9. Nick Moore (BET) 16:53; 10. Jack Kinzer (ICL) 16:55; 11. Bryson Canton (CRP) 16:56; 12. Caleb Schillinger (ICL) 16:59; 13. Ty Costigan (CRP) 17:00; 14. Christian Montover (ICL) 17:00; 15. Owen West (NS) 17:00

Liberty High (51) – 7. Bowen Gryp 16:48; 8. Aidan Decker 16:48; 10. Jack Kinzer 16:55; 12. Caleb Schillinger 16:59; 14. Christian Montover 17:00; 16. Gavin Keeney 17:16; 18. Jordan Robinson 17:23

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