Taking a Closer Look at the Class 4A State Qualifying Meets
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The cross country postseason is here one day earlier than usual.
State qualifying meets for Class 4A and 3A schools will be held across the state on Wednesday, a day earlier than previously scheduled and past years in a move dictated by COVID-19.
In an effort to accommodate competition and crowds with COVID-19 precautions the state cross country meet was split from a one-day to a two-day event.
Also, state qualifying meets were split into two days beginning with the big school qualifiers on Wednesday.
Classes 1A and 2A will have state qualifying meets on Thursday.
The state meet is set for Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge with Classes 3A and 4A competing on October 30 and Classes 1A and 2A running on October 31.
On Wednesday the fields for the 3A and 4A races will be set.
We take a quick look at the Class 4A state qualifying meets featuring Your Prep Sports area teams.
Class 4A State Qualifier
Girls Race
When: Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Where: Dubuque Soccer Complex
Teams: City High; West High; Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Clinton; Dubuque Hempstead; Dubuque Senior; Western Dubuque; Linn-Mar; Muscatine
Ranked teams: No. 2 Linn-Mar; No. 5 Dubuque Senior; No. 8 Dubuque Hempstead
Ranked Individuals: No. 2 Micah Poellet, Sr., Linn-Mar; 3. Keelee Leitzen, Fr., Dubuque Hempstead; 14. Lillian Schmidt, Sr., Dubuque Senior; No. 16 Lauren Klein, Sr., Western Dubuque; No. 17 Sarah Murphy, Sr., Linn-Mar; No. 18 Alyssa Klein, Fr., Western Dubuque; No. 25. Izzy Gorton, Sr., Dubuque Senior; No. 26 Brooke O’Brien, Soph., Dubuque Hempstead
Team title chase: Dubuque Senior and Linn-Mar each won Mississippi Valley Conference divisional titles last week and along with Dubuque Hempstead are the favorites to battle for the Regional title.
Led by second-ranked senior Micah Poellet Linn-Mar is the favorite but Dubuque Senior and Dubuque Hempstead are both talented enough to make a run at the Lions.
Senior edged Hempstead by seven points at the Valley Divisional meet last week on the same course they will run at on Wednesday.
Athlete to watch: City High junior Rowan Boulter will look for a bounce back performance at the biggest meet of the season.
A two-time state qualifier, Boulter was 23rd at the MVC Mississippi Divisional meet last week but will seek to take a big step forward on Wednesday.
Boulter was 36th at the 2018 state meet as an individual qualifier and was 21st at state last season while helping City High to a ninth-place team finish.
Breakdown: One of the best state qualifiers in the state features a trio of top-eight teams along with perennial powers and state meet regulars City High and West High with only three of those teams advancing to the state meet.
The loaded meet isn’t short on individual talent either. Poellet and third-ranked Dubuque Hempstead Keelee Leitzen highlight a list of eight-ranked runners and should battle for the individual title.
City High was seventh and West High fourth at the MVC Divisional meets last week but neither program should ever be counted out at a state qualifier.
For City High and West High to push for top-three finishes they will look to senior leaders Boulter and Maddy Negley to lead the way.
Boys Race
When: Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.
Where: Dubuque Soccer Complex
Teams: City High; West High; Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Clinton; Dubuque Hempstead; Dubuque Senior; Western Dubuque; Linn-Mar; Muscatine
Ranked teams: No. 2 Dubuque Hempstead; No. 12 City High; No. 14 West High
Ranked Individuals: No. 3 Ryan Winger, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; No. 25 Conner Kilgore, Sr., Dubuque Senior; No. 26 Derek Leicht, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead
Team title chase: Dubuque Hempstead finished in the top three at the state meet each of the last three seasons and appears to once again be a legitimate title contender in Class 4A.
The Mustangs rolled to the MVC Valley Division title last week, finishing 42 points clear of runner-up West High at the same course.
Hempstead is a heavy favorite to capture the team title Wednesday but the real race is for the next two spots in the top three that come with berths to the state meet.
West High and City High appear poised to emerge from a compacted field to claim those next to spots but will have to fend off Dubuque Senior and Cedar Rapids Kennedy.
Athlete to watch: West High junior Caden Noeller stepped up big time last week, finishing sixth at the Valley Division.
Noeller will try to follow up his big-time conference performance with another stellar showing in the biggest race of the season.
Without the serves of normal pack leader Alex McKane last week Noeller ran the best race of his career finishing in a time of 16:34.9 last week.
That confidence should provide a big boost for Noeller on Wednesday as he competes at the same course at the Dubuque Soccer Complex.
Breakdown: There isn’t some of the unfamiliarity that can come in the postseason with seven of the nine teams at Wednesday’s state qualifier from the Mississippi Valley Conference.
Hempstead followed up state runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018 with a third-place finish and is poised to win the team title behind third-ranked senior Ryan Winger who enters as the individual favorite.
West High was runner-up to the Mustangs at the MVC Divisional last week, finishing more than 30 points clear of Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Dubuque Senior.
City High should be in the mix for one of three state tournament berths after placing fourth at the MVC divisional last week.
Class 4A State Qualifier
Girls Race
When: Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Where: Crow Creek Park in Bettendorf
Teams: Liberty High; Bettendorf; Burlington; Davenport Central; Davenport North; Davenport West; North Scott; Pleasant Valley; Cedar Rapids Prairie
Ranked teams: No. 10 Liberty High; No. 13 Cedar Rapids Prairie; No. 15 Pleasant Valley
Ranked Individuals: No. 5 Ashlyn Keeney, Jr., Liberty High; No. 15 Cami Mac, Sr., Liberty High; 19. Gabby Cortez, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; No. 22. Hannah Beintema, Jr., Bettendorf
Team title chase: Liberty High just needs a top-three finish to make school history but the Lightning are fully capable of locking up the first state meet berth in program history with a team title.
The Lightning are coming off a strong showing at the MVC divisional meet last week when it finished runner-up to second-ranked Linn-Mar.
Cedar Rapids Prairie appears to be the top challenger for Liberty High but finished 30 points behind the Lightning at the Mississippi Divisional.
Athlete to watch: Liberty High features one of the top runners in the state in junior Ashlyn Keeney but it is senior Cami Mac that is the leader for the Lightning.
Mac is seeking a strong finish to her career after placing 60th in her state meet debut last season and showed she was set up for late-season success last week.
Mac finished fourth behind a trio of ranked runners at the MVC Divisional meet last week and enters the postseason ranked No. 15.
Breakdown: Liberty High is in a prime position for a historic afternoon on Wednesday.
The main objective for Liberty High is to secure a spot at the state meet for the first time in program history but the Lightning are capable of sweeping the team and individual titles in the process.
Last year’s Class 4A state runner-up Keeney is seeking a third individual district title and is the favorite to emerge from a field with four ranked runners.
Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley appear poised to battle for the final state tournament spots along with Cedar Rapids Prairie.
Boys Race
When: Wednesday, 4 p.m.
Where: Crow Creek Park in Bettendorf
Teams: Liberty High; Bettendorf; Burlington; Davenport Central; Davenport North; Davenport West; North Scott; Pleasant Valley; Cedar Rapids Prairie
Ranked teams:No. 7 Liberty High; No. 8 Cedar Rapids Prairie; No. 11 Pleasant Valley
Ranked Individuals: No. 2 Kole Sommer, Sr., Pleasant Valley; 4. Andrew Bickford, Sr., Cedar Rapids Prairie
Team title chase: Liberty High finished three points in front of Cedar Rapids Prairie for the runner-up spot at the Mississippi Divisional meet last week.
Expect a similarly tight race between the MVC rivals for the team title at the district qualifier.
There isn’t much separating Liberty High and Cedar Rapids Prairie this season with both teams featuring front of the pack talent and depth throughout the lineup.
Another razor thin margin should be in store Wednesday with perennial power Pleasant Valley lurking if either team has an off day.
Athlete to watch: On any given day just any runner on the Liberty High roster can lead the Lightning pack.
That’s the beauty of this year’s Liberty High team that has coined the phrase “Bolt Pack” for its tightly grouped varsity squad.
Junior Christian Montover is the latest Liberty High runner to move to the front of the pack, placing seventh at the MVC Divisional meet last week and should be in for another strong performance on Wednesday.
Breakdown: Liberty High made history last season advancing to the state meet for the first time and posting a top-10 finish in its debut.
The Lightning enter the postseason a deeper, stronger and more talented team than a year ago with their sights set on improving on its historic postseason from a year ago.
One area where Liberty High is much better off this postseason? Experience.
Seniors Jack Kinzer, Caleb Schillinger and Bowen Gryp were all part of last year’s state meet squad along with Montover.
This state qualifier should feature one of the best individual races in the state with second-ranked Kole Sommer of Pleasant Valley and fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie senior Andrew Bickford set to battle for the individual crown.
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