Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

West High

Coach: Mike Parker (26^th season)

Assistant coaches: Peggy McGuire

Last season: 4^th at MVC Valley Division Meet

Returning letterwinners: Sara Alaya, Sr.; Gabby Moniza, Soph.; Erinn Varga, Soph.

Returners to watch: Annie Schwartz, Jr.; Cindy Wang, Soph.

Headliner: Senior Sara Alaya is a third-year varsity runner who is poised for her best season yet after placing 19^th at the MVC Valley divisional meet and 36^th at the 4A state qualifier last season.

Keep an eye on: An individual stater qualifier in 2019, junior Annie Schwartz should provide a massive boost in her return to the West High lineup. Schwartz placed 47^th at the 4A state meet in a time of 19:47.1 as a freshman.

Ready for a breakthrough: Sophomore Gabby Moniza earned all-conference honors as a freshman placing 29^th at the MVC Valley Divisional meet and added a 37^th place finish at the 4A state qualifier.

Breakdown: In very un-West High like fashion the Trojans have been on the outside looking in at the Class 4A state meet the last two seasons.

Long-time West High coach Mike Parker believes that will change in 2021 as the Trojans return a strong group of young but talented runners.

Alaya, Moniza and sophomore Erinn Varga all return after solid seasons last year and the addition of Schwartz back into the lineup will be a major boost.

Parker has also been impressive with the improvement of sophomore Cindy Wang which provides a strong top five for a West High team ranked No. 20 in 4A to open the season.

City High

Coaches: Ryan and Lynn Ahlers (5^th season)

Assistant coaches: Jessica Hodge, Christian Welu-Reynolds, Monica Mims, Hanna Collins

Last season: 7^th at MVC Mississippi divisional meet

Returning letterwinners: Rowan Boulter, Sr.; Iris Wedemeyer, Jr.; Erin Anderson, Jr.; Tatum Frazier, Sr.; Lucy Corbin, Sr., Avery Schultes, Jr. Eva Reynolds, Jr. Sydney Wilkes, Jr.

Newcomers to watch: Ani Wedemyer, Fr.; Nina Kuhlman, Fr.; Sierra Pruessner, Soph.

Headliner: Senior Rowan Boulter is already a three-time state qualifier with three top-50 finishes at the state meet after placing 48^th at the 4A meet last season as an individual qualifier.

Keep an eye on: Junior Iris Wedemeyer came on strong down the stretch as a sophomore climbing from 36 at the MVC divisional meet to 17^th at the 3A state qualifier and narrowly missing a spot at the state meet as an individual qualifier.

Ready for a breakthrough: Senior Lucy Corbin has been through the City High program for three years and is ready to take a big step forward as a senior after placing 34^th at the MVC divisional meet and 29^th at the state qualifier as a junior.

Breakdown: City High failed to qualify for the state tournament as a team last season but should be right back in the mix for a trip to Fort Dodge this fall.

Led by Boulter six of the seven runners that competed for the Little Hawks at the state qualifying meet a year ago return this season.

Wedemeyer and Corbin join senior Tatum Frazier and junior Avery Schultes in a pack of runners that gained valuable varsity experience last season while juniors Erin Anderson, Eva Reynolds and Sydney Wilkes also return and give the Little Hawks an impressive mix of depth in the varsity lineup.

Liberty High

Coach: Tonya McDonough (5^th season)

Last season: 2^nd at MVC Mississippi divisional meet

Returning letterwinners: Ashlyn Keeney, Sr.; Cori Mac, Soph.; Malia Taylor, Jr.; Grace Ceynar, Sr.

Newcomers to watch: Brie Klein, Sr.

Headliner: One of the top distance runners in the state senior Ashlyn Keeney is seeking to finish a brilliant cross country career on a high note. A three-time state qualifier and two-time medalist was runner-up in 4A in 2019 and finished ninth at the state meet last season.

Keep an eye on: Sophomore Cori Mac was one of three individual state qualifiers for the Lightning last season and will look to use the experience gained from her 59^th place finish at the 4A state meet to make a big jump this season.

Ready for a breakthrough: Senior Grace Ceynar will look to step up to help fill in the holes in the lineup created by the graduation of some key seniors. Ceynar was 30^th at the 4A state qualifier and 43^rd at the MVC divisional meet last season.

Breakdown: Liberty High just missed qualifying for the Class 4A state meet as a team for the second consecutive season last fall finishing a single point behind third-place Bettendorf at the 4A state qualifier.

The Lightning did send three individuals to the state meet and two of them return to lead the Liberty High lineup this season in Keeney and Mac.

Keeney has one of the best resumes of any distance runner in the state and is poised for a strong sendoff season while Mac showed immense potential last season.

Look for Ceynar and experienced junior Malia Taylor to make major strides this season.

Clear Creek Amana

Coach: Ben Robison (7^th season)

Assistant coaches: Jim White, Paige O’Brien, Megan Miller

Last season: 7^th at WAMAC Conference meet

Returning letterwinners: Haidyn Barker, Jr.; Allie Kounkel, Sr.; Megahan Cullen, Sr.; Avery Allan, Soph.; Eva Plathe, Soph.

Newcomers to watch: Kira Barker, Fr.; Olivia Stopko, Fr.; Ella Chatham, Fr.; Kalin Rotzoll, Sr.

Headliner: Among one of the top returning runners in the WAMAC conference and all of Class 3A Junior Haidyn Barker is a two-time state qualifier that finished runner-up at the WAMAC super meet and 33^rd at the 3A state meet as a sophomore.

Keep an eye on: Sophomore Avery Allan showed signs of potential during a solid freshman season in which she placed 28^th at the WAMAC Conference meet and 33^rd at the state qualifier.

Ready for a breakthrough: Another sophomore that got a taste of varsity cross country last season Eva Plathe should make big improvements from last fall when she placed 51^st at the WAMAC meet and 53^rd at the 3A state qualifier.

Breakdown: Roster numbers are way up on the girls side in year two of Ben Robison’s tenure of leading the joint boys and girls program at Clear Creek Amana and the veteran coach expects a nice jump in performance to follow.

The Clippers return a standout in Barker and a couple of solid sophomores in Plathe and Allan along with seniors Allie Kounkel and Megahan Cullen who both have varsity experience.

Robison is bullish on a group of newcomers as well that could help push the Clippers into contention for a top-five spot at the WAMAC Conference meet.

Solon

Coach: Emy Williams (20^th season)

Assistant coaches: Michelle Lyons, Brian Fitzpatrick, Emily Moser, Zanetta Hoehle

Last season: 5^th at Class 3A state meet

Returning letterwinners: Emma Bock, Sr.; Meghan O’Neill, Sr.; Kaia Holtkamp, Sr.; Annika Kruse, Sr.; Mara Duster, Jr.; Mary Fiala, Jr.; Kerrigan Lyons, Jr.; Mia Duckett, Soph.; Gracie Federspiel, Soph.; Anna Quillin, Soph.; Ashlyn Williams, Soph.

Headliner: The Solon roster is once again loaded with experience talent but three-time state qualifying senior Emma Bock is the leader of the group. A three-time WAMAC conference meet medalist Bock has placed in the top-60 at state twice in her career.

Keep an eye on: The top returning Solon finisher at the 3A state meet last season junior Mary Fiala placed 45^th at the 3A state meet last season after finishing 54^th at state as a freshman.

Ready for a breakthrough: Sophomore Anna Quillin stepped into the Solon lineup and was steady as a freshman placing 17^th at the WAMAC meet, 16^th at the state qualifier and 49^th at the 3A state meet and should see a big jump in year two.

Breakdown: In its third consecutive appearance at the state meet Solon finished fifth in Class 3A and is poised to build on the success with its roster returning nearly intact in 2021.

Senior leader and number one runner Kiersten Conway is gone but the Spartans return all six of their 2020 state meet runners behind Conway, three of which were freshman a year ago.

Fiala, Bock and Quillin all return along with sophomores Ashlyn Williams and Gracie Federspiel and senior Meghan O’Neill.

The Spartans were among the deepest teams in 3A last season and should once again have strong competition for the top seven spots with seniors Kaia Holtkamp and Annika Kruse and juniors Mara Duster and Kerrigan Lyons all returning with varsity experience along with sophomore Mia Duckett.

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