The 2022 Your Prep Sports Area Boys Cross Country Team
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The 2022 cross country season was a memorable one in the Your Prep Sports area.
Four Your Prep Sports area teams qualified for the state cross country meet in Fort Dodge and a pair of area individual left with individual medals.
Regina claimed its ninth state title and first since 2010 winning the Class 1A team championship.
Clear Creek Amana, Solon and City High all made state meet appearances.
The annual Your Prep Sports area cross country team is a way to honor the runners responsible for that team success.
This year’s seven-member team consists of runners from X different schools and features conference and state qualifying meet champions as well as state medalists.
City High senior Ford Washburn is the captain of the 2022 team after closing an impressive prep career with a third consecutive top-six finish at the Class 4A state meet.
Washburn broke the City High school record set in 2012 and finished runner-up at the Class 4A state meet.
Ford Washburn (Captain)
Senior, City High
Already one of the top distance runners in the state and City High program history Washburn put the finishing touches on a brilliant career with a stellar senior season.
Washburn capped his historic senior season with a third consecutive top-sixth finish at the Class 4A state meet finishing runner-up in a time of 15:15.51.
A Northern Arizona recruit, Washburn broke the City High school record set by Brooke Price in 2012 with a career-best time of 14:50.49 at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet.
Washburn won titles at both the MVC Super Meet and Valley Divisional Meet as well as the 4A state qualifier before finishing runner-up at the state meet to West Des Moines Dowling senior Jackson Heidesch who won in a state record time of 14:56.66.
A four-time state qualifier Washburn improved in each of his four appearances at state going from 20th as a freshman to sixth as a sophomore and fourth as a junior before his runner-up finish this fall that was the best for a City High runner since 1975.
The time of 15:15.51 for Washburn at state was more than 17 seconds faster than his state-meet time in 2021.
Aidan O’Neil
Junior, Regina
The debut season for O’Neil last year was impressive as the Regina standout earned a state medal in his first year of cross country.
The encore for O’Neil this fall was even better.
O’Neil backed up his strong sophomore season with a breakthrough junior year in which he claimed a second consecutive state medal while lifting Regina to the Class 1A state title.
In his first ever cross country season O’Neil helped Regina return to the state meet for the first time since 2015 and secured a state medal with a 14th place finish.
This fall O’Neil took things to another level, placing sixth overall at the Class 1A state meet in a time of 16:26.85 while helping the Regals win their first state championship since 2010.
O’Neil was runner-up at the Class 1A state qualifying meet.
Moustafa Tiea
Sophomore, West High
A year ago Tiea showed flashes of his impressive potential during a solid freshman season.
This year Tiea continued to give glimpses of what makes him one of the most intriguing young runners in the state.
Tiea concluded a strong sophomore season with three consecutive top-six finishes at the MVC Super Meet, Divisional Meet and Class 4A state qualifying meet before improving his state meet finish by 22 spots from his freshman season.
Things came together down the stretch for Tiea who finished fourth at the MVC Super Meet, sixth at the MVC Valley Divisional meet and fifth at the 4A state qualifier.
Tiea was 51st at the Class 4A state meet in a time of 16:43.5 after placing 76th as a freshman at the state meet last season.
Aidan Decker
Junior, Liberty High
Decker opened the season a two-time state qualifying and a candidate for a big-time breakthrough.
The Liberty High junior delivered just that posting the best season of an already decorated prep career.
Decker finished a career-best 24th at the Class 4A state meet after placing 36th as a freshman and 42nd as a sophomore in 2021.
The state meet time of 16:23.67 for Decker was nearly 30 seconds faster than his time from last season.
The strong state meet showing was the continuation of an impressive late-season push from Decker.
Decker posted three consecutive top-10 finishes leading up to his strong state meet showing finishing 10th at the MVC Super Meet, third at the MVC Mississippi Divisional and ninth at the Class 4A state qualifying meet.
Truman Thompson
Senior City High
An important piece of a City High team that enjoyed an excellent the past several season Thompson concluded a strong career with his best season as a prep.
Thompson posted top-five finishes at the MVC Super Meet, MVC Divisional Meet and Class 4A state qualifier and helped City High to a seventh-place finish at the 4A state meet.
A three-time state qualifier, Thompson was fifth at both the MVC Super Meet and MVC Valley Divisional and finished third at the Class 4A state qualifier.
Thompson finished 117th at the Class 4A state meet.
Brick Kabela
Junior, Solon
A leader in the Spartan lineup since his freshman season Kabela came on strong late in the year to post a third consecutive top-26 finish at the Class 3A state meet.
Kabela secured a medal at the WAMAC Conference meet for the third consecutive season with a second straight fourth-place finish and was 11th at the Class 3A state qualifying meet.
He finished 22nd at the Class 3A state meet in a time of 16:49.15 to help Solon to an 11th place team finish.
Brock Hilsman
Sophomore, Clear Creek Amana
A breakthrough season from Hilsman was a big reason Clear Creek Amana returned to the Class 3A state meet for the first time since 2019.
Hilsman emerged as a front of the pack runner for the Clippers posting top-10 finishes at the WAMAC Conference meet and Class 3A state qualifier.
In his state meet debut Hilsman finished 30th in a time of 16:59.1.
Hilsman was impressive down the stretch.
He finished eighth at the WAMAC Conference meet and a week later finished third at the Class 3A state qualifying meet.
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