City High Finishes Runner-up at MVC Super Meet, One Point Back of Second-ranked Cedar Falls
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – Confident yet motivated is a perfect way for a team to enter the postseason.
City High got both a boost of confidence and an extra bit of motivation with its performance at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet.
Class 4A Fourth-ranked City High can be confident it can compete with the best in the state after finishing runner-up to second-ranked Cedar Falls at Seminole Valley Park in Cedar Rapids on Thursday.
The Little Hawks can also draw some motivation for the next three weeks after finishing a single point behind the Tigers for the team title.
City High had four runners in the top 25 and finished with 84 points on Thursday just narrowly behind Cedar Falls which won the team title behind an individual championship from junior Jaden Merrick.
“This is a huge confidence boost for us for sure but it’s also something that will drive us,” City High junior Linus McRoberts said. “Being only two points behind Cedar Falls, that’s motivation for the rest of the season.”
McRoberts finished sixth in a time of 15:30.2 to highlight three City High runners that finished in the top 16 on Thursday.
“I changed up my strategy a little and went out a little slower so I could make some stuff up in later parts of the race which is what I did today,” McRoberts said. “I think that was one of my better performances overall.”
Merrick won the individual title in an eye-popping 14:55.4 while Western Dubuque junior standout Quentin Nauman was runner-up in 15:04.9.
Liberty High sophomore Keegan Decker was third in a time of 15:05.8 as five runners finished under 15:30.
“The time I had in mind was sub 15:20 and I shattered that,” Decker said. “I felt good. It was fast and I wanted to stay with those guys as long as I could.”
City High got strong performances from junior Max McDowell and senior George Karr on its way to its runner-up finish.
Karr finished 11th in 15:41.3 and McDowell was 16th in 15:49.2.
“George and I both came into this meet and said lets get after it, lets go sub-16 today,” McDowell said. “It’s crazy what Seminole Valley can do.”
The performances from Karr and McDowell along with strong efforts from sophomores Emmett Palmberg and David Randall were enough for City High to edge third-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie by five spots for second place.
No. 18 Cedar Rapids Kennedy was fourth with 129 and No. 15 Dubuque Senior was fifth with 149 points.
Liberty High finished sixth and West High was seventh behind a seventh-place individual finish from senior Moustafa Tiea.
“We just told them we have nothing to lose, this is not state this is just part of our training,” City High coach Jayme Skay said. “We are a young team but we are growing up.”
Palmberg finished 25th in 16:08.8 for City High while Randall was right behind in 26th in 16:09.5.
The runner-up finish for City High sends the Little Hawks into next week’s MVC divisional meet and then the district and state meet’s riding high but motivated for more.
“Coming into this I was thinking if we get third that’s right where we need to be,” Karr said. “Coming out of this in second is a massive confidence boost.”
Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet
At Seminole Valley Park
Team scores – 1. Cedar Falls 83; 2. City High 84; 3. Cedar Rapids Prairie 89; 4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 129; 5. Dubuque Senior 149; 6. Liberty High 151; 7. West High 181; 8. Linn-Mar 188; 9. Dubuque Hempstead 207; 10. Western Dubuque 271; 11. Dubuque Wahlert 332; 12. Waterloo West 342; 13. Cedar Rapids Xavier 346; 14. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 439; 15. Cedar Rapids Washington 441
Individual leaders – 1. Jaden Merrick (CF) 14:55.4; 2. Quentin Nauman (WD) 15:04.9; 3. Keegan Decker (ICL) 15:05.8; 4. Slader Buckheister (CRK) 15:20.6; 5. Adam Gray (CRK) 15:26.7; 6. Linus McRoberts (ICH) 15:30.2; 7. Moustafa Tiea (ICW) 15:31.5; 8. Noah Gregoire (ICL) 15:32.2; 9. Cole Carrizales (CRP) 15:36; 10. Ethan Cheney (L-M) 15:40.1; 11. George Karr (ICH) 15:41.3; 12. Kieran DeGroote (CF) 15:42.5; 13. Jayden Brookins (DW) 15:45.1; 14. Ethan Boston (L-M) 15:47.1; 15. Dominic Williams (CF) 15:48.3
City High (84) – 6. Linus McRoberts 15:30.2; 11. George Karr 15:41.3; 16. Max McDowell 15:49.2; 25. Emmett Palmberg 16:08.8; 26. David Randall 16:09.5; 29. Jarris Prottsman 16:19.8; 33. Adam Schaefer 16:26.7
Liberty High (151) – 3. Keegan Decker 15:05.8; 8. Noah Gregoire 15:32.2; 41. Jacob Madsen 16:41.4; 48. Lars Hildebrand 16:49.5; 53. Colin Finch 16:58.9; 62. Tayson Cho 17:08.1
West High (181) – 7. Moustafa Tiea 15:31.5; 28. Michael Hanna 16:18.9; 42. Maxwell Bruss 16:41.9; 52. Jake Wieler 16:57.8; 54. Evan Merrill 16:59.4; 59. Sam Showers 17:03.1; 72. Brice Wahe 17:27.1
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