Class 4A

Where: Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge

When: Friday, 2:45 p.m.

Qualifying teams: *West Des Moines Dowling; Waukee Northwest; Ames; *Cedar Falls; Cedar Rapids Prairie; Liberty High; *City High; Waukee; Bettendorf; *Ankeny; Indianola; Johnston

*-state qualifying meet champions

Individual state qualifying meet champions: Jack Flori, Sr., West Des Moines Dowling; Jaden Merrick, Jr., Cedar Falls; *Norwalk; Dallas Center-Grimes; Marshalltown; Preston Johnson, Soph., Marshalltown; AJ Willey, Jr., Bettendorf; Ethan Zuber, Sr., Ankeny

2023 top five: 1. West Des Moines Dowling; 2. Cedar Falls; 3. Ankeny; 4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy; 5. Waukee Northwest

Last five team champions: 2023 – West Des Moines Dowling; 2022 – West Des Moines Dowling; 2021 – West Des Moines Dowling; 2020 – Sioux City North; 2019 – West Des Moines Dowling

Returning state placewinners: 1. Ethan Zuber, Sr., Ankeny; 2. Jaden Merrick, Jr., Cedar Falls; 4. Jack Flori, Sr., West Des Moines Dowling 6. Adam Gray, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; 7. Owen Marett, Sr., Des Moines Roosevelt; 10. Joseph Lawry, Sr., Waukee; 15. Ike Smith, Jr., Ankeny

Top ranked teams: 1. West Des Moines Dowling; 2. Cedar Falls; 3. City High; 4. Cedar Rapids Prairie; 5. Ankeny

Ranked area teams: No. 3 City High; No. 13. Liberty High

Top ranked individuals: 1. Ethan Zuber, Sr., Ankeny; 2. Jaden Merrick, Jr., Cedar Falls; 3. Jack Flori, Sr., West Des Moines Dowling; 4. Owen Marett, Sr., Des Moines Roosevelt; 5. Keegan Decker, Soph., Liberty High

Ranked area individuals: 5. Keegan Decker, Soph., Liberty High; 20. Moustafa Tiea, Sr., West High; 24. Linus McRoberts, Jr., City High

Team title race: West Des Moines Dowling appears primed to add yet another chapter to a growing dynasty in Class 4A.

The Maroons have won three straight 4A titles, five of the last six and seven of the last nine 4A crowns.

All signs point toward another Dowling title with five runners back from last year’s team that won the title by 12 points over Cedar Falls.

Last year’s runner-up Cedar Falls should be among the teams pushing Dowling along with City High which finished one point behind the Tigers at the MVC Super Meet earlier this month and is coming off a title at the state qualifying meet last week.

For City High to secure a top-three finish the Little Hawks may need to fend off Mississippi Valley Conference foe Cedar Rapids Prairie

Individual title tracker: Just like the 4A girls race the 4A boys race should come right down to the final few meters.

Six runners that finished in the top 10 a year ago return to Fort Dodge this fall including a trio of top-five finishers.

Ankeny senior Ethan Zuber is back to defend his title and to do so will need to fend off Cedar Falls standout and defending 4A runner-up finisher Jaden Merrick for a second straight season.

West Des Moines Dowling leader Jack Flori was fourth a year ago and Cedar Rapids Kennedy junior Adam Gray is back after placing sixth last season.

Keep a very, very close eye on Liberty High sophomore Keegan Decker who is still flying a bit under the radar as a title contender but has showed over the last several weeks he is capable of staying with in striking distance of Merrick

Decker was 10 seconds behind Merrick at the MVC Super Meet and eight seconds back of the Cedar Falls star at the state qualifying meet.

Look for a big effort from Decker in his second time at the state meet.

Area breakdown: City High is back at the state meet after missing out last season and is poised to push for a top-three finish and a spot on the balcony at Lakeside Golf Course.

Led by junior Linus McRoberts the Little Hawks have been strong down the stretch finishing runner-up to Cedar Fallas the MVC Super Meet before winning the state qualifying meet title by 32 points.

Keeping a tight pack up front is the key for the Little Hawks as junior Max McDowell, senior George Karr and sophomores Emmett Palmberg and David Randall will look to fill out the top five along with McRoberts.

Liberty High matched its best state meet performance with a sixth-place finish a year ago and behind Decker will look to better that this season.

Senior Noah Greogire is a multi-year state qualifier while Jacob Madsen and Lars Hildebrand were each part of the sixth-place finishing team a year ago.

West High has a pair of individual qualifiers in senior Moustafa Tiea who is making his fourth appearance at the state meet and freshman Michael Hanna who will make his debut in Fort Dodge.

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