Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Keegan Decker gained valuable experience and equally important knowledge during an impressive debut season last spring that concluded with a 10^th place finish in the 3,200 at the Class 4A state meet.

One of the bigger lessons learned for Decker during his freshman season was how to handle to stress of competing on the biggest stage.

An older, stronger and wiser Decker showed off everything he’d learned in an impressive performance on Thursday at the Class 4A state qualifying meet at West High.

Decker claimed titles in both the 3,200 and 1,600 on Thursday securing spots in both events at the 4A state meet scheduled for May 22-24 at Drake Stadium in Des Moines.

“I’ve learned to just going into it with less nerves,” Decker said. “Last year I really struggled with that in the first time on that big stage. This year I’ve learned to loosen up a little bit and go with whatever happens and I’ve gotten adjusted to that bigger environment.”

The breakthrough for Decker began last fall.

Decker capped a stellar sophomore cross country season with a third-place finish at the 4A state meet.

On Thursday he continued what has been a strong sophomore season on the track.

“I’ve gained a lot of fitness from last year in cross country where I kind of had a breakout year and I tried carrying that into track,” Decker said. “I feel like I’ve improved a lot as a runner and as a person.”

Decker opened his double duty night with a win in the 3,200 in a time of 9:33.51.

The Liberty High sophomore outdueled Cedar Rapids Prairie senior Nicholas Lee down the stretch.

“I try to go out there and have fun,” Decker said. “I try my best and don’t really worry about what happens just trust the process.”

Decker completed his distance double with a win in the 1,600 in 4:19.69 as he again edged Lee down the stretch.

Lee was runner-up in 4:19.91.

“Today I just really focused on placement,” Decker said. “I wanted to get used to extending my kick a little earlier and kind of adjust to how that feels.”

Entering the state meet next week Decker has the third fastest time in 4A in both the 1,600 (4:14.37) and the 3,200 (9:05.11).

“I feel pretty good about it,” Decker said. “I still have work to do but when I get into that spot I feel like I can go out and compete.”

City High had a pair of automatic state qualifiers on Friday as Bernard Grant won the high jump and Raphael Etuma secured a spot at the state meet with a runner-up finish in the discus.

Grant cleared 6-3 to win the high jump while Etuma was runner-up in the discus with a mark of 173-2.

Class 4A State Qualifying Meet

At West High School

Team scores – 1. West High 176; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 168; 3. City High 93; 4. Southeast Polk 88.5; 5. Dubuque Senior 80; 6. Liberty High 69.5; 7. Dubuque Hempstead 40; 8. Cedar Rapids Washington 22

Individual results (event winners; area placewinners)

High jump – 1. Bernard Grant (ICH) 6-3; 2. Colt Hobson (CRP) 6-2; 3. Victor Nakihinga (ICL) 6-0; 4. Mason Middleton (ICW) 6-0; 5. Adams Kane (ICH) 5-10; 6. Charles Roberts (ICL) 5-8

Long jump – 1. T.Y Pour (CRP) 23-0 ¾; 2. Mason Woods (ICW) 22-9; 4. Bernoli Luvandu (ICW) 22-0 ½; 5. Damari Lacy (ICH) 21-10 ¼; 8. Abe Bidanis (ICH) 20-3 ¾

Shot put – 1. Colin Whitters (ICW) 57-5 ¾; 2. James Barnett (ICW) 56-10 ½; 3. Tyler Rindels (ICH) 50-8; 4. Raphael Etuma (ICH) 50-2

Discus – 1. Colin Whitters (ICW) 186-9; 2. Raphael Etuma (ICH) 173-2; 3. Elite Mbulekoya (ICW) 167-0

100 – 1. Emmanuel Gaye (SEP) 11.26; 2. Fredr Tarasid-Tarawally (SEP) 11.36; 4. Leo Rozz (ICL) 11.51; 5. Harel Gameti (ICW) 11.53; 6. Jermaine Holmes (ICH) 11.68

200 – 1. Emmanuel Gaye (SEP) 22.46; 2. Mereweneza Byishimo (CRP) 22.73; 5. Atari Brown (ICW) 23.28; 7. Davon Sanders (ICH) 23.62 1

400 – 1. Moustafa Tiea (ICW) 49.02; 2. Drew Bennis (CRP) 49.05; 4. Cale Baldwin (ICL) 50.08; 6. KingSton Swayzer (ICW) 51.2; 7. Sutton Koller (ICL) 52.65

800 – 1. Moustafa Tiea (ICW) 1:59.37; 2. Sam Showers (ICW) 2:00.54; 4. Maxwell McDowell (ICH) 2:01.49; 5. Emmett Palmberg (ICH) 2:01.85

1,600 – 1. Keegan Decker (ICL) 4:19.69; 2. Nicholaus Lee (CRP) 4:19.91; 3. George Karr (ICH) 4:26.66; 4. Noah Gregoire (ICL) 4:26.9; 8. Leif Eastlund (ICH) 4:35.73

3,200 – 1. Keegan Decker (ICL) 9:33.51; 2. Nicholaus Lee (CRP) 9:33.85; 4. Noah Gregoire (ICL) 9:47.82; 6. David Randall (ICH) 10:03.73; 7. Jake Weiler (ICW) 10:15.09; 8. Jasper McRoberts 10:19

110 hurdles – 1. Quinton Alexander (CRP) 14.57; 2. Waleed Ibrahim (ICW) 15.12; 3. Ely Smock (ICW) 15.4; 7. Dominic Roe (ICH) 16.12; 8. Isaac Washpun (ICH) 16.59 Waleed Ibrahim (ICW) 15.12

400 hurdles – 1. Garrett Schumacher (DS) 54.09; 2. Ely Smock (ICW) 54.72; 4. Quinton Logan (ICL) 56.01; 7. Waleed Ibrahim (ICW) 58.27

Shuttle hurdle relay – 1. West High (E. Smock, Ibrahim, Towler, Gorsh) 58.51; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 59.49; 3. City High (Carbajal, Washpun, Grant, Roe) 1:01.02

Sprint medley relay – 1. West High (Woods, Gameti, Manson, Goering) 1:33.28; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie 1:33.48; 4. Liberty High (Miller, Beaver, Wyldon, Baldwin) 1:34.23; 8. City High (Pufall, Sanders, Luckett, Sheldon) 1:37

Distance medley relay – 1. West High (Woods, Manson, Dunham, Showers) 3:37.88; 2. Cedar Rapids Prairie (Cooling, Peterka, Krambeer, Carrizales) 3:39.69; 5. City High (Luckett, Pufall, Turnbough, Schaefer) 3:47.67

4×100 – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 41.89; 2. Southeast Polk 42.36; 3. City High (Holmes, Lacy, Luckett, Washpun) 43.05; 6. West High (Gameti, Goering, Manson, James) 43.66; 7. Liberty High (Dixon, Wyldon, Miller, Beaver) 43.69

4×200 – 1. Southeast Polk 1:28.24; 2. West High (Woods, Manson, Goering, Gameti) 1:28.54; 7. City High (Holmes, Sheldon, Washpun, Halter) 1:33.33

4×400 – 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie 3:18.92; 2. West High (Goering, Swayzer, Dunham, Tiea) 3:22.21; 4. Liberty High (Idowu, Koller, Wyldon, Baldwin) 3:23.64; 6. City High (Sheldon, Halter, Turnbough, McDowell) 3:26.89

4×800 – 1. West High (Olaleye, Gopinah, Bruss, Tiea) 8:07.78; 2. Dubuque Senior 8:09.13; 4. City High (Karr, McDowell, Beerends, Palmberg) 8:09.95; 7. Liberty High (Hildebrand, Squires, Schepanski, Schepanski) 8:51.8

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