Boys Cross Country Capsules: Taking a Quick Look at Your Prep Sports Area Teams
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
City High
Coach: Jayme Skay (28th season)
Assistant coaches: Ross Salinas; Evan Risk; Ryan Clevenger
Last season: 6th at Class 4A State Meet
Returning letterwinners Linus McRoberts, Sr.; Max McDowell, Sr.; Jarris Prottsman, Sr.; David Randall, Jr.; Emmett Palmberg, Jr.
Newcomers to watch: Will Carey, Jr.; Leif Eastlund, Soph.; Jasper McRoberts, Soph.
Headliner: Senior Max McDowell is coming off the best season of his career last fall when he emerged as a front of the pack runner for the Little Hawks. McDowell finished 16th at both the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet and MVC Valley Divisional and was fifth at the 4A state qualifier before placing 30th at the 4A state meet in a time of 16:08.6.
Keep an eye on: A three-year varsity contributor, senior Linus McRoberts is poised for a huge senior season after a breakthrough junior year.
McRoberts posted top-six finishes at the MVC Super Meet and 4A state qualifier before placing 36th at 4A state meet in a time of 16:14.6.
Ready for a breakthrough: Junior Emmett Palmberg came on strong at the end of last season and will look to carry that momentum from his sophomore season over to this fall.
Palmberg was the third finisher for City High at the Class 4A state meet placing 51st in a time of 16:23.8.
Circle the date: November 1 at Class 4A state meet. There is no way around it the focus for the Little Hawks this season is on the state meet. Yes, City High has to qualify first and that comes on October 22 at a 4A state qualifier but the Little Hawks have their sights sets on a strong finish in Fort Dodge.
Breakdown: Expectations are high for City High after the Little Hawks placed sixth at the Class 4A state meet last season.
Five of the top six finishers from last year’s squad return including the top three finishers in McDowell (30th), McRoberts (36th) and Palmberg (51st).
There is depth behind that impressive top three.
Senior Jarris Prottsman and junior David Randall both return with state meet experience after placing 85th and 99th at the 4A state meet respectively.
City High opens the season ranked second in the Class 4A preseason rankings released by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches and should be a contender in the 4A race in November.
Liberty High
Coach: Josh Hildebrand (9th season)
Assistant coaches: Nate Canton; Jacob Blackmon; Dylan Schmidt
Last season: 9th at Class 4A State Meet
Returning letterwinners: Julius Vidal, Sr.; Keegan Decker, Jr.; Lars Hildebrand, Jr.; Colin Finch, Jr.; Tayson Cho, Jr.; Yuma Squires, Sr.; Jens Strand, Soph.; Carter Konrardy, Soph.
Headliner: Junior Keegan Decker enters the season as one of the top runners in the state and a legit title contender in a strong Class 4A individual field.
Decker is coming off a breakthrough sophomore season in which he earned his first ever state medal with a third-place finish in a time of 15:10.1.
Keep an eye on: Look for junior Tayson Cho to take a step forward this season after a strong sophomore season that ended with a 104th place finish at the 4A state meet in a time of 17:02.6.
Cho finished 62nd at the MVC Super Meet before moving up to 24th at the MVC Mississippi Divisional and 31st at the 4A state qualifying meet.
Ready for a breakthrough: Junior Lars Hildebrand is a two-time state meet qualifier that has helped the Lightning to back-to-back top-10 finishes in Class 4A.
Last season Hildebrand got better as the season went on placing 48th at the MVC Super Meet, 19th at the MVC Mississippi Divisional and 30th at the 4A state qualifier before placing 111th at the 4A state meet in a time of 17:16.8.
Circle the date: October 9 at MVC Super Meet. Liberty High will look to improve on its sixth-place Super Meet finish from last season as the 15-team conference meet moves to Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City.
Breakdown: Clear Creek Amana has the top-end talent and depth to build on a ninth-place state-meet finish from last season but has holes to fill with the graduation of two of its top three finishers from last year’s state meet.
Decker returns as a state title contender and the Lightning return seven of their top 12 runners from last year’s squad, a list that includes five runners with state meet experience.
There is depth and talent behind Decker led by Cho and Hildebrand along with senior Yuma Squiers and junior Colin Finch who both competed at the state meet last season.
Senior Julius Vidal and sophomore Jens Strand also return with varsity experience.
Liberty High is 10th in the IATC preseason Class 4A rankings and is a team that should improve as the season goes on.
Clear Creek Amana
Coach: Ben Robison (11th season)
Assistant coaches: Nick Boeset; Laurel Keenan; Mark Eberly
Last season: 14th at Class 3A State Meet
Returning letterwinners: Nic Schieltz, Sr..; Jackson VanHorn, Sr.; Carson Meskimen, Soph.; Micah Johnson, Soph.; Kyle Vogel, Soph.
Newcomers to watch: Caden Burkle, Sr.; Mason Miller, Jr.
Headliner: Sophomore Carson Meskimen will look to build on an impressive debut season in which he finished in the top 11 at both the WAMAC Conference and Class 3A state qualifier meet before posting a top-40 finish at the 3A state meet. Meskimen finished eighth at the WAMAC Conference Meet, finished 11th at the 3A state qualifier and placed 37th at the 3A state meet in a time of 16:55.6.
Keep an eye on: Senior Nic Schieltz will look to take over as a leader for the Clippers this season after a strong junior season that ended with a state meet appearance.
Schieltz finished 15th at the WAMAC Conference Meet and added a 30th place finish at the 3A state qualifier before placing 126th at the 3A state meet in 18:35.3.
Ready for a breakthrough: Sophomores Kyle Vogel and Micah Johnson should both take big steps forward this season after getting valuable varsity experience last fall.
Vogel was 24th at the WAMAC Meet and 27th at the state qualifier before placing 94th at the 3A state meet while Johnson was 26th at the WAMAC Meet, 22nd at the 3A state qualifier and 117th at the state meet.
Circle the date: October 16 at WAMAC Conference Meet. Clear Creek Amana was runner-up to Grinnell at the WAMAC Championships last season and should be in the title mix again this season as the meet moves to Seminole valley Park in Cedar Rapids.
Breakdown: It was another strong season for Clear Creek Amana which has emerged as one of the most consistently successful programs in Class 3A.
Clear Creek Amana brings back five runners from last year’s team that finished 14th at the Class 3A state meet but must replace a pair of graduated senior stalwarts in Brock Hillsman and Isaac Sorensen.
Meskimen is a future star while Schieltz, Vogel and Johnson all return with experience along with senior Jackson VanHorn.
Veteran head coach Ben Robison expects senior Caden Burkle and junior Mason Miller to push for spots in the lineup giving the Clippers even more depth.
Solon
Coach: Emy Williams (24th season)
Assistant coaches: Michelle Lyons; Brian Fitzpatrick; Katie Courtney
Last season: 6th at Class 3A State Qualifying Meet
Returning letterwinners Camden Lyons, Sr.; Rene Meza, Sr.; Spencer Michels, Sr.; Charlie Pettit, Sr.; Owen Young, Sr.; Anders Holmes, Soph.; Preston Raasch, Soph.; Deacon Waddell, Soph.
Headliner: Sophomore Anders Holmes will look to build on the experience and momentum of a stellar debut season that included a top-50 finish at the 3A state meet.
Holmes finished 11th at the WAMAC Conference Meet and was 15th at the 3A state qualifier before placing 49th at the 3A state meet in 17:07.
Keep an eye on: Senior Spencer Michels had a promising junior season derailed by injury but will be a key contributor for what should be a much-improved Solon squad this spring. When healthy Michels is a front of the pack runner for the Spartans and finished 75th at the Class 3A state meet as a sophomore in 2023.
Ready for a breakthrough: Senior Rene Meza will be a key piece of an experienced Solon lineup after a strong finish to his junior season.
Meza placed 33rd at the WAMAC Conference Meet and was 21st at the Class 3A state qualifier in 17:30.9.
Circle the date: September 4 at Gilbert Meet. Solon will get a stiff test early in the season when it travels to Ames for the Gilbert Invitational at the Iowa State cross country course. The field in Ames features five top-10 ranked teams in Class 3A including top-ranked Gilbert, second-ranked Pella and fifth-ranked Des Moines Christian.
Breakdown: Solon could be among the most improved teams in Class 3A this season and should be in the mix for a return to the state meet after missing out last season with a sixth-place finish at the 3A state qualifier.
Holmes returns after a strong debut season and Michels is back after an injury-shortened season a year ago along with Meza.
Seniors Camden Lyons, Owen Young and Charlie Pettit return with varsity experience along with sophomores Preston Raasch and Deacon Waddell who is a breakout candidate.
Look for the Spartans to be a potential surprise team in Class 3A.
Regina
Coach: Chad Swope (16th season)
Assistant coaches: Bailey Kammerer, Mya Whitaker
Last season: 6th at 1A State Qualifying Meet
Returning letterwinners: Evan White, Sr.; Brendan Olney, Sr.; Conall Smith, Sr.; Howie O’Rourke, Sr.; Hugh Loening, Jr.; Nick Larson, Jr.; Wyatt Kaeding, Soph.; Colin Laubscher, Soph.; Huck Zahasky, Soph.; Landon Hoffman, Soph.
Newcomers to watch: Corbin Daniels, Jr.; Jack Kaeding, Jr.; Luke Klingman, Jr.; Sylvanus Broh, Soph.; Truman Crigger, Fr.; Samuel Cutter, Fr.; Nik Polyak, Fr.; Cristiano Pratt, Fr.; Aiden Roman, Fr.
Headliner: Senior Brendan Olney headlines a long list of returners from Regina after leading the Regals at both the River Valley Conference Meet and Class 1A state qualifier.
Olney finished 36th at the RVC Meet and was the top Regina finisher at the 1A state qualifier placing 22nd in 18:53.5.
Keep an eye on: Senior Evan White joins Olney as the leaders of a Regina squad capable of making a big leap this season.
White finished 42nd at the RVC Meet in 19:12.9 and was 27th at the 1A state qualifier in a time of 19:04.9.
Ready for a breakthrough: Junior Hugh Loening is one of several Regals looking to take big steps forward this season after getting varsity experience a year ago.
Loening came on strong down the stretch placing 53rd at the River Valley Conference Meet in a time of 19:55.6 and taking nearly 10 seconds off that time in a 42nd place finish at the 1A state qualifier.
Circle the date: October 14 at River Valley Conference Meet. Regina gets home course advantage hosting the RVC Meet at Kickers Soccer Complex as the Regals attempt to improve on their eighth-place conference finish from last season.
Breakdown: Regina will look to bounce back from an uncharacteristic sixth-place finish at the 1A state qualifier and with six runners returning from that meet has reason to believe a big jump in performance could be on the horizon.
Olney, Loening and White all return after running in the top four for the Regals most of last season but there is depth and talent returning around them.
Sophomore Wyatt Kaeding and Huck Zahasky return 56th and 65th at the 1A state qualifier last season.
Seniors Conall Smith and Howie O’Rourke are back with experience along with junior Nick Larson and sophomores Colin Laubscher and Landon Hoffman.
Watch for Regina as one of the most improved teams in 1A this season.
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