Decker Wins Individual Title At State Qualifier as Liberty High Qualifies For State Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
IOWA CITY – For most of the season the conversation surrounding the Liberty High cross country team started and stopped with standout Keegan Decker.
Decker starred again at the Class 4A state qualifier on Wednesday but the talk this time was all about the team.
Led by an individual title by Decker No. 19 Liberty High put three runners in the top 12 and qualified for the state meet with a third-place team finish at the 4A qualifier at Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City.
“They worked hard all season and they maybe didn’t get the rankings and the results and the acknowledgement early on but we’ve always stressed it’s the end of the season that matters the most,” Liberty High coach Josh Hildebrand said. “We stress it’s not the times it’s the places and they bought into that.”
Decker, who has solidified his status as one of the top runners in the state with a huge junior season, won the individual title in 15:27.7.
Tayson Cho and Lars Hildebrand added top-12 finishes as Liberty High placed third with 73 points.
“All season we’ve been the underdogs in that 15 to 20th ranked range so to come out here and show up and get it done it’s great,” Decker said. “I’m really thrilled about it.”
There was a minor surprise at the top of the standings as sixth-ranked Dubuque Senior won the team title with 50 points, 10 better than fifth-ranked City High.
Liberty High was the bigger surprise.
The Lightning finished third with 73 points, seven in front of No. 14 Cedar Rapids Kennedy.
The Cougars finished 24 points in front of Liberty High at the Mississippi Valley Conference meet on the same course earlier this month.
“We knew that if we ran our best race and that while the other teams are awesome they maybe weren’t as deep as us,” Hildebrand said. “If our depth could step up and every person could move up a few places it’s a two-point swing.”
Decker led the way on Wednesday just as he has done all season.
Second-ranked Decker pulled away over the second half of the race and finished 26 seconds in front of Cedar Rapids Kennedy senior Adam Gray who was runner-up in 15:53.7.
“The goal for today was no time on the board just go out and take it,” Decker said. “I think this is a pretty good confidence booster going into state.”
Decker had plenty of help on Wednesday.
Cho finished 10th in 16:30.4 and Hildebrand was 12th in 16:34.4.
Colin Finch placed 21st in a time of 16:55 and Jens Strand finished 29th in 17:23.
“I am super happy,” Josh Hildebrand said. “These guys have been doing a lot since June and they’ve really bonded together.”
West High finished sixth with 113 points and had a pair of individual state meet qualifiers in sophomores Michael Hanna and Jake Weiler.
Hanna finished fifth in16:20 and Weiler was 13th in 16:35.3 to secure spots at the state meet.
Class 4A State Qualifying Meet
At Kickers Soccer Complex
Team scores – 1. Dubuque Senior 50; 2. City High 60; 3. Liberty High 73; 4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy 80; 5. Ames 108; 6. West High 113; 7. Cedar Rapids Washington 234; 8. Cedar Rapids Jefferson 236; 9. Ottumwa 277
Individual leaders – 1. Keegan Decker (ICL) 15:27.7; 2. Adam Gray (CRK) 15:53.7; 3. Slader Buckheister (CRK) 16:00.8; 4. Linus McRoberts (ICH) 16:12.9; 5. Michael Hanna (ICW) 16:20; 6. Owen Anderson (DS) 16:20.3; 7. Liam Kroger (DS) 16:20.9; 8. David Randall (ICH) 16:26.1; 9. Jack Kirman (DS) 16:30.4; 10. Tayson Cho (ICL) 16:30.4; 11. Grady Kroger (DS) 16:32.5; 12. Lars Hildebrand (ICL) 16:34.4; 13. Jake Weiler (ICW) 16:35.3; 14. Emmett Palmberg (ICH) 16:37.4; 15. Caleb Bolles (AME) 16:41
City High (60) – 4. Linus McRoberts 16:12.9; 8. David Randall 16:26.1; 14. Emmett Palmberg 16:37.4; 16. Leif Eastlund 16:41.3; 18. Jack Leman 16:50.2; 19. Jarris Prottsman 16:50.8; 27. Max McDowell 17:07.7
Liberty High (73) – 1. Keegan Decker 15:27.7; 10. Tayson Cho 16:30.4; 12. Lars Hildebrand 16:34.4; 21. Colin Finch 16:55.1; 29. Jens Strand 17:23; 31. Julius Vidal 17:29.9; 38. Yuma Squiers 17:48
West High (113) – 5. Michael Hanna 16:20; 13. Jake Weiler 16:35.3; 30. Eli Dunham 17:24.3; 32. Evan Merrill 17:30; 33. Jack Eastvold 17:34; 40. Thomas Tong 17:56; 41. Oluwadara Olaleye 17:57.1
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