Your Prep Sports Area Boys Cross Country Runners to Watch this Season
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The cross country season is here.
Practice officially opened last week and the first night of meets is looming less than a week away.
As the season opens every team and runner has the same goal – earning a spot at the cross country meet scheduled for October 30 (Class 1A and 2A) and 31 (Class 3A and 4A) at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
Before meets begin next week here is a look at eight Your Prep Sports area boys cross country runners to keep an eye on this fall.
Keegan Decker
Senior, Liberty High
One of the top runners in the state Decker is looking to put the finishing touches on a historic career with a state title.
A three-time state qualifier and two-time medalist, Decker has emerged as one of the top runners in the Midwest over the past two seasons with back-to-back impressive seasons that included consecutive third-place finishes at the 4A state meet.
Last season Decker closed with four consecutive top-three finishes in his final four races capped by a second straight third-place finish at the 4A state meet.
Decker clocked the fifth fastest time in state meet history last season placing third in a time of 14:59, which was more than 11 seconds faster than his third-place finishing time in 2024.
At last year’s state meet Decker finished behind departed Cedar Falls senior Jaden Merrick (14:54.6) and Marshalltown senior Preston Johnson (14:56.1) in his third-place finish.
Prior to his third-place finish at state Decker won the 4A state qualifying meet title, was runner-up to Oregon recruit Quentin Nauman of Western Dubuque at the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Divisional in a time of 15:15.8 and finished third behind Nauman and Merrick at the MVC Super Meet in a career-best time of 14:49.3.
Michael Hanna
Junior, West High
Hanna will look to continue to climb up the state meet standings this fall following a breakthrough sophomore season in which he emerged as one of the top young runners in the state.
Following an impressive freshman season in 2024 Hanna made a major jump last season as a sophomore improving his finishing position at each of his final four meets.
As a freshman Hanna finished 94th at the state meet after placing 12th at the 4A state qualifier, 16th at the Mississippi Valley Conference Divisional meet at 28th at the MVC Super Meet.
Last season Hanna jumped to 32nd at the Class 4A state meet in a time of 16:05.3.
The state meet time for Hanna last season was more than 46 seconds faster than his state meet time as a freshman.
Hanna was fifth at the 4A state qualifier last season, sixth at the MVC Divisional Meet and 17th at the MVC Super Meet.
Now an upperclassman, look for another season of growth from Hanna this fall.
Tayson Cho
Senior, Liberty High
A three-year varsity runner Cho will look to build on the momentum of a strong finish to last season in which he improved his finishing position at the final two meets of the regular season before posting a career-best performance at the 4A state meet.
The late-season charge by Cho a year ago started with a 33rd place finish at the Mississippi Valley Conference Meet in a time of 16:30.7.
A week later Cho moved up to 16th at the MVC Mississippi Divisional meet before placing 10th at the Class 4A state qualifier.
Cho capped his strong junior season by finishing 33rd at the Class 4A state meet in a time of 16:05.8.
The 33rd place finish was 71 spots better than his sophomore showing at the state meet and the state meet time of 16:05.8 by Cho was nearly a minute faster than the 17:02.6 he clocked at the state meet as a sophomore.
Look for a huge senior season from Cho who is part of a tight Liberty High pack behind senior standout Keegan Decker.
David Randall
Senior, City High
A three-year varsity runner Randall made a big jump last season as a sophomore capped by a career-best finish at the Class 4A state meet.
After placing 99th at the state meet as a sophomore in a time of 16:09.7, Randall trimmed nearly 50 seconds off his state meet time last season placing 38th in a time of 16:09.7 to help City High to a seventh-place team finish.
Prior to his state-meet breakthrough Randall put together a strong end of the season stretch that saw him finish in the top 22 in each of his final three meets capped by a pair of top-10 finishes.
Randall was 22nd at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet in a time of 16:14.4.
He finished ninth at the MVC Valley Divisional in 16:33.1 and was eighth at the Class 4A state qualifier in 16:09.7.
With the graduation of senior leader Linus McRoberts look for Randall to serve as a front of the pack runner for a deep City High program seeking yet another strong state meet performance.
Carson Meskimen
Junior, Clear Creek Amana
Last fall Meskimen enjoyed one of the best breakthrough seasons for any runner in the state as he established himself as a state title contender in Class 3A.
Meskimen capped an incredible sophomore season with his first career state medal finishing 11th at the 3A state meet in 16:03.5.
The 11th place finish at the state meet for Meskimen came after he finished 37th at the state meet as a freshman and his time of 16:03.5 was more than 52 seconds faster than his debut time at the state meet.
Before earning his first state medal Meskimen finished runner-up at both the WAMAC Conference Meet and Class 3A state qualifier.
As a freshman Meskimen was eighth at the WAMAC Meet and 11th at the state qualifier but made a big jump at both meets as a sophomore.
Last season Meskimen finished runner-up at the WAMAC Meet in 15:59.4 and was runner-up at the 3A state qualifier in 16:08.72.
Expect Meskimen to push to the front of the pack at the 3A state meet this season as he chases an elusive state title.
Anders Holmes
Junior, Solon
A candidate for a breakthrough season this fall, keep a close eye on Holmes who showed his impressive potential two seasons ago as a freshman.
Two seasons ago Holmes finished 11th at the WAMAC Conference meet and 15th at the 3A state qualifier before posting a top-50 finish at the 3A state meet with a 49th place finish.
Last season those positions slipped a bit for Holmes who was 30th at the WAMAC Meet in 17:45.6 before placing 31st at the 3A state qualifier in 17:52.16.
Part of a talented group of young returners for the Spartans this season, a bounce back season should be in order for Holmes who will look to help Solon return to Fort Dodge.
Lars Hildebrand
Senior, Liberty High
Liberty High finished 14th as a team at the 4A state meet last season.
The Lightning have much higher expectations as a squad this season and veteran seniors like Hildebrand will play a key role if the Lightning are to put together the best state finish in program history.
Already a three-time state qualifier, Hildebrand joins standout teammate Keegan Decker as one of the most experienced runners on a deep Liberty High squad that returns four of its top six finishers from the state meet last season.
Hildebrand has moved up at the state meet each of the past two seasons but made his biggest jump a year ago.
After finishing 123rd at state as a freshman and 111th as a sophomore in 2024, Hildebrand posted his best state-meet showing last season placing 59th in a time of 16:27.3.
The strong state-meet showing by Hildebrand came after he finished 12th at the 4A state qualifier and eighth at the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Divisional meet.
Corbin Daniel
Senior, Regina
The leader for a hungry Regina team that returns its top five runners from last year’s team that missed a spot at the 2A state meet by one spot look for a big season from Daniel.
Daniel was the top finisher for Regina at each of the final two meets of the season last year.
He finished 24th at the 2A state qualifier in a time of 18:15.6 as Regina finished fourth at the meet.
A week earlier Daniels was 24th at the River Valley Conference meet in a time of 18:27.8.
Regina returns a deep and talented roster capable of returning to the state meet and Daniel will be a key piece of what should be a strong season for the Regals.
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