Breaking Down the Area Class 3A Boys State Qualifying Cross Country Meets
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The cross country postseason is here.
State qualifying meets will be held across the state on Wednesday and Thursday with Classes 4A and 3A starting things off on Wednesday.
Classes 2A and 1A will secure their spots at the state meet on Thursday.
Before the starting guns are fired on Wednesday Your Prep Sports takes a quick look at the state qualifying meets featuring area teams.
Class 3A Meet (Solon)
When: Wednesday 4:40 p.m.
Where: Solon Nature and Recreation Area
Teams: Solon; Davenport Assumption; Benton Community; Center Point-Urbana; Central DeWitt; Clinton; Des Moines Christian; Independence; Maquoketa; Marion; Solon; West Delaware; Western Dubuque; Cedar Rapids Xavier
Ranked teams: No. 3 Des Moines Christian; No. 5 Central DeWitt; No. 14 Western Dubuque; No. 16 Davenport Assumption
Ranked individuals: No. 1 Quentin Nauman, Jr., Western Dubuque; No. 5 Caleb Ten Pas, Jr., Des Moines Christian; No. 8 Josh Hagenberg, Sr., Des Moines Christian; No. 15 Luke Hagenberg, Sr., Des Moines Christian; No. 19 Caleb Olson, Sr., Central DeWitt; No. 23 Andrew Allen, Fr., Cedar Rapids Xavier; No. 24 Josiah Sisler, Soph., Des Moines Christian;
Team title chase: Last year’s 2A state champion Des Moines Christian makes the move to 3A this season and is the favorite to claim the team title with fifth-ranked Central DeWitt the top challenger.
Individual race: Western Dubuque junior Quentin Nauman was sixth at the state meet last season and has emerged as one of the state’s best across all classes this season. Des Moines Christian junior Caleb Ten Pas was sixth at the 2A state meet last season and will look to press Nauman.
Athlete to watch: Solon freshman Anders Holmes will look to continue an impressive debut season at his first ever state qualifying meet after an impressive 11th place finish at the WAMAC Conference meet last week.
Breakdown: Injuries have hampered Solon this season and the Spartans will need a herculean effort on their home course to return to the state meet for the fifth consecutive season.
Des Moines Christian, Central DeWitt and Western Dubuque appear to be the favorites to secure spots at the state meet with Davenport Assumption certainly a candidate to push into that conversation.
Class 3A Meet (Waverly)
When: Wednesday 4:40 p.m.
Where: Max Cross Country Course in Waverly
Teams: Clear Creek Amana; BK-CGD; Charles City; Clear Lake; Decorah; Hampton-Dumont-CAL; Iowa Falls; Mount Vernon-Lisbon; South Tama; Dubuque Wahlert; Waverly-Shell Rock; Webster City; Williamsburg
Ranked teams: No. 4 Mount Vernon-Lisbon; No. 6 Decorah; No. 7 Clear Creek Amana
Ranked individuals: No. 4 Grady Olberding, Sr., Mount Vernon-Lisbon; No. 7 Austin Soldwisch, Sr., Waverly-Shell Rock; No. 11 Dawson Scheil, Jr., Mount Vernon-Lisbon; No. 14 Jayden Brookins, Jr., Dubuque Wahlert; No. 17 Grant Zilka, Sr., Decorah; No. 18 Brock Hilsman, Sr., Clear Creek Amana; No. 25 Garrett See, Jr., Decorah
Team title chase: This has the potential to be one of the tightest team race of all five state qualifying meets in Class 3A with Mount Vernon-Lisbon, Decorah and Clear Creek Amana all battling for the top spot. Clear Creek Amana is the lowest ranked of those teams but finished five points ahead of Mount Vernon-Lisbon in a runner-up finish at the WAMAC Conference meet last week.
Individual race: Much like the team race the individual race should be tightly contested. Fourth-ranked Grady Olberding of Mount Vernon won the WAMAC conference title by more than 13 seconds last week and enters as the favorite but the chase pack should be crowded and will include Clear Creek Amana seniors Brock Hilsman and Isaac Sorensen.
Athlete to watch: Clear Creek Amana senior Brock Hilsman is looking to put a major explanation point on what has already been an impressive prep career. Already a two-time state qualifier, Hilsman is fresh off a career-best fourth-place finish at the WAMAC meet last week and enters the postseason with confidence and experience.
Breakdown: Clear Creek Amana is looking to lock up a third consecutive state meet appearance.
The Clippers were 14th at state in 2022 and ninth in 3A last season and has their sights set on continuing that climb this fall.
In order to do that the Clippers must take care of business on Wednesday in a strong field that features three top-seven ranked teams.
Senior Isaac Sorensen and freshman Carson Meskimen each joined Hilsman in the top 10 at the WAMAC meet last week placing ninth and eighth respectively.
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