Your Prep Sports Area Boys Cross Country Runners to Watch this Season
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
Cross country season has arrived.
Practice began last week and the first night of meets is less than a week away.
As the season gets underway every team and athlete are chasing the same thing, a spot at the state cross country meet scheduled for October 31 and November 1 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
Before the season gets rolling here is a look at seven Your Prep Sports area boys cross country runners to watch this fall.
Keegan Decker
Junior, Liberty High
Decker followed up a record-breaking freshman season with a breakthrough sophomore campaign that cemented his status as one of the elite runners in the state.
In his varsity debut campaign two seasons ago Decker finished 17th at the state meet while clocking the fastest ever state meet time by a freshman.
Last fall Decker was the breakthrough for Decker who earned his first state medal with a third-place finish at the Class 4A state meet in a time of 15:10.1.
The state meet time of 15:10.1 for Decker was more than 44 seconds faster than he ran as a freshman and was just more than four seconds off the pace of the 10th fastest time in state meet history.
The third-place finish at state capped a brilliant close to the sophomore year for Decker who finished in the top three in each of his final four races.
Decker was third at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet and runner-up at both the MVC Mississippi Divisional and Class 4A state qualifier before placing third at the 4A state meet.
Max McDowell
Senior, City High
Coming off a sixth-place team finish at the Class 4A state meet expectations are extremely high at City High this season and the return of McDowell at the front of the Little Hawk pack is just one of a number of reasons for the excitement.
McDowell had the best season of his career last fall capped by a top-30 finish at the Class 4A state meet.
A two-year letterwinner, McDowell led City High finishing 30th overall at the 4A state meet in a time of 16:08.6.
McDowell did his best running late in the season helping City High to a runner-up finish at the MVC Super Meet, a third-place finish at the MVC Valley Divisional and a team title at the 4A state qualifier before placing sixth at state.
McDowell finished in the top 16 at each of his final three meets before state, placing 16th at both the MVC Super Meet and Valley Divisional and finishing fifth at the 5A state qualifier.
Carson Meskimen
Sophomore, Clear Creek Amana
If you are looking for a breakout candidate for this season look no further than Meskimen who impressed from state to finish last fall in a stellar debut campaign.
With a year of experience under his belt look for Meskimen to climb into the conversation as one of the top runners in Class 3A this season as he looks to build on the momentum from a strong finish last fall.
Meskimen capped his stellar season by finishing in the top 11 at both the WAMAC Conference Meet and Class 3A state qualifier before posting a top-40 finish and the third fastest time by a freshman at the Class 3A state meet.
The late season surge started with an eighth-place finish at the WAMAC meet in which Meskimen was the top underclassmen in a time of 17:03.6.
Meskimen was 11th at the Class 3A state qualifier in 16:33.9 and a week later finish ed 37th in his state meet debut in a time of 16:55.6.
Linus McRoberts
Senior, City High
Already a two-year varsity contributor McRoberts is coming off a breakthrough junior season in which he established himself as a front of the pack leader for the Little Hawks.
McRoberts capped a stellar season last fall with a top-40 finish at the Class 4A state meet helping City High to a sixth-place team finish.
As City High surged down the stretch last season it was usually McRoberts leading the way.
McRoberts recorded top-six finishes at the MVC Super Meet and the Class 4A state qualifier as City High finished in the top three as a team in each of its final three meets before a sixth-place finish at state.
The strong season for McRoberts was capped by a 36th place finish at the 4A state meet in a time of 16:14.6.
Michael Hanna
Sophomore, West High
The more Hanna raced the better he was during an impressive debut season that included an individual qualifying spot at the Class 4A state meet.
Hanna improved his finishing position at each of his final three meets leading up to the state meet where he placed 94th in a time of 16:52.
Prior to making his state meet debut Hanna finished 28th at the MVC Super Meet (16:18.9) and jumped to 16th at the MVC Mississippi Divisional.
Hanna finished 12th at the Class 4A state qualifier at Southeast Polk to secure his spot at the state meet.
Look for a step forward this season from Hanna as West High seeks to return to the state meet as a team in 2025.
Anders Holmes
Sophomore, Solon
Last season Holmes was thrust into a front of the pack role as a freshman and excelled earning all-conference honors and a spot at the Class 3A state meet as an individual qualifier.
With a strong nucleus that includes five seniors with experience returning around him look for a big-time season from Holmes in a potential breakthrough year for the Spartans.
Holmes was brilliant last season as a freshman posting top-15 finishes at both the WAMAC Conference Meet and Class 3A state qualifier before earning a top-50 finish at the Class 3A state meet.
Holmes finished 11th at the WAMAC Conference meet in 17:07 and was the second fastest underclassmen behind only Clear Creek Amana freshman Carson Meskimen who was eighth.
He was 15th at the Class 3A state qualifier in 17:05.6 before placing 49th at the Class 3A state meet in a time of 17:07.
Brendan Olney
Senior, Regina
Olney headlines a long list of returning runners with experience as Regina seeks a bit of a bounce back season this fall.
The Regals were an uncharacteristic sixth at the Class 1A state qualifying meet last season but returns six of its seven runners from that meet last season led by Olney as the Regals look to return to the state tournament this season.
Olney led Regina with a 36th place finish at the River Valley Conference meet in a time of 19:04.7 and was the top Regal finisher at the state qualifying meet placing 22nd in 18:53.5.
Look for a big jump from Olney and the rest of the Regals this season.
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