Breaking Down the Class 3A Boys State Cross Country Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The state cross country meet is here.
The two-day meet gets rolling on Friday with four races in Classes 2A and 3A.
Before the starting gun sounds for the first race of the 2025 state meet on Friday at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge here is a quick breakdown of the Class 3A boys meet with an emphasis on area teams.
Class 3A
Where: Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge
When: Friday, 2:45 p.m.
Qualifying teams: *Central DeWitt; Grinnell; Davenport Assumption; *Mount Vernon/Lisbon; Decorah; Western Dubuque; *Sioux Center; Storm Lake; MOC-Floyd Valley; *Pella; ADM; Clear Creek Amana; *Gilbert; Des Moines Christian; Bondurant-Farrar
*- state qualifying meet champions
Individual state qualifying meet champions: Cadel Conner, Sr., Grinnell; Quentin Nauman, Sr., Western Dubuque; Gavin Weber, Sr., Algona; Canaan Dunham, Sr., Pella; Caleb Ten Pas, Sr., Des Moines Christian
2024 top five: 1. Gilbert 33; 2. Des Moines Christian 78; 3. Pella 92; 4. Decorah 142; 5. Mount Vernon/Lisbon 196
Last five team champions: 2024 – Gilbert; 2023 – Gilbert; 2022 – Pella; 2021 – Dallas Center Grimes; 2020: Dallas Center Grimes
Returning state placewinners: 1. Quentin Nauman, Sr., Western Dubuque; 2. Canaan Dunham, Sr., Pella; 3. Caleb Ten Pas, Sr., Des Moines Christian; 4. Jacob Tallman, Jr., Gilbert; 5. Logan Bleich, Jr., Gilbert; 6. Carson Squiers, Sr., Gilbert; 10. Kael Streeter, Sr., Carlisle; 11. Isaac Rankin, Sr., Knoxville; 13. Andrew Rees, Sr., Washington; 15. Jayden Brookins, Sr., Dubuque Wahlert
Top ranked teams: 1. Gilbert; 2. Pella; 3. Mount Vernon/Lisbon; 4. Sioux Center; 5. Des Moines Christian
Ranked area teams: No. 10 Clear Creek Amana
Top ranked individuals: 1. Quentin Nauman, Sr., West Delaware; 2. Caleb Ten Pas, Sr., Des Moines Christian; 3. Logan Bleich, Jr., Gilbert; 4. Canaan Dunham, Sr., Pella; 5. Carson Squiers, Sr., Gilbert
Ranked area individuals: No. 9. Carson Meskimen, Soph., Clear Creek Amana
Team title race: Two-time defending state champion Gilbert is seeking to join Dallas Center-Grimes as the only 3A team to win three consecutive titles since the state went to four classes in 2003.
With five runners returning including its top three finishers from last year’s team that won the title by 45 points Gilbert is a heavy favorite to add to its title streak.
The race is for the two spots behind Gilbert and there is a strong group of teams capable of joining the Tigers on the podium at Lakeside Golf Course.
Second-ranked Pella is led by 2023 3A champion Canaan Dunham and was third last season while Mount Vernon/Lisbon, Des Moines Christian, Grinnell and Sioux Center should all be in that mix.
Individual title tracker: Talk about a loaded field.
The top six finishers from last year’s 3A meet all return led by Oregon recruit and defending 3A champion Quentin Nauman of Western Dubuque.
One of the top prep distance runners in the nation, Nauman set an all-time Iowa best earlier this season and is a favorite to win a second consecutive title.
There is talent around Nauman should the Western Dubuque recruit slip up.
Pella’s Canaan Dunham is a three-time top-six finisher, won the 2023 3A title and was runner-up to Nauman last season.
Des Moines Christian senior Caleb Ten Pas finished runner-up in 2A in 2022 and was seventh a year later and was third in 3A last season.
Toss in the Gilbert trio of Jacob Tallman, Logan Bleich and Carson Squiers and the front pack of the 3A race sets up for an absolute showdown.
Area breakdown: Clear Creek Amana returns to the state meet for the fourth consecutive season and the Clippers are seeking to erase the disappointment of a 14th place finish from a year ago.
Five of the members of last year’s squad return for sixth-ranked Clear Creek Amana which is capable of making a huge jump up the 3A leaderboard.
Sophomores Carson Meskimen, Micah Johnson and Kyle Vogel and seniors Nic Schieltz and Jackson Van Horn return with experience from last year’s team.
Keep an eye on sophomore standout Meskimen who has already put together an impressive season.
Meskimen was runner-up at both the WAMAC Conference and 3A state qualifying meet and is capable of jumping straight into the loaded lead pack in his second appearance at the state meet.
Solon senior Spencer Michels will end his career at the state meet after qualifying as an individual.
Michels finished 75th at the state meet as a sophomore in 2023 in 17:17.6 and will look to improve on that performance on Friday.
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