Western Dubuque’s Quentin Nauman kicks to a sub-15 state cross country championship

FORT DODGE — There was no complex race strategy for Quentin Nauman.

It came down to this:

Locate Canaan Dunham. Run with him. Then, when the moment is right ... strike.

“Canaan is an outstanding athlete, an outstanding pacer, such a nice kid,” Nauman said. “But I knew if it came down to the last 800 (meters), I had a really good chance.”

True to playbook, the Western Dubuque junior ruled the final stage of the race and captured the Class 3A boys’ championship at the state cross country meet Friday morning at Lakeside Golf Course.

Recommended Reading

Photos: 2024 Iowa high school state cross country 3A and 4A races

His time: 14 minutes, 59 seconds. That’s a 3A state-meet record and the second-fastest time, all-class, all-time. Only Jackson Heidesch (West Des Moines Dowling, 2022) has run faster.

“My freshman year, I asked (Heidesch) for a picture together,” Nauman said. “He was nice enough to do it.”

Now it’s Nauman’s world, with the pictures (no autographs yet) and the interviews and the glory. He ended up winning the race by 17 seconds over his friendly rival from Pella.

“I got out well,” he said. “I went out the first 50 meters and looked to my left. There’s Canaan.”

  Buy Photo

The duo ran the first mile in 4:50, the second in 4:52. Dunham had a two-stride lead with a half-mile to go, then Nauman surged.

Both of the team races were runaways. Led by a historic race from junior Marissa Ferebee, Pella’s girls went 1-2-3, scored 23 points and won by 119.

Sioux Center (142), Mount Vernon-Lisbon (145) and Solon (190) were second, third and fourth.

Ferebee smoked the girls’ all-class state-meet record, running in 16:30. That bettered the old mark of 16:48 (Paityn Noe, Ballard, 2022).

“It was definitely a goal to break that,” Ferebee said. “I think everybody is going to remember the Pella Dutch for these next couple of years.”

Ferebee wore a gold lightning bolt on a necklace.

“One of my teammates gave me that, and I think it’s symbolic,” Ferebee said. “Lightning is quick, it’s powerful, and it’s also beautiful.

“I think we’re the best team in Iowa. We’re going to stick around and watch the 4A races this afternoon.”

  Buy Photo

Gilbert’s boys (33 points) also set an all-time class low and repeated. All five of the Tigers’ scorers placed in the top 16.

Last year’s 2A champion, Des Moines Christian was second with 78 points, followed by Pella (92). Decorah and Mount Vernon-Lisbon were fourth and fifth.

Evelyn Moeller led the Mount Vernon-Lisbon girls’ effort. She was 10th to cross the line, in 18:59.

“It was really hard out there,” she said. “I probably went out too fast; it was faster than I wanted. You can’t go out there and be 100th early in the race and rally enough to finish in the top 15.

“We wanted second, but this is OK. Third is still really good.”

Maquoketa’s Izzy Hardin was the top area girl — fifth, in 18:35.

  Buy Photo

Grady Olberding of Mount Vernon-Lisbon was seventh in the boys’ competition.

“I’m really proud,” he said. “This is my last state meet, and I wanted to enjoy every moment.”

Cedar Rapids Xavier had a pair of top-20 finishers: Andrew Allen was 17th in the boys’ race (and the top freshman), and Mia Deegan was the 18th girl to cross.

2024 Iowa state cross country championships

At Lakeside Golf Course, Fort Dodge

Class 3A Iowa high school girls’ state cross country results

TEAMS

1. Pella 23

2. Sioux Center 142

3. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 145

4. Solon 190

5. Winterset 193

6. Harlan 205

7. Glenwood 211

8. Marion 216

9. MOC-Floyd Valley 228

10. Gilbert 228

11. North Polk 246

12. Washington 265

13. Clear Lake 272

14. Decorah 277

15. Des Moines Christian 282

INDIVIDUALS

1. Marissa Ferebee (Pella), 16:30 (state record)

2. Elsie Brenneman (Pella), 17:58

3. Ruth Dunham (Pella), 18:23

4. Lindsey Sonderman (Harlan), 18:29

5. Izzy Hardin (Maquoketa), 18:35

6. Grace Berglund (Pella), 18:42

7. Addison Bertrand (Sioux City Heelan), 18:47

8. Kyliee Zylstra (Grinnell), 18:53

9. Natalie Anderson (MOC-Floyd Valley), 18:58

10. Evelyn Moeller (Mount Vernon-Lisbon), 18:59

11. Mara Schiebout (Pella), 19:01

12. Carleigh Altwine (Pella), 19:02

13. Alexis Hergenreter (North Polk), 19:02

14. Lizzy Vandevoort (Pella), 19:05

15. Ava Hope (Winterset), 19:09

16. Maven Smith (Winterset), 19:13

17. Lucy Murphy (Dubuque Wahlert), 19:16

18. Mia Deegan (Cedar Rapids Xavier), 19:16

19. Ashlyn Rau (Harlan), 19:20

20. Sydney Dee (Solon), 19:24

Class 3A Iowa high school boys’ state cross country results

TEAMS

1. Gilbert 33

2. Des Moines Christian 78

3. Pella 92

4. Decorah 142

5. Mount Vernon-Lisbon 196

6. Grinnell 206

7. Washington 219

8. Central DeWitt 257

9. Adel ADM 263

10. Davenport Assumption 265

11. MOC-Floyd Valley 265

12. Bondurant-Farrar 266

13. Sioux Center 268

14. Clear Creek Amana 273

15. Carlisle 286.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Quentin Nauman (Western Dubuque), 14:59 (3A state record)

2. Canaan Dunham (Pella), 15:16

3. Caleb Ten Pas (DM Christian), 15:27

4. Jacob Tallman (Gilbert), 15:30

5. Logan Bleich (Gilbert), 15:34

6. Carson Squiers (Gilbert), 15:38

7. Grady Olberding (Mount Vernon-Lisbon), 15:54

8. Austin Soldwisch (Waverly-Shell Rock), 15:58

9. Josh Hagenberg (DM Christian), 16:17

10. Kael Streeter (Carlisle), 16:17

11. Isaac Rankin (Knoxville), 16:17

12. Emmett Barber (Gilbert), 16:20

13. Andrew Rees (Washington), 16:20

14. Luke Hagenberg (DM Christian), 16:25

15. Jayden Brookins (Dubuque Wahlert), 16:25

16. Emrick Ryan (Gilbert), 16:28

17. Andrew Allen (Cedar Rapids Xavier), 16:30

18. Matthew Dahm (Sioux Center), 16:30

19. Liam Crites (Grinnell), 16:31

20. Mason Gaulke (Pella), 16:36.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com