Cedar Rapids Kennedy topples No. 1 Cedar Falls for MVC boys’ cross country championship

CEDAR FALLS — Years from now, when you scroll down the list of Mississippi Valley Conference boys’ cross country team champions, you won’t see an asterisk next to “2023 — Cedar Rapids Kennedy.”

Nor should you. This was a title well-deserved.

Led by individual champion Adam Gray, Kennedy earned its first MVC Super meet title in school history Thursday at Birdsall Park. The Cougars placed all five scorers in the top 17 and upset Class 4A top-ranked, short-handed Cedar Falls.

“It’s incredible,” senior Jacob Bruns said. “It’s all still soaking in.”

The final tally was Kennedy 40, Cedar Falls 62. Even had sidelined Tigers ace Jaden Merrick run, and won, the Cougars still would have taken home top honors by a 45-47 margin.

Kennedy is ranked No. 4. After Thursday’s conquest, a top-three podium spot at the state meet — the final weekend of October, at Fort Dodge — appears fully realistic.

“Definitely a huge confidence boost,” Bruns said. “We’re not going to get cocky. We’re going to keep working and see where it takes us.”

Four Cougars were in the upper eight-man cluster after the race’s initial stampede. In the second lap of the two-loop race, Gray passed Iowa City West’s Moustafa Tiea for the lead.

Dubuque Hempstead’s John Maloney drew even with Gray down the final stretch.

“As I was coming down the hill (with maybe 400 meters to go), I heard the Hempstead fans and coaches yelling to Maloney,” Gray said. “I thought, ‘Oh, boy, here we go.’

“At the playground (near the finish), he came up next to me, but my legs said, ‘No, it’s not happening.’ I just let it go.”

Gray finished in 16:04, Maloney in 16:05.

Bruns (16:08) was third, followed by Henry McMahan (seventh, 16:20), Reece Murray (12th, 16:46) and Slader Buckheister (17th, 16:49).

Tiea finished fourth in 16:10. Led by the 8-9 finish of Aidan Decker and Keegan Decker, Iowa City Liberty was third in the team race with 96 points.

Bennett Allred of Cedar Rapids Prairie was 10th.

MVC girls: Dubuque schools battle for top spots

In the girls’ competition, No. 2 Dubuque Senior outran No. 3 Hempstead by a 40-52 margin. Iowa City High was third with 82 points.

Hempstead’s Keelee Leitzen pulled away in the second half of the race, winning in 18:37. Nakia Olivierre of Waterloo West was next, 11 seconds later.

City’s Ani Wedemeyer was fourth in 18:58.

“I hadn’t run here since my freshman year,” said Wedemeyer, now a junior. “I wanted to get out fast and hang with the top group.”

Wedemeyer is one of the state’s premier 400/800 runners on the track.

“Track and cross country, they’re so different,” she said. “I love cross country because of the people, the weather and the environment.”

Kate Van Waning of Iowa City West was eighth; City’s Abigail Burns was 10th.

2023 Mississippi Valley Conference girls’ cross country Super meet results

TEAMS

1. Dubuque Senior 40, 2. Dubuque Hempstead 52, 3. Iowa City High 82, 4. Cedar Falls 103, 5. Linn-Mar 153, 6. Iowa City West 153, 7. C.R. Prairie 163, 8. Iowa City Liberty 180, 9. C.R. Kennedy 243, 10. C.R. Xavier 287, 11. C.R. Jefferson 353.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Keelee Leitzen (DH), 18:37; 2. Nakia Olivierre (Waterloo West), 18:48; 3. Leah Klapataukas (DS), 18:55; 4. Ani Wedemeyer (ICH), 18:58; 5. Julia Gehl (DH), 19:12; 6. Claire Hoyer (DS), 19:20; 7. Evie Henneberry (DH), 19:36; 8. Kate Van Waning (ICW), 19:41; 9. Lucy Murphy (Dubuque Wahlert), 19:43; 10. Abigail Burns (ICH), 19:46.

2023 Mississippi Valley Conference boys’ cross country Super meet results

TEAMS

1. C.R. Kennedy 40, 2. Cedar Falls 62, 3. Iowa City Liberty 96, 4. Dubuque Hempstead 120, 5. C.R. Prairie 134, 6. Iowa City High 149, 7. Dubuque Senior 153, 8. Iowa City West 186, 9. Linn-Mar 197, 10. Dubuque Wahlert 311, 11. Waterloo West 326, 12. C.R. Jefferson 363, 13. C.R. Washington 384, 14. C.R. Xavier 455.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Adam Gray (CRK), 16:04; 2. John Maloney (DH), 16:05; 3. Jacob Bruns (CRK), 16:08; 4. Moustafa Tiea (ICW), 16:10; 5. Ahmed Aldamak (CF), 16:13; 6. Luke Hartman (CF), 16:14; 7. Henry McMahan (CRK), 16:20; 8. Aidan Decker (ICL), 16:24; 9. Keegan Decker (ICL), 16:30; 10. Bennett Allred (CRP), 16:43.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com