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Kickers, indeed: The state’s best cross country boys gather at the MVC meet
Western Dubuque’s Quentin Nauman will be there, along with Cedar Falls’ Jaden Merrick and Iowa City Liberty’s Keegan Decker
Oct. 8, 2025 2:12 pm, Updated: Oct. 8, 2025 2:33 pm
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IOWA CITY — It’s quite fitting that a venue named Kickers will be the site of this running spectacle.
You’ve got Western Dubuque’s Quentin Nauman. You’ve got Jaden Merrick of Cedar Falls. You’ve got Keegan Decker of Iowa City Liberty.
Kickers, all.
Flyers. Sub-15 guys.
The Mississippi Valley Conference cross country championships are Thursday at Kickers Soccer Complex, south of Iowa City. The boys’ race couldn’t be more star-studded.
A senior who has pledged to run at the University of Oregon, Nauman is the reigning Class 3A state champion (and an eight-time state champion in track and field). He, of course, is the top-ranked individual in 3A.
Merrick (a senior) and Decker (a junior) are No. 1 and No. 2 in 4A.
At the Jim Boughton Invitational at Dubuque on Sept. 26, all three of them clipped the 15-minute barrier.
Nauman won in 14:39, then it was Decker in 14:49 and Merrick in 14:50.
Yeah, this is going to be fast, even though the Kickers course isn’t considered a course conducive to blazing times.
The girls’ varsity race is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., with the boys toeing the line at 4.
Merrick was the 4A state runner-up last year; Decker was third.
But that’s not the end of it. Six other 4A top-15 runners are expected to be in the field: Adam Gray and Slader Buckheister of Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Cole Carrizales and Kyle Johnson of Cedar Rapids Prairie, Ethan Cheney of Linn-Mar and Dominic Williams of Cedar Falls.
Cedar Falls and Cedar Rapids Prairie are expected to compete for the boys’ team title. The Tigers are ranked second in 4A; the Hawks are No. 3. Dubuque Senior and Iowa City High also are in the top 10.
Sophomore Charlee Gall of Cedar Falls is the state’s top-ranked girls’ runner in 4A. Gall placed third at state as a freshman.
Challengers include Emma Chesterman of Dubuque Senior, Nakia Ollivierre of Waterloo West, Abigail Burns of City High and Hailey Kozloski of Linn-Mar.
At No. 5, City High is the highest-ranked team in the girls’ field. Dubuque Senior is sixth, Cedar Falls ninth.
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
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