Led by Quentin Nauman, MVC’s elite cross country trio doesn’t disappoint

IOWA CITY — Set your standards high, and you’re prone to disappointment.

These guys didn’t disappoint.

In what he called “Round 2,” Western Dubuque’s Quentin Nauman pulled a rerun from Round 1.

Nauman outdueled Cedar Falls’ Jaden Merrick and Iowa City Liberty’s Keegan Decker at the end to claim the boys’ individual title at the Mississippi Valley Conference cross country meet Thursday afternoon at Kickers Soccer Complex.

The top-ranked runner in Class 3A, Nauman was clocked in 14:43, Merrick 14:48, Decker 14:49.

Merrick and Decker are rated 1-2 in Class 4A.

Nauman’s stopwatch measured the course at 3.14 miles.

“Close enough,” Nauman said (a regulation 5K course translates to 3.10 miles). “It’s better than being 200 meters long, like it used to be.”

The elite trio ran together for the majority of the race before Nauman’s closing kick took hold at the end.

“I wanted to lead more at the start of the race,” the University of Oregon commit said. “I’m trying to figure out pacing. I need to get used to how the race goes out, because that’s how it’s going to be at state, and after state.”

Nauman, Merrick and Decker all went sub-15 at the Jim Boughton Invitational last week in Dubuque, then did it again Thursday.

“My plan was to hang onto Quentin as long as possible,” said Decker, the only junior of the three (Merrick, like Nauman, is a senior).

“This course is much harder than the one in Dubuque was. I’m happy with how I did with some great competition.”

Cedar Falls’ boys and Iowa City High’s girls were team champions, and both won comfortably.

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All five of Cedar Falls’ five scorers finished in the top 15, and the Tigers tallied 46 points. Cedar Rapids Prairie was second with 95, followed by City High (103) and Dubuque Senior (107).

City High rode a 3-5-7 finish from Abigail Burns, Grace Hamann and Eliza Doster to capture the girls’ title with 49 points. Dubuque Senior (71), Cedar Falls (87) and Linn-Mar (124) rounded out the top four.

The Little Hawks placed six runners in the top 20.

“Our pack is something that we’ve been working on all season,” Burns said. “That’s what we do during workouts.”

Cedar Falls’ Charlee Gall held off Senior’s Emma Chesterman to claim the girls’ individual title in 17:54. Chesterman was clocked in 17:55, then it was Burns in 18:12.

“I felt really strong,” said Burns, a senior. “I was really determined that I was going to stick with it.

“We always thought that we could be a contender at state, and we proved that today.”

Linn-Mar’s Hailey Kozloski was the top Metro girl, in sixth.

In a crowded boys’ race behind the Nauman/Merrick/Decker troika, Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Slader Buckheister and Adam Gray were fourth and fifth, both in 15:32.

Linn-Mar’s Ethan Cheney was seventh; Prairie’s Kyle Johnson eighth.

Mississippi Valley Conference cross country championships

At Iowa City (Kickers Soccer Complex)

Girls Results

TEAMS

1. Iowa City High 49, 2. Dubuque Senior 71, 3. Cedar Falls 87, 4. Linn-Mar 124, 5. C.R. Prairie 161, 6. Iowa City West 193, 7. C.R. Xavier 214, 8. Dubuque Hempstead 216, 9. Dubuque Wahlert 228, 10. Iowa City Liberty 229, 11. Western Dubuque 228, 12. Waterloo West 378, 13. C.R. Washington 386, 14. C.R. Jefferson 433, 15. C.R. Kennedy 436.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Charlee Gall (CF), 17:54; 2. Emma Chesterman (Dbq Senior), 17:55; 3. Abigail Burns (City), 18:12; 4. Nakia Ollivierre (Wat West), 18:26; 5. Grace Hamann (City), 18:41; 6. Hailey Kozloski (Linn-Mar), 18:43; 7. Eliza Doster (City), 18:54; 8. Lucy Murphy (Wahlert), 19:02; 9. Reese Wiley (Prairie), 19:15; 10. Mia Deegan (Xavier), 19:19.

Boys Results

TEAMS

1. Cedar Falls 46, 2. C.R. Prairie 95, 3. Iowa City High 103, 4. Dubuque Senior 107, 5. C.R. Kennedy 140, 6. Dubuque Hempstead 148, 7. Linn-Mar 158, 8. Iowa City Liberty 164, 9. Iowa City West 195, 10. Western Dubuque 267, 11. C.R. Xavier 366, 12. Dubuque Wahlert 371, 13. Waterloo West 380, 14. C.R. Jefferson 429, 15. C.R. Washington 429.

INDIVIDUALS

1. Quentin Nauman (Western Dubuque), 14:43; 2. Jaden Merrick (CF), 14:48; 3. Keegan Decker (Liberty), 14:49; 4. Slader Buckheister (Kennedy), 15:32; 5. Adam Gray (Kennedy), 15:32; 6. Dominic Williams (CF), 15:35; 7. Ethan Cheney (Linn-Mar), 15:36; 8. Kyle Johnson (Prairie), 15:36; 9. Linus McRoberts (City), 15:54; 10. Porter Myers (CF), 15:54.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com