MVC cross country Super meet features 1-vs.-2 battle in the boys’ race

If the most recent Iowa Association of Track Coaches individual rankings are accurate, the top two male runners in the state will go head to head Thursday.

Dubuque Hempstead’s Derek Leicht and Iowa City West’s Alex McKane are ranked 1-2 in Class 4A. They will be the stars of the show at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super cross country meet at Irv Warren Golf Course at Byrnes Park in Waterloo.

Competition begins at 3:15 p.m. The varsity girls race is at 4:10, boys at 4:40.

Hempstead is the favorite in both team races.

Paced by Leicht, the Hempstead boys are ranked No. 3 in 4A. Iowa City High (No. 4) and Cedar Falls (No. 6) are expected to push the Mustangs.

Ranked sixth individually, Ford Washburn leads a junior-laden cast for City High. Miles Wilson of Cedar Rapids Kennedy is rated ninth.

Hempstead’s girls are ranked No. 3. Dubuque Senior is seventh; Western Dubuque is No. 2 in 3A.

Iowa City Liberty’s Ashlyn Keeney is the highest ranked MVC girl, at No. 5 in 4A. Hempstead’s trio of Julia Gehl, Keelee Leitzen and Brooke O’Brien are 10th, 12th and 13th.

Leitzen won the individual state title last year as a freshman.

Thursday’s competition is the opening of “championship season” in cross country. MVC divisionals are next week, along with conference meets throughout the area. State-qualifying meets are Oct. 20-21; the state meet is Oct. 29-30 at Lakeside Golf Course near Fort Dodge.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com