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Boys runners finish sixth in Class 4A race at Ft. Dodge
by Matthew Dickinson, sports editor · Sports · November 06, 2024
The Iowa City High boys’ cross country team ended a breakthrough season with a sixth-place finish in Class 4A with 198 points Friday afternoon at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
“There was some disappointment with some boys, but my disappointment is reflected in that I feel for them,” City High Head Coach Jayme Skay said. “From my perspective, they ran a very good race. We got out slowly and then had to fight our way up. They ran their hearts and their guts out.
Skay added that the Little Hawks could have taken on the top of the field with a faster start, as City High held firm against plenty of the top teams throughout the course of the regular season.
After not qualifying for state as a team last year and sending one individual senior to the state meet, City High licked its wounds and posted a tremendous campaign on the strength of improved efforts from the returning six runners on the district meet squad.
The extra year of work culminated in a third-place ranking heading into the meet and a district win out of Bettendorf in which the Little Hawks had four individual qualifiers out of five scoring runners.
City High’s turnaround was even more impressive after the Little Hawks graduated the majority of a core in 2022 that had captured a third-place team trophy in 2021 and stayed competitive the following year with a seventh-place finish.
“The nice thing was that they set the bar high and the expectations higher,” Skay said of the class of 2022.
The state meet was a fresh experience for all the runners, leading Skay to temper expectations a bit. Despite the inexperience, City High finished in the top half of the final standings. Cedar Falls won with 73 points, followed by Dowling with 91. Cedar Rapids Prairie captured the final team trophy with 122. Dallas Center-Grimes took fourth with 167 while Norwalk placed fifth with 191.
“If we would have made it last year, they would have had it out of their system,” Skay said of the team’s inexperience at state. “On paper, it’s a big race and that may cause some nerves. But in reality we’ve run against tougher competition and those same teams and done very well. So it’s just the mindset of how you look at it.”
Juniors Max McDowell and Linus McRoberts led the pack for City High. McDowell took 30th in 16:08.6 while McRoberts placed 36th in 16:14.6 after leading the Little Hawks in several races this season. Skay said that McRoberts “has been an excellent leader” and that McDowell stepped up as well against the elite field.
Sophomore Emmett Palmberg followed with a 16:23.8 for 51st while senior George Karr had a 16:30.3 for 61st. Junior Jarris Prottsman rounded out the scoring runners with a 16:46.8 for 85th.
Sophomore David Randall had a 16:58.2 for 99th while senior Adam Schaefer placed 110th in 17:14.6.
“I think the leadership from our juniors is going to be important next year as seniors, so this is a great, great learning experience for them,” the coach said. “Even Palmberg and Randall–what a great experience for them. It’s quite a privilege. You earn that pressure, then.”
A senior class full of talent and leadership also helped keep City High’s tradition of excellence going.
“I have to give credit to the seniors, not just the ones that are racing varsity,” Skay said. “The entire group is a really good group of kids, and the culture that they have created for the team and the program is a huge payoff. We look forward to practice and are sad that the season is over and we have to say goodbye to them.”
City High has plenty of reason for optimism, with all runners except for Karr and Schaefer returning with state meet experience. The Little Hawks’ junior varsity roster also has plenty of firepower to draw from after winning several meets and putting up individual victories.
“I think the future is very bright,” the coach said. “The foundation’s been laid by the seniors and the alumni in the past few years. You watch the eyes of those younger kids, and they look up to the underclassmen. That’s a lot of weight on their shoulders, but that’s what builds a great program. We have great kids, and that’s all we try to do is recruit great kids. If you want to get better at long distance running, it takes time and commitment.
Team scores: 1. Cedar Falls 73 2. Dowling Catholic 91 3. Cedar Rapids Prairie 122 4. Dallas Center-Grimes 167 5. Norwalk 191 6. Iowa City High 198 7. Waukee Northwest 206 8. Ankeny 218 9. Iowa City Liberty 225 10. Bettendorf 236 11. Ames 255 12. Waukee 274 13. Marshalltown 275 14. Johnston 291 15. Indianola 292.
All-State runners: 1. Ethan Zuber (ANK) 15:01.2; 2. Jaden Merrick (CF) 15:08.0; 3. Keegan Decker (ICL) 15:10.1; 4. Slader Buckheister (CRK) 15:29.6; 5. Owen Marett (Des Moines Roosevelt) 15:32.0; 6. Jack Crossland (JOHN) 15:33.3; 7. Kuma Gutema (Sioux City North) 15:33.7; 8. Jack Flori (DC) 15:34.9; 9. Moustafa Tiea (Iowa City West) 15:38.3; 10. Dominic Williams (CF) 15:39.4; 11. AJ Willey (BETT) 15:39.8; 12. Adam Gray (CRK) 15:41.6; 13. Owen Wolfe (DC) 15:41.8; 14. Teagan Kralik (Norwalk) 15:45.4; 15. John Moellers (Marshalltown) 15:50.1.
City High results: 30. Max McDowell 16:08.6; 36. Linus McRoberts 16:14.6; 51. Emmett Palmberg 16:23.8; 61. George Karr 16:30.3; 85. Jarris Prottsman 16:46.8; 99. David Randall 16:58.2; 110. Adam Schaefer 17:14.6.
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