The Championship Path at Lakeside Golf Course
The cross country season reaches its definitive conclusion this weekend with the two-day state meet at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. While Classes 1A and 2A open the action on Friday, the spotlight shifts Saturday to Classes 3A and 4A for the state title races. In a comprehensive breakdown published by Your Prep Sports, the Class 4A boys field shapes up as one of the most competitive and wide-open races in recent years.
Saturday’s Class 4A boys race is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. at Lakeside Golf Course. The event brings together the top teams and individual runners from across Iowa, setting the stage for a dramatic afternoon on the course.
A Vacant Throne in the Team Race
There will officially be a new team champion crowned in Class 4A this year. Last season’s title winner, Indianola, failed to qualify for the state meet, leaving the door wide open for a new program to claim the top spot. Last year, Indianola secured the crown with 102 points, narrowly edging out Cedar Falls by just two points.
Perennial power West Des Moines Dowling, last year’s runner-up Cedar Falls, and fast-rising Liberty High emerge as the primary contenders for the team title. Top-ranked West Des Moines Dowling chases its first state title since capturing three consecutive crowns ending in 2023. Cedar Falls aims to bounce back from its razor-thin margin of defeat last season to capture a second state title in three years.
Meanwhile, Liberty High pursues the first state title and highest finish in program history. The Lightning enter the weekend carrying strong momentum after dominating the Marshalltown state qualifying meet with a 50-point victory. Programs like Johnston, which finished fifth last year, and Waukee round out the top tier of contenders eyeing a spot on the awards balcony.
Chasing History at the Front of the Pack
The individual race promises an equally tight contest. Last season saw the top four finishers in Class 4A separated by less than five seconds. With the graduation of individual champion Jaden Merrick of Cedar Falls, a new champion will take the tape on Saturday.
However, the remaining runners from last year’s top five all return to Fort Dodge. A trio of competitors cracked the 15-minute barrier last season: Marshalltown senior Preston Johnson, Liberty High senior Keegan Decker, and Sioux City North junior Kuma Gutema. Decker has finished third at the state meet in each of the past two seasons and looks to secure the first individual state championship in Liberty High history.
Decker tuned up for the state meet with a blistering performance at the qualifying meet, finishing less than a second behind Johnson with a time of 15:03.6.
Area Teams Positioned for Deep Runs
Liberty High makes its seventh state appearance in the program’s ninth season, marking the deepest and most experienced roster in school history. Alongside Decker, sophomore Maxwell Kinzer provides a formidable presence at the front. Seniors Tayson Cho, Lars Hildebrand, and Colin Finch add multi-year state meet experience to the Lightning lineup.
City High returns to Fort Dodge for the third consecutive season and sixth time in seven years, hunting its first top-five finish since placing third in 2021. The Little Hawks earned a runner-up finish behind West Des Moines Dowling at the Iowa City qualifier, paced by junior Andrew Hamilton and three-time state qualifier David Randall. West High adds individual qualifiers Lars Pressler and junior Jake Weiler to the local contingent.
