CEDAR FALLS — Years from now, if you scroll down the listing of Mississippi Valley Convention boys’ cross nation group champions, you received’t see an asterisk subsequent to “2023 — Cedar Rapids Kennedy.”
Nor do you have to. This was a title well-deserved.
Led by particular person champion Adam Grey, Kennedy earned its first MVC Tremendous meet title at school historical past Thursday at Birdsall Park. The Cougars positioned all 5 scorers within the prime 17 and upset Class 4A top-ranked, short-handed Cedar Falls.
“It’s unimaginable,” senior Jacob Bruns mentioned. “It’s all nonetheless soaking in.”
The ultimate tally was Kennedy 40, Cedar Falls 62. Even had sidelined Tigers ace Jaden Merrick run, and received, the Cougars nonetheless would have taken residence prime honors by a 45-47 margin.
Kennedy is ranked No. 4. After Thursday’s conquest, a top-three podium spot on the state meet — the ultimate weekend of October, at Fort Dodge — seems totally practical.
“Positively an enormous confidence increase,” Bruns mentioned. “We’re not going to get cocky. We’re going to maintain working and see the place it takes us.”
4 Cougars had been within the higher eight-man cluster after the race’s preliminary stampede. Within the second lap of the two-loop race, Grey handed Iowa Metropolis West’s Moustafa Tiea for the lead.
Dubuque Hempstead’s John Maloney drew even with Grey down the ultimate stretch.
“As I used to be coming down the hill (with perhaps 400 meters to go), I heard the Hempstead followers and coaches yelling to Maloney,” Grey mentioned. “I assumed, ‘Oh, boy, right here we go.’
“On the playground (close to the end), he got here up subsequent to me, however my legs mentioned, ‘No, it’s not taking place.’ I simply let it go.”
Grey completed in 16:04, Maloney in 16:05.
Bruns (16:08) was third, adopted by Henry McMahan (seventh, 16:20), Reece Murray (twelfth, 16:46) and Slader Buckheister (seventeenth, 16:49).
Tiea completed fourth in 16:10. Led by the 8-9 end of Aidan Decker and Keegan Decker, Iowa Metropolis Liberty was third within the group race with 96 factors.
Bennett Allred of Cedar Rapids Prairie was tenth.
Within the ladies’ competitors, No. 2 Dubuque Senior outran No. 3 Hempstead by a 40-52 margin. Iowa Metropolis Excessive was third with 82 factors.
Hempstead’s Keelee Leitzen pulled away within the second half of the race, profitable in 18:37. Nakia Olivierre of Waterloo West was subsequent, 11 seconds later.
Metropolis’s Ani Wedemeyer was fourth in 18:58.
“I hadn’t run right here since my freshman yr,” mentioned Wedemeyer, now a junior. “I needed to get out quick and hold with the highest group.”
Wedemeyer is among the state’s premier 400/800 runners on the observe.
“Observe and cross nation, they’re so completely different,” she mentioned. “I like cross nation due to the individuals, the climate and the atmosphere.”
Kate Van Waning of Iowa Metropolis West was eighth; Metropolis’s Abigail Burns was tenth.
Women outcomes
TEAMS
1. Dubuque Senior 40, Dubuque Hempstead 52, 3. Iowa Metropolis Excessive 82, 4. Cedar Falls 103, 5. Linn-Mar 153, 6. Iowa Metropolis West 153, 7. C.R. Prairie 163, 8. Iowa Metropolis Liberty 180, 9. C.R. Kennedy 243, 10. C.R. Xavier 287, 11. C.R. Jefferson 353.
INDIVIDUALS
1. Keelee Leitzen (DH), 18:37; 2. Nakia Olivierre (Waterloo West), 18:48; 3. Leah Klapataukas (DS), 18:55; 4. Ani Wedemeyer (ICH), 18:58; 5. Julia Gehl (DH), 19:12; 6. Claire Hoyer (DS), 19:20; 7. Evie Henneberry (DH), 19:36; 8. Kate Van Waning (ICW), 19:41; 9. Lucy Murphy (Dubuque Wahlert), 19:43; 10. Abigail Burns (ICH), 19:46.
Boys outcomes
TEAMS
1. C.R. Kennedy 40, 2. Cedar Falls 62, 3. Iowa Metropolis Liberty 96, 4. Dubuque Hempstead 120, 5. C.R. Prairie 134, 6. Iowa Metropolis Excessive 149, 7. Dubuque Senior 153, 8. Iowa Metropolis West 186, 9. Linn-Mar 197, 10. Dubuque Wahlert 311, 11. Waterloo West 326, 12. C.R. Jefferson 363, 13. C.R. Washington 384, 14. C.R. Xavier 455.
INDIVIDUALS
1. Adam Grey (CRK), 16:04; 2. John Maloney (DH), 16:05; 3. Jacob Bruns (CRK), 16:08; 4. Moustafa Tiea (ICW), 16:10; 5. Ahmed Aldamak (CF), 16:13; 6. Luke Hartman (CF), 16:14; 7. Henry McMahan (CRK), 16:20; 8. Aidan Decker (ICL), 16:24; 9. Keegan Decker (ICL), 16:30; 10. Bennett Allred (CRP), 16:43.
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