Iowans Produce Strong Finishes At Nike NXR Cross Country Races

Canaan Dunham, Quentin Nauman with Top 5 performances

Pella's Canaan Dunham celebrates after finishing his race during the class 3A boys race in the High School Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Two of the top distance runners in Iowa high school cross country history battled once more this past weekend at the Nike Cross Country Heartland Regional Championships held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota from Yankton Trail Park.

Canaan Dunham of Pella High School finished second overall in the boys championship 5K, clocking a time of 15:05. The race was one by Sean Fries from Minnesota.

Quentin Nauman from Western Dubuque, who bested Dunham for the Class 3A Iowa high school state cross country championship earlier this year in record-breaking fashion, placed fourth overall in 15:08.

Almost Half of Top 20 Came From Iowa High School Runners

In all, Iowa high school cross country runners recorded seven of the Top 20 finishes in the boys championship.

Jaden Merrick from Cedar Falls was 10th overall, Jack Crossland of Johnston was 13th, Keegan Decker of Iowa City Liberty placed 15th, Marshalltown’s Preston Johnson was 16th and Emerson Vokes from Grundy Center was 20th. Logan Bleich of Gilbert finished 26th overall.

Cedar Falls was fifth in the team race and Gilbert placed 12th.

Merrick captured the 4A Iowa high school state cross country title this past season, running the second-fastest state time behind only Nauman. Vokes won a second consecutive state championship.

Charlee Gall Leads Iowa Runners at Nike Event

Cedar Falls’ Charlee Gall finishes her high school girls 3000-meter run in the Drake Relays at Drake Stadium on April 24, 2025, in Des, Moines, Iowa / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the girls championship, Charlee Gall of Cedar Falls was the highest finisher from Iowa, placing 10th overall. Maddie Gullickson of Minnesota won the race in 16:49.

Gall posted a time of 17:45, as Pella’s Marissa Ferebee was 16th, McKenna Montgomerty from Albia finished 18th, Evelyn Moeller of Mount Vernon/Lisbon was 22nd, Pella’s Elsie Brenneman finished 23rd and Lili Denton of Council Bluffs St. Albert was 26th.

Pella finished third overall and could advance as an at-large selection. Pleasant Valley was fifth in the team standings.

Ferebee won her third consecutive Iowa high school state cross country individual title, leading Pella to a fourth team crown. Montgomery won Albia’s first title in 2A and Denton claimed a second crown in 1A.

Iowans also competed in several other races at the event including sectionals and rising stars races. Andrew Allen of Cedar Rapids Xavier was the race winner in the Rising Stars Division 5K in 16:42.

The Nike NXR Heartland race is one of eight regional events held around the United States to provide an opportunity for cross country runners to compete. This regional comprises seven states including Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri and Wisconsin.

The fields are limited to around 30 teams and 50-to-60 individuals from all seven states, as determined by a committee. 

Ferebee was a race winner last year. 

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