FORT DODGE — It took the second-fastest time in state meet history to beat Marshalltown junior Preston Johnson, and he’s OK with that.

For now.

Johnson smashed the Marshalltown record and came within two seconds of winning a Class 4A title at the Iowa High School State Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course near Fort Dodge.

Cedar Falls senior Jaden Merrick won the 4A crown with a time of 14 minutes, 54.6 seconds, while Johnson earned second with his school-record time of 14:56.1 — the third-fastest time in state meet history. Iowa City Liberty junior Keegan Decker ran 14:59.0 and Sioux City North sophomore Kuma Gutema took fifth in 14:59.3, making it the fastest race in state meet history with four sub-15-minute performances.

Western Dubuque’s Quentin Nauman ran 14:48.3 a day earlier to claim the 3A title as the state record book got a rewrite.

And Johnson, content with second place for the time being, enjoyed every bit of the spectacle.

“I just hear that and think there’s a lot of upside, a lot of potential there, and it’s special to be a part of a state that’s so competitive,” he said. “It felt really cool to be a part of it and I gave it everything I had.”

Johnson became Marshalltown’s highest state meet finisher since Stephen Dak won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006, the latter of which came with a then-meet record time of 15:05. Johnson’s new mark smashed the standard for a Marshalltown program that has plenty of ink in the actual state meet program.

“He was so disappointed with last year and in June, when we were at cross country camp, he said ‘I’m training to be a state champion,'” said MHS head Chad Pietig. “That was his mindset, and every decision he has made since then has been with that goal of winning that title. He came up one spot short, but I don’t think anyone should be disappointed with that. It was a valiant effort.

“He’s the type of competitor where next year’s goal will be to win and it will probably be to leave his mark at the top. Not the top of the podium — the top of the list. That’s just what motivates him.”

Johnson qualified for state as one of three Bobcat individuals in his freshman season, finishing 92nd alongside John Moellers (67th) and James Johnson (113th). Last fall, the Bobcats made it to state as a team for the first time since 2010, but Johnson was ill for state and settled with 70th place.

That, too, was part of his motivation for this third trip to Fort Dodge.

“It was a really long wait,” Johnson said. “Since I started that race last year just feeling so horrible, I was just looking forward to when I could come here and prove what I could actually do. So it was really fun to come out there and actually run and feel good.

“I ran it exactly the way I wanted to and almost got Jaden at the end. I didn’t quite get him, but I’m very happy with today.”

Johnson was part of the lead group for the entire race, running in front for at least a half mile as well. He had the top spot when the leaders hit the two-mile mark in 9:34.3, but Merrick moved to the front again and held it for the remainder.

Johnson even fell behind Decker, who had defeated him at the Steve Johnson Invitational in Waverly earlier in the season, before the homestretch came into view.

One last push from Johnson put Decker behind him for the final 300-yard descent to the finish line, but Merrick would not be caught.

“The momentum was there,” Johnson said. “I’m happy with how it played out.”

Johnson was 0-for-3 against Merrick this season, trailing him at the Bobcat Invite, the state-qualifier meet, and at state. But he got closer every time he ran against the two-time defending state runner-up.

“Mid-race Preston made a move to drop everybody who shouldn’t be in that lead pack, and Jaden came back and countered,” Pietig said. “I mean, it took a record to beat him, which is pretty darn impressive when you think of that. I just think Preston looked really good, he looked in control.

“Jaden’s a two-time runner-up. This was his dream too, and he’s trained for this day just as hard and as long as Preston has. So one of them was going to come out on top. I think Preston should be proud of his effort, of his race, his strategy, his dedication. … That’s what it takes to run the third-fastest time in state meet history.”

Nunn notches 34th place

Marshalltown senior Carter Nunn made his second trip to state as well, running to a time of 16:06.0 for 34th place in his final showing at Fort Dodge.

Nunn was a part of the Bobcats’ state contingent a year earlier, when he took 27th in 16:03.4.

On Saturday, he was part of a pack that included eight runners finishing within 3.3 seconds of each other.

“Carter was in that spot where that group of guys were all evenly matched and he could have been as high as 20th or he could have been as far back as 40th,” said Pietig. “If you ran those 20 guys five times, you’d probably get five different results. He’s beaten half of them, but those same guys have beaten him before.

“I don’t think he has anything to be disappointed in.”

At the 1-mile mark, Nunn was running as high as 15th place. He went out in 4:53.2 before the pace caught up to him a bit.

“I’m just so proud of the young man he has turned into from that freshman year to now and the dedication to running and the teammate he’s become,” Pietig said. “He’s a good leader. He’s become all of those things that are going to make him successful in the future.”