What is it specifically that could separate Gilbert from ev- eryone else in 3A? It starts with that aforementioned trio. There are a number of teams from Davenport to Sioux City that have one superstar runner. There are a handful of teams that have a dynamic duo. But to have three inter- changeable talents? That’s incredibly rare. And that’s Gilbert. Bleich, a junior, is a two-time Raccoon River Conference individual champion and has placed eighth and fifth in his two state-meet runs. Tallman, another junior, has two top- 10 state performances as well; he was ninth as a freshman and then led the Tigers with a fourth-place result a season ago. Squiers, a senior, was perhaps a surprise all-state per- former in 2023 when he placed 12th, but a season ago he was right on the heels of his teammates. He was the indi- vidual gold medalist at the state qualifier when Gilbert put up a perfect score, and then he finished sixth overall at state. “There are plenty of teams that have two good runners,
but when you have three that, last year, finished in the top six at state, that puts a lot of pressure on other teams,” Thomas said. “They’ve got to have a couple of runners that can maybe break them up, and then their fourth and fifth runners have to be really good, too.” Those three alone back in the fold would make the Tigers a 3A contender, but when you add in fellow state returners Emrick Ryan and Preston Stensland, you have a team built for success. Ryan, a senior, positioned himself into a scoring role throughout the 2024 season and just missed his own indi- vidual trip to the podium at state, as he placed 16th overall. The confidence he gained a season ago, coupled with an outstanding spring season on the track, makes Ryan an in- triguing figure in 2025. Could Gilbert have four top-10 indi- viduals? Hey, it’s not out of the realm of possibility. “Emrick has really stepped up his training,” Thomas said. “During workouts, he’s behind our top three guys, but they’re within sight. He trains with those guys every day and that gives him a lot of confidence.”
52 GAME ON | FALL 2025
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