Pekin vying to get back on top

Pekin, which sat atop the Class 1A girls? cross-country ranking every week this season, dropped back to No. 3 in the poll entering the state meet.

Luckily for the Panthers, they now have the chance to settle it all on Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. With more than an expected 5,000 fans and a total of 989 athletes at the co-ed state cross-country meet, Pekin will by vying for its second Class 1A title in three years. The Panthers were up to Class 2A a season ago and were forced to settle for a runner-up finish ? something that certainly hasn?t been forgotten about in 2010.

Coming off a regional meet that saw Celsey Conger, Kaitlin Spilman and Brenna Conger sweep the top three spots, Pekin?s biggest competition will come in the form of the two teams that have jumped ahead in the rankings ? Tri-Center and Earlham.

Tri-Center senior Ashley Corrin leads her team after taking 16th in the individual race last year. Corrin missed the first half of the season, but came back strong to win both the conference and regional titles. Sophomore Alex Larson was ninth and junior Ashtyn Alfers was 15th and bring a healthy dose of state-meet experience.

Ealham enters as a relative newcomer to state competition, but has certainly come on in the last half of 2010 and have three runners also competing in the individual race including its regional?s third-place finisher Abbey Murphy.

Along with the top three, Pekin head coach Davis Eidahl will have Maleaha Earnest, Samantha Wright, Hannah Robison and Kayla Chandler, who ran on the 2008?s championship team, in his ?team to beat? lineup. The group has remained largely in tact for much of the year and has yet to lose a meet against 1A competition.

Clinton Prince of Peace?s Audrey Griffin is a two-time runner up at the state meet, but took fourth behind Pekin?s top three finishers at the regional meet in Wapello last week.

The gun is set to fire for the Panthers at 2 p.m. in Fort Dodge.

Laux eyes top-10 finish

Pekin junior Phillip Laux will be making his first appearance at the state cross country meet, but there is a top-10 finish in his sights.

Laux has run against top-notch competition all season including 2009 champion Bill Spencer of IMS, who is back as Class 1A?s top-ranked runners. Wapello?s Bennett and Chase Moser have also had the best of Laux this season, but all three are in the conversation for the best runners in the state.

Laux, currently ranked No. 16 by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches, will begin his run at 2:30 p.m.