Cross-country assignments released

The cross-country assignments have been released and Union teams were divided up in each class. The top 3 teams from five districts in Class 3A and 2A qualify for state while the top two teams from eight districts in 1A advance. Class 3A runs Wednesday, Oct. 20 and 2A and 1A run Thursday, Oct. 21.

The Class 3A ranked Washington boys and girls teams were sent to Solon with Mt. Pleasant. Fairfield will be in Pella.

Class 2A Mid-Prairie will be in Williamsburg with Cardinal. Danville/New London will run at Anamosa where Tipton will be its competition.

Class 1A has Columbus in Iowa City with Hillcrest, Highland, WACO, Winfield-Mount Union. Pekin is hosting the 1A district at Ottumwa where Van Buren County will also run.

Ranked teams at Pella are the home team, at No. 8 in boys, 20th in girls; Clear Creek-Amana boys 15, girls 17; Gilbert boys 17, girls 7; Newton boys 14; Carlisle boys 12, girls 8; Ballard girls 3.

Solon is ranked first in girls, fifth in boys. Other ranked teams at Solon are Marion, boys second and girls 11th and Mount Vernon-Lisbon, boys seventh and girls 12th. Davenport Assumption girls are 19th.

“I'm glad we are going to Solon,” Washington head coach Stefanie Haworth said. “It won't be easy but we definitely have a shot at qualifying for the state meet as a team. We just have to leave it all out there.”

Washington ran against Marion and Solon at Saturday’s North Linn meet “so we know what they look like,” Haworth said. “That does help.”

Solon has a flat, fast course that some of the Demons have raced on in the past. Washington is the fourth ranked team at the meet with the boys 16th and the girls 18th.

Lance Sobaski ran the fastest Demon time ever on Saturday when he won the boys race in 16 minutes, 5 seconds. He was ranked seventh Oct. 6. Other ranked individuals will be Marion’s Shane Erb at fifth and Jedidiah Osgood eighth, Solon’s Brick Kabela 14th and Gabe Hinman 20th, and South Tama’s Tommy Tyynismaa at 27. Washington also has Micah Rees at 24.

Individual girls at Solon are Mt. Pleasant’s No. 20 Abby Blint, Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s No. 13 Laura Swart, with Solon’s No. 12 Emma Bock, No. 18 Kayla Young, No. 25 Gracie Federspiel, No. 29 Anna Quillin and Davenport Assumption’s No. 30 Morgan Jennings.

Columbus boys are ranked 14th. Other ranked boys teams at Iowa City are the home team Regals at 13, North Linn at 19.

Mid-Prairie is the top-ranked girls team and the Golden Hawk boys are fourth. The home course Raiders have the fifth-ranked girls and third ranked boys teams. Albia’s girls are 11 and Davis County 17. East Marshall’s boys are 19 and Chariton 20.

“The important thing is that we are one of two top-16 boys teams in this state qualifying meet,” Columbus head coach Steve Riley said. “I am very happy about being placed in this district, because it is one we can be very successful in. If we run the way we are capable, we can make it to the state meet again.”

Pekin’s girls are ranked third. Ranked girls team in that district are Collins-Maxwell at 18 and Pella Christian at 13.

Washington, Fairfield and Mt. Pleasant run Thursday in Burlington for the Southeast Conference meet.

“Right now, I'm trying to keep them focused on Thursday, although they were asking a lot of questions about the State Qualifying meet,” Haworth said. “So I know they are ready to go and ready to show everyone what they can do.”