Preseason cross-country rankings released

The preseason cross-country rankings by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches have been released and there is no surprise at all that Mid-Prairie is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A girls. The defending champions three consecutive years, the Golden Hawks have a quite a streak going.

Then again maybe it is a surprise that Mid-Prairie is ranked first because three-time individual champion Marie Hostetler, who has run the fastest time at the state meet regardless of class, has graduated.

Well Mid-Prairie was a lot more than Marie because it wasn't just an individual title, the Golden Hawks also won the team title under Hostetler's father, Mark. Coach Hostetler also has the boys team in the rankings in Class 2A at No. 14.

Danville-New London, a Southeast Iowa Super Conference team, is also highly regarded with a No. 2 ranking in Class 2A boys. They finished sixth at state last year in Class 2A. A fellow SEISC team in Pekin has its boys at No. 9 in Class 1A while Pekin's girls are No. 4 in 1A.

PRESEASON CROSS COUNTRY RANKINGS

(Iowa Association of Track Coaches)

CLASS 4A GIRLS

1. Linn-Mar, 2. Johnston, 3. Southeast Polk, 4. West Des Moines Valley, 5. Iowa City High, 6. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 7. Dubuque Senior, 8. Western Dubuque, 9. Urbandale, 10. Waukee, 11. Bettendorf, 12. West Des Moines Dowling, 13. Sioux City East, 14. Dubuque Hempstead, 15. Iowa City Liberty.

CLASS 3A GIRLS

1. Ballard, 2. Dallas Center-Grimes, 3. Dubuque Wahlert, 4. Harlan, 5. Sioux City Heelan, 6. Solon, 7. Center Point-Urbana, 8. Monticello, 9. Glenwood, 10. Charles City, 11. Adel ADM, 12. Decorah, 13. Spencer, 14. Pella, 15. Grinnell.

CLASS 2A GIRLS

1. Mid-Prairie, 2. Williamsburg, 3. Jesup, 4. Starmont, 5. WC-KP, 6. Unity Christian, 7. Davis County, 8. Cherokee, 9. Dike-New Hartford, 10. Tipton, 11. Waukon, 12. Denver, 13. Emmetsburg, 14. Chariton, 15. Sibley-Ocheyedan.

CLASS 1A GIRLS

1. Iowa City Regina, 2. Van Meter, 3. Manson-NW Webster, 4. Pekin, 5. Avoca AHSTW, 6. Hudson, 7. Guthrie Center ACGC, 8. Aplington-Parkersburg, 9. Lansing Kee, 10. Madrid, 11. Fort Dodge St. Edmond, 12. Sumner-Fredericksburg, 13. Nashua-Plainfield, 14. North Linn, 15. Nodaway Valley.

CLASS 4A BOYS

1. Dubuque Hempstead, 2. Sioux City North, 3. Cedar Falls, 4. West Des Moines Dowling, 5. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 6. Johnston, 7. Pleasant Valley, 8. Iowa City West, 9. Iowa City Liberty, 10. Ames, 11. Waukee, 12. Southeast Polk, 13. Iowa City High, 14. Urbandale, 15. Ankeny Centennial.

CLASS 3A BOYS

1. Dallas Center Grimes, 2. Center Point-Urbana, 3. Clear Creek Amana, 4. Dubuque Wahlert, 5. North Polk, 6. Marion, 7. Decorah, 8. Humboldt, 9. Pella, 10. Monticello, 11. Waverly-Shell Rock, 12. Carlisle, 13. Atlantic, 14. Gilbert, 15. Grinnell.

CLASS 2A BOYS

1. Davis County, 2. Danville-New London, 3. Albia, 4. Tipton, 5. Denver, 6. Western Christian, 7. Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck; 8. Des Moines Christian, 9. North Fayette Valley, 10. Camanche, 11. GLR-Central Lyon, 12. Williamsburg, 13. Okoboji, 14. Mid-Prairie, 15. Treynor.

CLASS 1A BOYS

1. Madrid, 2. Earlham, 3. Calamus-Wheatland, 4. Nodaway Valley, 5. Maquoketa Valley, 6. South Winneshiek, 7. West Fork, 8. Mason City Newman, 9. Pekin, 10. Ogden, 11. Tri-Center, 12. Le Mars Gehlen, 13. Council Bluffs St. Albert, 14. Saint Ansgar, 15. East Marshall.