Rankings determine how teams got survive in tournament

One assumes the postseason path to the state tournament is predetermined by geography. In actuality, the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union groups teams together so that the best eight teams, in the opinion of the Union, make state. Geography is Jerry-rigged and seemingly accomplished very successfully this year.

Rankings and polls often mean a lot to teams that are listed and the fans. Polls and rankings often are fodder for debate. In most polls, rankings are determined from voters with a weighted system for where each team is placed in a top 10.

However, the IGHSAU publishes its own poll and it is crucial where a team is listed because when the postseason is drawn into brackets, those specific rankings are a large influence on how teams are grouped.

The girls Union was right on target in Class 1A with its top eight teams reaching the state tournament. The eighth (Springville), ninth (Winfield-Mount Union) and 10th (Notre Dame) ranked teams were in the same regional and No. 8 made it to state.

Class 3A Region 7 had teams ranked 10, 12 and 15. None made it. Davenport Assumption was one of three unranked teams to qualify for state.

In 2A, No. 1 Maquoketa Valley had two ranked teams in its region but didn't face either because Beckman defeated both of them.

In 2A Region 7, unranked Rock Valley played the most games to get to state. It had to win a first-round game 47-40, then clipped No. 11 Sibley-Ochedan 54-53, before a 10-point win versus Pocahontas led to a tournament-clinching 40-22 win over Emmetsburg.

No. 6 Montezuma made it out of a region with teams ranked at 12, 14, 15 and previously ranked North Mahaska in 1A.

The final rankings by IGHSAU are listed below, with teams' record and final game.

IGHSAU FINAL RANKINGS FOR 2020-21

RF - regional final

RSF - regional semifinal

RQF - regional quarterfinal

QF - state tournament quarterfinal

SF - state tournament semifinal

Class 1A

School Record finish

1. Bishop Garrigan 25-1 lost state final 66-52

2. Newell-Fonda 25-1 Champion

3. St. Ansgar 22-2 lost QF 50-45 Montezuma

4. Exira-EHK 24-1 lost SF 57-35 Bishop Garrigan

5. MMCRU 21-3 lost QF 60-55 Exira-EHK

6. Montezuma 23-2 lost SF 73-34 Newell-Fonda

7. Kingsley-Pierson 23-2 lost QF 88-47 Newell-Fonda

8. Springville 21-5 lost QF 48-42 Bishop Garrigan

9. Winfield-Mount Union 18-1 lost RSF 61-33 Notre Dame

10. Notre Dame 19-2 lost RF 65-57 Springville

11. Lenox 20-4 lost RF 66-56 Exira-EHK

12. Collins-Maxwell 22-2 lost RF 62-44 Montezuma

13. Storm Lake St. Mary's 19-4 lost RQF 54-39 Remsen St. Mary's

14. Lynnville-Sully 17-4 lost RQF 55-41 North Mahaska

15. Baxter 20-3 lost RSF 57-47 Collins Maxwell

Class 2A

1. Maquoketa Valley 25-0 lost final 47-42 Dike-New Hartford

2. Dike-New Hartford 25-0 Champion

3. West Branch 21-2 lost SF 54-47

4. Nodaway Valley 24-1 lost SF 47-45 Maquoketa Valley

5. North Linn 21-3 lost QF 53-47 Nodaway Valley

6. Bellevue 20-2 lost RF 54-38 North Linn

7. Central Lyon 20-3 lost RSF 48-43 Emmetsburg

8. Grundy Center 19-4 lost QF 49-33 West Branch

9. Denver 18-5 lost RF 51-44 Grundy Center

10. Treynor 20-5 lost QF 44-36 DNH

11. Sibley-Ocheyedan 16-6 lost RQF 54-53 Rock Valley

12. Cascade 15-7 lost RQF 50-47 Beckman

13. Summer-Fredericksburg 17-7 lost RSF 49-37 Beckman

14. West Hancock 19-6 lost RF 72-30 DNH

15. Underwood 19-4 lost RF 40-38 Treynor

Unranked: Rock Valley 16-10 lost QF 51-35 Maquoketa Valley

Class 3A

1. Cherokee 23-1 lost SF 52-39 West Lyon

2. Clear Lake 19-2 2 lost SF 58-42 Unity Christian

3. Unity Christian 25-2 Champions

4. West Lyon 24-2 lost final 48-31 Unity Christian

5. West Burlington 21-2 lost QF 52-30 West Lyon

6. Osage 21-3 lost RF 60-37 Waukon

7. Des Moines Christian 20-4 lost RF 38-29 Roland Story

8. Roland-Story 17-5 lost QF 70-42 Unity Christian

9. West Liberty 16-6 lost RF 47-45 West Burlington

10. Center Point-Urbana 15-7 lost RSF 40-31 Assumption

11. Estherville-Lincoln Central 18-6 lost RF 52-27 Unity Christian

12. Solon 17-6 lost RF 49-36 Assumption

13. Vinton-Shellsburg 18-5 lost RSF 46-42 Williamsburg

14. Waukon 19-5 7 lost QF 45-24 Clear Lake

15. Monticello 16-6 lost RSF 50-48 Solon

Unranked: Davenport Assumption 8-12 lost QF 63-43 to Cherokee

Class 4A

1. Glenwood 19-4 lost final 47-45 Ballard

2. Ballard 24-1 Champion

3. Dallas Center-Grimes 21-3 lost SF 32-26 Ballard

4. North Scott 16-3 lost SF 61-48 Glenwood

5. Central DeWitt 16-3 lost QF 59-45 North Scott

6. Waverly-Shell Rock 21-3 lost RF 52-46 Wahlert

7. Bondurant-Farrar 16-6 lost QF 43-32 DCG

8. Denison-Schleswig 18-5 lost RF 52-43 Harlan

9. Harlan 17-6 lost QF 38-27 Ballard

10. Gilbert 15-7 lost RSF 57-51 Grinnell

11. North Polk 15-8 lost RF 55-35 Ballard

12. Xavier 10-7 lost RSF 52-36 Wahlert

13. Creston 14-7 lost RF 50-28 DCG

14. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 13-9 lost RF 74-51 Glenwood

15. Clear Creek-Amana 17-5 lost RSF 54-36 Marion

Unranked: Dubuque Wahlert 13-10 lost QF 79-57 Glenwood

Class 5A

1. Waukee 13-1 Champion

2. Johnston 18-2 lost final 71-43

3. Waterloo West 19-2 lost QF 65-62 Iowa City West

4. Southeast Polk 15-4 lost QF 47-45 Ankeny Centennial

5. Ankeny Centennial 16-3 lost SF 50-29 Waukee

6. Iowa City West 14-4 lost SF 52-47 Johnston

7. Cedar Falls 17-4 lost QF 71-64 Johnston

8. C.R. Washington 13-4 lost RF 44-42

9. Dowling Catholic 11-7 lost QF 60-37

10. W. Des Moines Valley 10-7 lost RF 58-49

11. Des Moines Roosevelt 10-2 lost RF 44-42

12. Iowa City High 10-5 lost RF 64-51 Waterloo West

13. Davenport North 10-6 lost RF 69-54

14. Indianola 18-5 lost RF 58-61 Johnston

15. Sioux City East 18-5 lost RF 54-25 SE Polk