Washington softball No. 7 in opening rankings

Washington softball brings back nearly all of its talent from a year ago and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has taken notice.

In the 2024 preseason rankings released on Monday, the Demons enter ranked No. 7 in Class 3A.

Last season, Washington won 24 games and came up just short of state after a loss in the regional semifinal round. The Demons have a great chance to make a run again.

Ankeny Centennial (5A), North Polk (4A), Williamsburg (3A), Van Meter (2A) and Martensdale St. Marys (1A) are all top seeds.

The full list of rankings can be found below.

Class 5A Iowa high school softball preseason rankings

1. Ankeny Centennial (36-5)

2. Pleasant Valley (32-10)

3. West Des Moines Valley (34-10)

4. Muscatine (34-7)

5. Ankeny (31-8)

6. Waukee Northwest (32-12)

7. Johnston (26-14)

8. Iowa City Liberty (23-14)

9. Dubuque Senior (25-15)

10. Southeast Polk (31-11)

11. Dubuque Hempstead (30-11)

12. Ames (23-17)

13. Bettendorf (30-11)

14. Sioux City East (26-14)

15. Urbandale (16-26)

Class 4A Iowa high school softball preseason rankings

1. North Polk (31-5)

2. Norwalk (33-10)

3. Fort Dodge (32-11)

4. Dallas Center-Grimes (29-11)

5. Winterset (28-12)

6. Western Dubuque (29-11)

7. Carlisle (31-7)

8. North Scott (28-12)

9. Cedar Rapids Xavier (28-13)

10. Adel ADM (24-14)

11. Burlington (20-9)

12. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (33-7)

13. Clear Creek Amana (19-17)

14. Indianola (27-12)

15. Maquoketa (26-10)

Class 3A Iowa high school softball preseason rankings

1. Williamsburg (36-9)

2. Dubuque Wahlert (32-10)

3. Davenport Assumption (34-7)

4. Estherville-Lincoln Central (33-4)

5. Benton Community (29-15)

6. Mount Vernon (27-11)

7. Washington (24-13)

8. Sumner-Fredericksburg (26-7)

9. Clarinda (22-13)

10. Atlantic (23-16)

11. Solon (24-14)

12. West Lyon (27-4)

13. Chariton (21-6)

14. West Liberty (20-12)

15. Albia (21-10)

Class 2A Iowa high school softball preseason rankings

1. Van Meter (36-3)

2. Northeast (22-13)

3. Iowa City Regina (30-8)

4. Missouri Valley (30-4)

5. West Monona (30-8)

6. Alburnett (25-12)

7. Interstate 35 (26-14)

8. East Marshall (20-13)

9. South Hardin (27-8)

10. Hinton (15-6)

11. Louisa-Muscatine (15-16)

12. Jesup (23-11)

13. Cascade (27-10)

14. Osage (25-9)

15. Central Springs (27-6)

Class 1A Iowa high school softball preseason rankings

1. Martensdale-St. Marys (27-7)

2. Sigourney (27-5)

3. Wayne (23-9)

4. North Linn (39-6)

5. Remsen St. Mary's (26-2)

6. Fort Dodge St. Edmond (23-13)

7. Earlham (31-10)

8. Newell-Fonda (28-9)

9. Clarksville (29-3)

10. Collins-Maxwell (21-7)

11. Saint Ansgar (23-12)

12. Mason City Newman (27-8)

13. Griswold (26-4)

14. Twin Cedars (21-6)

15. Central City (30-12)