March 19, 2024

Prep cross country teams’ qualifying meet assignments

Newton High’s Cardinal cross country teams will run their state qualifying 5K races on the Iowa State cross country course Oct. 22. The Cardinals were assigned the Class 3A state qualifier hosted by Gilbert.

Combined cross country state qualifying meet assignments were announced by the Iowa Girls High School Atheltic Union and Iowa High School Athletic Association Thursday.

Lynnville-Sully and Colfax-Mingo will be in the Class 1A meet at Ankeney Centennial. Prairie City-Monroe runs in the Class 2A meet hosted by Columbus Community at Columbus Junction. Also in 2A, Collins-Maxwell/Baxter is in the meet hosted by Dike-New Hartford.

All state qualifying meets are Oct. 22.

Joining Newton in its 3A qualifier are Ballard, Bondurant-Farrar, Boone, Carlisle, Gilbert, Grinnell, Iowa Falls-Alden/AGWSR, Knoxville, Madrid, Nevada, Pella, and South Tama. Races begin at 4 p.m. on the Iowa State cross country course in Ames.

There are four 3A ranked teams in the boys’ division and three in the girls’ division. For the boys, Grinnell is No. 2, Pella No. 3, Gilbert No. 10 and Carlisle No. 14. For the girls, Gilbert is No. 2, Pella No. 3 and Ballard is No. 9. Grinnell’s girls are just out of the rankings.

The field in the 2A qualifier at Dike-New Hartford includes CMB, Aplington-Parkersburg, Clarion-Goldfield, Clear Lake, Columbus Catholic, Dike-New Hartford, East Marshall, Grundy Center, Hampton-Dumont, Nashua-Plainfield, Osage, Roland-Story, South Hardin, Union, and West Marshall. Races begin at 4 p.m.

CMB’s girls, who are ranked No. 12 in 2A, are in a loaded field with second-ranked Osage, No. 13 Dike-Hartford, No. 14 West Marshall and No. 15 East Marshall. Grundy Center is in others to watch. In the boys’ division, the Raider boys face No. 5 Clear Lake, No. 10 Dike-Hartford, No. 11 East Marshall and No. 14 Aplington-Parkersburg.

At Columbus Junction in the 2A qualifier with PCM are Albia, Centerville, Central Lee, Columbus Community, Danville-New London, Davis County, Louisa-Muscatine, Mediapolis, Mid-Prairie, Northeast, Notre Dame-Burlington, West Liberty, and Williamsburg. Races begin at 4 p.m.

The boys’ division at Columbus Junction features Class 2A fourth-ranked Mid-Prairie, seventh-ranked Williamsburg and Davis County and Mediapolis, which are both just out of the rankings. In the girls’ division are sixth-ranked Williamsburg and No. 11 Mediapolis.

Lynnville-Sully and Colfax-Mingo are joined at the Class 1A qualifier at Ankeny Centennial are Belmond-Klemme, BGM, Cardinal, Colo-NESCO, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Maharishi, Martensdale-St. Marys Montezuma, Moravia, Newman Catholic, North Mahaska, Ogden, Paton-Churdan, Pekin, Pella Christian, Pleasantville, Seymour, South Hamilton, Southeast Warren, Twin Cedars, Van Buren Community, Van Meter and Wayne. Races begin at 3 p.m.

Top-ranked Pekin and fifth-ranked Newman Catholic are in the girls’ field. In the boys’ field are third-ranked Pekin, seventh-ranked South Hamilton, 10th-ranked Ogden and 14th-ranked Newman Catholic.

Qualifying teams and individuals from each meet advance to the Iowa state cross country meet Oct. 31 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com