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MVC cross country field consists of 10 boys teams, 7 girls teams that are ranked

Oct. 4, 2017 2:19 pm, Updated: Oct. 4, 2017 3:24 pm
Rain is likely for the Mississippi Valley Conference cross country championships Thursday in Dubuque.
So, too, are a couple of tight team races.
It's difficult to pinpoint a favorite, but it's easy to locate some quality teams. They're everywhere.
Ten boys' teams and seven girls' squads carry Iowa Association of Track Coaches state rankings into Thursday's competition at the Dubuque Soccer Complex.
'Crazy, isn't it?' said Cedar Rapids Prairie Coach Bill Schwarz. 'There's just a big group of very good runners in this conference.'
The girls' varsity race is scheduled for 5:20 p.m.; the boys take off at 5:45. And the forecast calls for an 85-percent chance of rain to go with 60-degree conditions.
Dubuque Hempstead's boys and Cedar Falls' girls are defending MVC champions. Both figure to contend again, but the list of title hopefuls is long in both races.
'There are a lot of good (girls) teams in Dubuque,' Iowa City West girls coach Mike Parker said. 'Wahlert, Senior and Hempstead are all very good, and we're going to their course.
'We're going to be in a battle, and we're going with a sense of a refreshing approach, because three of our top five kids are completely new.'
That new crew consists of senior Colleen Bloeser — who has blossomed in her final season after dealing with 'some injuries and health issues' throughout her career — and freshmen Kiara Malloy-Salgado and Erica Buettner.
And the Women of Troy have an ace in Bailey Nock, the defending 4A state champion who is undefeated against Iowa competition this year.
West is ranked No. 2 in 4A. Senior, Cedar Falls and Hempstead are 4-5-6, and Wahlert — which won the Cedar Rapids Invitational earlier this season — is No. 1 in 3A.
Schwarz said the Prairie boys 'don't have anybody who is going to break away from the field,' but the Hawks' depth should push them toward the top of the team standings.
'The 4, 5, 6 runners ... those are the guys that are going to make a big difference,' Schwarz said. 'I feel we have really good depth.'
Prairie is ranked No. 4 in the 4A boys' rankings. Hempstead is fifth, with six others in the 4A top 15 and two in in the 3A top six.
West's Kolby Greiner is the top returning boy; he was third at last year's MVC meet.
l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com
Iowa City West's Bailey Nock is the defending Class 4A state champion and leads the Class 4A second-ranked Women of Troy, who are among the favorites at Thursday's Mississippi Valley Conference cross country meet in Dubuque. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)