Iowa high school cross country state qualifying: A look at Wednesday’s 4A and 3A meets

The postseason has arrived for Iowa high school cross country competitors. State-qualifying meets are Wednesday for Class 4A and Class 3A, Thursday for 2A and 1A.

Qualifiers advance to the state meet next Friday and Saturday at Lakeside Golf Course, Fort Dodge.

A primer on Wednesday’s area meets:

Class 4A

(Top 3 teams, top 15 individuals advance from each site to the state meet)

AT CEDAR RAPIDS (Seminole Valley Park)

Scouting the girls: The top two teams in the Mississippi Valley Conference will be on hand — third-ranked Dubuque Hempstead and No. 7 Cedar Rapids Prairie. Defending individual state champion Keelee Leitzen is one of three top-15-ranked girls from Hempstead, joining Julia Gehl and Brooke O’Brien. Gabby Cortez and Lourdes Mason of Prairie figure to run with Hempstead’s lead pack.

Scouting the boys: No. 4 Hempstead and No. 6 Cedar Falls are close to sure bets to qualify. Prairie has the inside track to the third slot, though Cedar Rapids Kennedy could make a bid behind Miles Wilson who — along with Hempstead’s Derek Leicht and Cedar Falls’ Brayden Burnett — should run at the front of the pack.

AT INDIANOLA

Scouting the girls: Led by Abi Hahn, Des Moines Roosevelt is ranked No. 4 and a co-favorite with No. 6 West Des Moines Dowling. Iowa City West is expected to battle Waukee for the third spot.

Scouting the boys: Iowa City West’s Alex McKane has had a brilliant senior season and is ranked No. 1 individually in 4A. He’ll be challenged by a trio from Dowling, led by Jackson Heidesch. Dowling is the favorite, Norwalk the top challenger. West has a good shot at the third state ticket.

AT PLEASANT VALLEY

Scouting the girls: According to this week’s rankings, Pleasant Valley has the top team and the top individual in freshman Grace Boleyn. Iowa City Liberty veteran Ashlyn Keeney will provide a challenge for the rookie. The other two state spots will be settled by a foursome of Linn-Mar, Iowa City High, North Scott and Liberty.

Scouting the boys: Junior-laden, third-ranked Iowa City High is the team to beat, and City’s Ford Washburn should lead the pack. Pleasant Valley is projected as the second-best team, with Linn-Mar and Iowa City Liberty battling for third. Hayden Kuhn of Linn-Mar and Ammon Smith of City are ranked in the top 15 statewide.

» All Class 4A state-qualifying cross country assignments

Class 3A

(Top 3 teams, top 15 individuals advance from each site to the state meet)

AT DECORAH

Scouting the girls: Center Point-Urbana’s Kora Katcher raced to the Wamac Conference championship last week, and is the favorite to win a regional title. Lily Boge leads a balanced Western Dubuque squad that is ranked No. 3. Dubuque Wahlert, CPU and Waverly-Shell Rock are in the running for the other two state bids.

Scouting the boys: Eli Naumann of Western Dubuque and Eli Larson of Center Point-Urbana are expected to duel for individual honors. The two Elis are ranked second and third in the state. Western Dubuque, Waverly-Shell Rock and Decorah are the three projected team qualifiers.

AT PELLA

Scouting the girls: Ballard’s Payton Noe and Carlisle’s Ainsley Erzen are two of the very best, in any class. Five teams — Gilbert, Carlisle, Ballard, Pella and Clear Creek Amana — are in the running for the three state bids.

Scouting the boys: Pella looks safe as a qualifier, with the other spots probably going to two of these three teams: Carlisle, Gilbert and Newton.

AT SOLON

Scouting the girls: Solon took over the No. 1 spot early in the season, and hasn’t surrendered it. The Spartans excel behind uncommon depth, not a frontrunner or two. Kayla Young might be the runner to beat, though, along with Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s Laura Swart. The Mustangs have a good opportunity to qualify as a team.

Scouting the boys: Like the Solon girls, Marion’s boys (ranked No. 2) won a Wamac Conference title on this course last week and are favored to reign again behind the duo of Shane Erb and Jedidiah Osgood, who will push Washington’s Lance Sobaski for individual honors. Solon should qualify, with Mount Vernon-Lisbon and Washington battling for third.

» All Class 3A state-qualifying cross country assignments

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com