Cedar Rapids Invitational moves back to Noelridge

CEDAR RAPIDS - Iowa City West will take the state's top-ranked individuals - both male and female - to the Cedar Rapids Invitational cross country meet Thursday at Noelridge Park.

The event begins at 3:45 p.m., with the varsity girls racing at 4:35 and the boys starting at 5. The field consists of 21 girls' teams and 20 boys' squads.

Defending Class 4A state champion Bailey Nock is the top-ranked girl, and Kolby Greiner is tops among the boys. Marion's Jeremy Fopma is the top-rated 3A boy after winning a state title last year.

Fopma and Greiner finished second and fourth at the 2016 Cedar Rapids Invite, which was at muddy Seminole Valley Park.

Fifth-ranked West and No. 6 Linn-Mar are the girls' teams to beat. Linn-Mar is led by freshmen Micah Poellet and Lilly Geelan, who are ranked second and sixth individually.

Pleasant Valley's boys are ranked No. 2, with Linn-Mar fourth and Cedar Rapids Prairie fifth. Linn-Mar edged Prairie by 12 points at the Prairie Invitational on Aug. 26.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com