Defending-champ Kee opens at No. 1 in 1A: Iowa high school softball rankings

DES MOINES — Defending state champions Lansing Kee and Oskaloosa are among the top-ranked teams in the season's first Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union softball rankings, released Thursday.

Kee High (Class 1A) was 39-6 last season and returns nine starters, including first-team all-staters Kendra Cooper and Courtney Cooper. Oskaloosa (4A) finished a 30-7 campaign last year with a 6-5 state-final win over Carlisle.

Pleasant Valley begins the season on top in 5A. The Spartans were 36-8 and runners-up to West Des Moines Valley last season; Valley is No. 2, followed by Urbandale and Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Cedar Rapids Kennedy is sixth, Cedar Rapids Prairie 13th, Iowa City West 15th.

Oskaloosa's top challengers in 4A are Fairfield and Burlington, the latter of which is down from 5A this season. Benton Community, the 3A state champion in 2016, is up a class and opens at No. 8. Cedar Rapids Xavier is 13th.

Davenport Assumption opens at No. 1 in 3A. The Knights were runners-up to Benton last year.

Solon and Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley were third and fourth at state last year and start the new season at No. 2 and No. 3. Center Point-Urbana, which brings back its entire team from 2016, is fifth, with West Delaware sixth, Union ninth, Dyersville Beckman 10th and Mount Vernon 11th.

After finishing fifth at state in 3A last year, Baxter CMB is the top-rated team in 2A. Iowa City Regina has been to the 2A finals each of the past two years and opens at No. 7. Highland is 12th, Cascade 13th.

Perennial power Akron-Westfield starts at No. 2 behind Kee in 1A. Belle Plaine is No. 7, Sigourney 15th.

Class 5A

1. Pleasant Valley, 2. West Des Moines Valley, 3. Urbandale, 4. Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 5. Indianola, 6. Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 7. Fort Dodge, 8. Davenport West, 9. Waukee, 10. Johnston, 11. Ottumwa, 12. West Des Moines Dowling, 13. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 14. Dubuque Hempstead, 15. Iowa City West.

Class 4A

1. Oskaloosa, 2. Fairfield, 3. Burlington, 4. Carlisle, 5. Perry, 6. Sioux City Heelan, 7. Keokuk, 8. Benton Community, 9. Winterset, 10. Mount Pleasant, 11. Boone, 12. Adel ADM, 13. Cedar Rapids Xavier, 14. Sergeant Bluff-Luton, 15. Lewis Central.

Class 3A

1. Davenport Assumption, 2. Solon, 3. Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, 4. Humboldt, 5. Center Point-Urbana, 6. West Delaware, 7. Atlantic, 8. Sioux Center, 9. Union, 10. Dyersville Beckman, 11. Mount Vernon, 12. North Polk, 13. Albia, 14. Spirit Lake, 15. Central Decatur.

Class 2A

1. Baxter CMB, 2. Eddyville EBF, 3. Interstate 35, 4. North Union, 5. Durant, 6. Waterloo Columbus, 7. Iowa City Regina, 8. Central Springs, 9. Pella Christian, 10. Underwood, 11. Logan-Magnolia, 12. Highland, 13. Cascade, 14. Van Meter, 15. Wapello.

Class 1A

1. Lansing Kee, 2. Akron-Westfield, 3. North Butler, 4. Martensdale-St. Marys, 5. Newell-Fonda, 6. Colfax-Mingo, 7. Belle Plaine, 8. West Sioux, 9. Westwood, 10. Ackley AGWSR, 11. Wayne, 12. Calamus-Wheatland, 13. Murray, 14. Exira-EHK, 15. Sigourney.

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