Iowa high school cross country rankings: Linn-Mar, Mid-Prairie, Regina girls are No. 1

Three area girls' teams, including Class 2A defending champion Mid-Prairie, are ranked No. 1 in the Iowa Association of Track Coaches preseason cross country rankings, released Wednesday.

Linn-Mar's girls are top-ranked in Class 4A; Iowa City Regina starts on top of 1A.

Mid-Prairie lost individual champion Marie Hostetler to graduation, but returns four varsity runners from last year's title team. The Golden Hawks are a narrow No. 1 over last year's runner-up, Williamsburg.

Linn-Mar brings back a veteran team, led seniors Micah Poellet and Chloe Skidmore, plus sophomore Jordyn Beck. All placed in the top 15 last year. The Lions finished third in 2019.

Regina welcomes back five runners from a fifth-place squad last year.

Defending champion Ballard is the top 3A girls' team. Top-rated boys' teams are Dubuque Hempstead (4A), Dallas Center-Grimes (3A), Davis County (2A) and Madrid (1A).

Center Point-Urbana and Clear Creek Amana are second and third in 3A.

Iowa Association of Track Coaches preseason cross country rankings

CLASS 4A GIRLS

1. Linn-Mar

2. Johnston

3. Southeast Polk

4. West Des Moines Valley

5. Iowa City High

6. Cedar Rapids Prairie

7. Dubuque Senior

8. Western Dubuque

9. Urbandale

10. Waukee

11. Bettendorf

12. West Des Moines Dowling

13. Sioux City East

14. Dubuque Hempstead

15. Iowa City Liberty

CLASS 4A BOYS

1. Dubuque Hempstead

2. Sioux City North

3. Cedar Falls

4. West Des Moines Dowling

5. Cedar Rapids Prairie

6. Johnston

7. Pleasant Valley

8. Iowa City West

9. Iowa City Liberty

10. Ames

11. Waukee

12. Southeast Polk

13. Iowa City High

14. Urbandale

15. Ankeny Centennial

CLASS 3A GIRLS

1. Ballard

2. Dallas Center-Grimes

3. Dubuque Wahlert

4. Harlan

5. Sioux City Heelan

6. Solon

7. Center Point-Urbana

8. Monticello

9. Glenwood

10. Charles City

11. Adel ADM

12. Decorah

13. Spencer

14. Pella

15. Grinnell

CLASS 3A BOYS

1. Dallas Center-Grimes

2. Center Point-Urbana

3. Clear Creek Amana

4. Dubuque Wahlert

5. North Polk

6. Marion

7. Decorah

8. Humboldt

9. Pella

10. Monticello

11. Waverly-Shell Rock

12. Carlisle

13. Atlantic

14. Gilbert

15. Grinnell

CLASS 2A GIRLS

1. Mid-Prairie

2. Williamsburg

3. Jesup

4. Starmont

5. Woodbury Central/Kingsley-Pierson

6. Unity Christian

7. Davis County

8. Cherokee

9. Dike-New Hartford

10. Tipton

11. Waukon

12. Denver

13. Emmetsburg

14. Chariton

15. Sibley-Ocheyedan

CLASS 2A BOYS

1. Davis County

2. Danville-New London

3. Albia

4. Tipton

5. Denver

6. Western Christian

7. Grundy Center/Gladbrook-Reinbeck

8. Des Moines Christian

9. North Fayette Valley

10. Camanche

11. George-Little Rock/Central Lyon

12. Williamsburg

13. Okoboji

14. Mid-Prairie

15. Treynor

CLASS 1A GIRLS

1. Iowa City Regina

2. Van Meter

3. Manson Northwest Webster

4. Pekin

5. Avoca AHSTW

6. Hudson

7. Guthrie Center ACGC

8. Aplington-Parkersburg

9. Lansing Kee

10. Madrid

11. Fort Dodge St. Edmond

12. Sumner-Fredericksburg

13. Nashua-Plainfield

14. North Linn

15. Nodaway Valley

CLASS 1A BOYS

1. Madrid

2. Earlham

3. Calamus-Wheatland

4. Nodaway Valley

5. Maquoketa Valley

6. South Winneshiek

7. West Fork

8. Mason City Newman

9. Pekin

10. Ogden

11. Tri-Center

12. Le Mars Gehlen

13. Council Bluffs St. Albert

14. Saint Ansgar

15. East Marshall

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