What to watch for at Iowa high school cross country 2023 state-qualifying meets this week

Cross country state-qualifying meets are Wednesday (Class 4A and Class 3A) and Thursday (2A and 1A) throughout the state.

Girls’ races will be at 4 p.m., boys at 4:30.

Here are the state-qualifying assignments.

Qualifiers advance to the state championships next weekend at Lakeside Golf Course, Fort Dodge — 4A and 1A are Friday, Oct. 27; 2A and 3A are Saturday, Oct. 28.

Here are four things to keep an eye on in the area:

Can Cedar Rapids Kennedy keep its momentum?

Led by sophomore Adam Gray and an air-tight pack, Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s boys are in the midst of their best season ever.

The Cougars knocked off short-handed Cedar Falls (ranked No. 1 at the time) at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super meet, then followed that with a commanding performance at the divisional meet.

Now ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, the Cougars are the team to beat at the Pleasant Valley SQM.

Tracking Danielle Hostetler’s rare pursuit

Mid-Prairie senior Danielle Hostetler is bidding to become only the second girl in Iowa history to win four state championships (Griswold’s Rebekah Topham did it, 2011-14).

Ranked No. 2 in 2A behind Sumner-Fredericksburg’s Hillary Trainor, Hostetler will be a solid favorite at the Williamsburg 2A competition Thursday.

The Hostetler sisters have won seven 2A individual titles in a row. Anna captured the crown in 2016, Marie claimed three straight (2017-19).

If you can only catch one race this week ...

... then you might want to check in at the 1A competition at Troy Mills on Thursday.

Three elite small-school girls will be in the field, led by No. 1 Meghan Wheatley of North Linn.

Two-time defending state champion Noelle Steines of Calamus-Wheatland will be there to challenge, along with Hallie Kelchen of Cascade (who upset Hostetler at the River Valley Conference meet last week).

A wrinkle in the individual-qualifiers method

In the recent past, the qualification standard was simple — top three teams and top 15 individuals from each site in 4A, 3A and 2A, two teams and 10 runners in 1A.

There is a new wrinkle this year:

Each site is guaranteed at least five individual qualifiers that do not come from state-qualifying teams.

In other words, if Qualifying Team A has six runners in the top 15, Qualifying Team B has four and Qualifying Team C has two, that is 12. Until last year, that would leave three other individual runners. This year, there will be five.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com