By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Class 4A Boys

Time: 11:30 a.m

Team Qualifiers: *West Des Moines Dowling, Waukee, Sioux City North, *Cedar Rapids Prairie, West High, Cedar Rapids Washington, *Ames, Linn-Mar, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, *Pleasant Valley, Dubuque Hempstead, Dubuque Senior, *Johnston, West Des Moines Valley, Ankeny.

Individual district champions: Matthew Carmody, Sr., West Des Moines Dowling; Kolby Greiner, Jr., West High; Payton Marrs, Soph., Urbandale; Konner Sommer, Sr., Pleasant Valley; Tim Sindt, Jr., Ankeny.

2016 Team Top 5: 1. West Des Moines Dowling 100; 2. Pleasant Valley 102; 3. Cedar Rapids Prairie 140; 4. West Des Moines Valley 147; 5. West High 163.

Last 5 Team Champions: 2016 – West Des Moines Dowling; 2015 – West Des Moines Dowling; 2014 – Linn-Mar; 2013 – Cedar Rapids Prairie; 2012 – West Des Moines Dowling

Returning state placers: 3. Matthew Carmody, Sr., West Des Moines Dowling; 4. Camden Cox, Sr., Ankeny Centennial; 6., Moise Habineza, Sr., West Des Moines Valley; 8. Tim Sindt, Jr., Ankeny; 11. Kolby Greiner, Jr., West High.

Area Individual qualifiers: Quenton Max, Jr., City High.

Top ranked teams: 1. West Des Moines Dowling; 2. Pleasant Valley; 3. Johnston; 4. Cedar Rapids Prairie; 5. West Des Moines Valley. 

Ranked Area teams: 9. West High.

Top ranked individuals: 1. Tim Sindt, Jr., Ankeny; 2. Matthew Carmody, Sr., West Des Moines Dowling; 3. Konner Sommer, Sr., Pleasant Valley; 4. Camden Cox, Sr., Ankeny Centennial; 5. Merga Gemeda, Sr., Sioux City North.

Ranked Area individuals: 6. Kolby Greiner, Jr., West High.

Breakdown: The usual suspects are back to battle for the team title with four of the top five finishers from last season entering ranked in the top five.

Top-ranked West Des Moines Dowling has won back-to-back titles and four of the last six. The Maroons are attempting to become the first team to win three straight since Pleasant Valley did it from 2006-2008.

With three runners ranked in the top 10 Pleasant Valley expects to be the top challenger for Dowling while a deep Cedar Rapids Prairie squad should fight for a top three spot.

The individual title in 4A should be the race of the day. As many as seven runners have a legitimate shot at the 4A crown a list that includes West High junior Kolby Greiner.

Class 4A Girls

Time: 11 a.m.

Team qualifiers: *West Des Moines Dowling, Ankeny Centennial, Waukee, *West High, Cedar Falls, City High, *Des Moines Roosevelt, Urbandale, Linn-Mar, *Dubuque Senior, Dubuque Hempstead, Pleasant Valley, *Johnston, Ottumwa, Southeast Polk.

Individual district champions: Kelsey Schweizer, Jr., West Des Moines Dowling; Bailey Nock, Sr., West High; Micah Poellet, Fr., Linn-Mar; Mia Rampton, Sr., Dubuque Senior; Jessuca McKee, Sr., Johnson.

2016 Team Top 5: 1. Johnston 26; 2. Dubuque Hempstead 91; 3. City High 121; 4. Cedar Falls 137; 5. West High 166.

Last 5 Team Champions: 2016 – Johnston; 2015 – Urbandale; 2014 – Johnston; 2013 – West Des Moines Dowling; 2012 – Pleasant Valley.

Returning state placers: 1. Bailey Nock, Sr., West High; 2. Jessica McKee, Sr., Johnston; 3. Brooke McKee, Soph., Johnston; 7. Paige Horner, Soph., Johnston; 8. Trinity Borland, Sr., Bettendorf; 9. Kylie Latham, Sr., Ottumwa; 11. Helen Gould, Jr., West Des Moines Valley; 12. Mackenzie Gaherty, Sr., Dubuque Senior; 13. Presley Case, Soph., North Scott.

Top ranked teams: 1. Johnston; 2. West High; 3. Dubuque Senior; 4. West Des Moines Dowling; 5. Dubuque Hempstead.

Ranked Area teams: 2. West High; 15. City High.

Top ranked individuals: 1. Bailey Nock, Sr., West High; 2. Micah Poellet, Fr., Linn-Mar; 3. Jessica McKee, Sr., Johnston; 4. Lilly Geelan, Fr., Linn-Mar; 5. Kylie Latham, Sr., Ottumwa

Ranked area individuals: 1. Bailey Nock, Sr., West High; 26. Kiara Malloy-Salgado, Fr., West High.

Breakdown: Baily Nock is seeking to become the third two-time state champion in West High history after winning the 4A title a year ago.

The senior is unbeaten against in-state competition this season and will be challenged one final time by familiar foes in the Linn-Mar freshman duo of Micah Poellet and Lilly Geelan and last year’s runner-up Johnston senior Jessica McKee.

Nock finished 12 seconds in front of Poellet at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet and was four seconds faster than the Linn-Mar freshman in the last meeting between the two at the MVC Divisional meet.

Johnston cruised to the team title last season and is the favorite to repeat though a second consecutive individual title by Nock and strong performances from state meet newcomers in senior Colleen Bloeser and freshman Kiara Malloy-Salgado and Erica Buettner could have West High pushing the Dragons.

*-State Qualifying Meet Champion