Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Class 4A Boys

Where: Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge

When: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.

Team Qualifiers: *Cedar Rapids Washington, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, *West Des Moines Dowling, Ankeny, Southeast Polk, *Johnston, West Des Moines Valley, Sioux City North, *Waukee, West High, Ames, *Pleasant Valley, Dubuque Hempstead, Cedar Rapids Prairie

Individual District Champions: Jacob Green, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy; Tim Sindt, Sr., Ankeny; Jaysen Bouwers, Soph., Sioux City North; Kolby Greiner, Sr., West High; Jack Pendergast, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie

2017 Team Top-Five: 1. Pleasant Valley 61; 2. Dubuque Hempstead 106; 3. West Des Moines Dowling 106; 4. Johnston 140; 5. Cedar Rapids Prairie 148

Last 5 Team Champions: 2017 – Pleasant Valley; 2016 – West Des Moines Dowling; 2015 – West Des Moines Dowling; 2014 – Linn-Mar; 2013 – Cedar Rapids Prairie

Returning State Placers: 1. Tim Sindt, Sr., Ankeny; 8. Ben Hermiston, Sr., Dubuque Hempstead; 9. Max Locher, Jr., Cedar Rapids Washington; 10. Payton Marrs, Jr., Urbandale; 13. Gavin Smith, Sr., Pleasant Valley; 14. Will Ode, Jr., West Des Moines Dowling; 15. Sam Schmitz, Jr., Johnston

Area Individual Qualifiers: Yasar Hassan, Sr., City High

Top Ranked Teams: 1. West Des Moines Dowling; 2. Pleasant Valley; 3. Dubuque Hempstead; 4. Waukee; 5. Johnston.

Top Ranked Individuals: 1. Tim Sindt, Sr., Ankeny; 2. Jack Pendergast, Jr., Cedar Rapids Prairie; 3. Sam Hall, Jr., West Des Moines Dowling; 4. Kolby Greiner, Sr., West High; 5. Jacob Green, Jr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Ranked Area Individuals: 4. Kolby Greiner, Sr., West High;

Breakdown: Every runner wants to come up with their best performance of the season at the state meet.

Perhaps no runner is more looking forward for a chance to do just that than West High senior Kolby Greiner.

Greiner broke through with an 11th place individual finish as a sophomore in 2016 but placed a disappointing 27th while competing with a fracture in his spine last season.

Now Greiner gets a shot at a spectacular state finish.

Greiner tightened up and didn’t finish at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet but has responded with back-to-back wins at the MVC Divisional and state qualifying meets.

The senior will be one of several runners attempting to unseat top-ranked Ankeny senior Tim Sindt who is seeking his second consecutive state title.

West High enters ranked ninth as a team and will attempt to push its way toward the top five with a strong race from Greiner.

Top-ranked West Des Moines Dowling is seeking a third 4A title in the past four seasons but will have to outdistance defending champion runner-up and last year’s runner-up Dubuque Hempstead to claim the 4A crown.

*-State Qualifying meet champion

Class 4A Girls

Where: Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge

When: Saturday, 11 a.m.  

Team Qualifiers: *Dubuque Senior, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Linn-Mar, *Southeast Polk, West Des Moines Dowling, Des Moines Roosevelt, *West Des Moines Valley; Johnston, Urbandale; *Waukee, West High, Ankeny Centennial, *Pleasant Valley, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Dubuque Hempstead

Individual District Champions: Micah Poellet, Soph., Linn-Mar; Mattison Plummer, Soph., Southeast Polk; Brooke McKee, Jr., Johnston; Deniz Ince, Sr., West High; Ashlyn Keeney, Fr., Liberty High

2017 Team Top-Five: 1. Johnston 74; 2. Dubuque Senior 118; 3. Waukee 154; 4. Dubuque Hempstead 168; 5. West High 181

Last 5 Team Champions: 2017 – Johnston; 2016 – Johnston; 2015 – Urbandale; 2014 – Johnston; 2013 – West Des Moines Dowling

Returning State Placers: 1. Paige Horner, Jr., Johnston; 4. Brooke McKee, Jr., Johnston; 6. Helen Gould, Sr., West Des Moines Valley; 7. Laurdyn Meyer, Soph., Cedar Rapids Prairie; 8. Reagan Gorman, Sr., Cedar Rapids Washington; 9. Peyton Kelderman, Soph., Waukee; 10. Lilly Geelan, Soph., Linn-Mar; 12. Sydney Schaffer, Jr., Waukee; 14. Mackenzie Michael, Jr., Cedar Falls; 15. Hannah Brown, Jr., Dubuque Hempstead

Area Individual Qualifiers: Ashlyn Keeney, Fr., Liberty High; Rowan Boulter, Fr., City High

Top Ranked Teams: 1. Waukee; 2. Southeast Polk; 3. West Des Moines Valley; 4. Johnston; 5. Dubuque Senior

Top Ranked Individuals: 1. Ashlyn Keeney, Fr., Liberty High; 2. Micah Poellett, Soph., Linn-Mar; 3. Claire Edmonson, Sr., Dubuque Senior; 4. Lily Schmidt, Soph., Dubuque Senior; 5. Mattison Plummer, Soph., Southeast Polk

Ranked Area Individuals: 1. Ashlyn Keeney, Fr., Liberty High; 6. Deniz Ince, Sr., West High; 28. Rowan Boulter, Fr., City High

Breakdown: The first race of the day just might be the best as the Class 4A girls kick things off.

Liberty High freshman Ashlyn Keeney opens top-ranked and unbeaten during her prep career but must fend off a strong field that includes defending state champion Paige Horner of Johnston in her state meet debut.

Keeney isn’t the only area freshman seeking a strong performance in her first trip to the state meet.

City High freshman Rowan Boulter enters ranked No. 28 and is capable of pushing for a top-15 finish.

West High continued its tradition of stepping up during postseason competition with a runner-up finish behind top-ranked Waukee in the state qualifying meet.

Led by senior Deniz Ince the Women of Troy will be in the hunt for another top-five finish after placing fifth a year ago.

Ince is poised for a strong finish to her career. She placed 47th last season as a junior but is capable of running with the lead pack in her final race.

*-State Qualifying meet champion