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A year after claiming the first state title in program history Solon opens the season the top-ranked team in the state.

Defending 3A state champion Solon opens the season atop the rankings released by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches on Friday.

The Spartans are followed in the 3A rankings by defending runner-up Ballard, Mount Vernon-Lisbon; Western Dubuque and Glenwood. Clear Creek Amana is No. 15 in the preseason Class 3A rankings.

In Class 4A City High is No. 14 and West High is No. 18 in the preseason rankings.

The top four finishers at the 4A state meet last season hold the top four spots in the 4A rankings with defending champion Dubuque Hempstead number one followed by 2021 runner-up Pleasant Valley, Ames and Johnston. Des Moines Roosevelt rounds out the top five.

Regina opens the season at No. 10 in Class 1A after finishing sixth at the state meet a year ago, the third consecutive top-six state finish for the Regals.

Iowa Association of Track Coaches Girls Cross Country Rankings

Class 4A

1. Dubuque Hempstead

2. Pleasant Valley

3. Ames

4. Johnston

5. Des Moines Roosevelt

6. Ankeny

7. Ankeny Centennial

8. West Des Moines Dowling

9. West Des Moines Valley

10. Dubuque Senior

11. Linn-Mar

12. Dallas Center-Grimes

13. Cedar Rapids Prairie

14. City High 

15. Waukee

16. Urbandale

17. Indianola

18. Southeast Polk

19. West High 

20. Cedar Falls

Class 3A

1. Solon 

2. Ballard

3. Mount Vernon-Lisbon

4. Western Dubuque

5. Glenwood

6. Gilbert

7. Carlisle

8. North Polk

9. MOC-Floyd Valley

10. Spencer

11. Center Point-Urbana

12. Harlan

13. Pella

14. Sioux City Heelan

15. Clear Creek Amana 

16. Dubuque Wahlert

17. Waverly-Shell Rock

18. ADM

19. Marion

20. Washington

Class 2A

1. Denver

2. Jesup

3. Mid-Prairie

4. Monticello

5. Tipton

6. Van Meter

7. Dyersville Beckman

8. Williamsburg

9. Cherokee

10. Des Moines Christian

11. Clarinda

12. Roland-Story

13. Albia

14. Unity Christian

15. Crestwood

16. Union

17. Dike-New Hartford

18. Garner-Hayfield-Ventura

19. Okoboji

20. Davis County

Class 1A

1. Sibley-Ocheyedan

2. South Winneshiek

3. Logan-Magnolia

4. Fort Dodge St. Edmond

5. Woodbine

6. Earlham

7. North Linn

8. Hudson

9. ACGC

10. Regina 

11. Council Bluffs St. Albert

12. North Tama

13. Wapsie Valley

14. Mason City Newman

15. Pekin

16. Central Decatur

17. Central Elkader

18. Colfax-Mingo

19. West Fork

20. Sioux Central

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