Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports  

The state cross country meet gets underway in Fort Dodge on Friday with races in Classes 2A and 3A.

On Saturday the focus shifts to Classes 4A and 1A with the final state titles up for grabs at Lakeside Golf Course.

Before the action gets underway this weekend Your Prep Sports takes a look at the races featuring area teams and individuals.

Here is a quick breakdown of the Class 4A girls race.

Class 4A

Where: Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge

When: Saturday, 10:30 a.m.

Qualifying teams: *Dallas Center-Grimes; Ankeny Centennial; Norwalk; *City High; Dubuque Senior; Ames; *Johnston; West Des Moines Valley; West Des Moines Dowling; Waukee; *Waukee Northwest; Cedar Falls; *Pleasant Valley; Linn-Mar; Cedar Rapids Prairie

*- state qualifying meet champions

Individual state qualifying meet champions: Maddie Millage, Jr., Pleasant Valley; Charlee Gall, Soph., Cedar Falls; Alyx Woodley, Sr., Johnston; Emma Chesterman, Sr., Dubuque Senior; Piper Messerly, Jr., Dallas Center-Grimes

2024 top five: 1. Pleasant Valley 63; 2. Johnston 88; 3. Dubuque Senior 133; 4. Ankeny Centennial 145; 5. Dallas Center-Grimes 156

Last five team champions: 2024 – Pleasant Valley; 2023 – Johnston; 2022 – Dubuque Hempstead; 2021 – Dubuque Hempstead; 2020 – Johnston

Returning state placewinners: 1. Piper Messerly, Jr., Dallas Center-Grimes; 3. Charlee Gall, Soph., Cedar Falls; 4. Nakia Olivierre, Sr., Waterloo West; 7. Alyx Woodley, Sr., Johnston; 10. Emma Chesterman, Sr., Dubuque Senior; 11. Maddie Millage, Jr., Pleasant Valley; 12. Payton Crabb, Jr., Johnston; 15. Ele Wharton, Jr., Johnston

Top ranked teams: 1. Pleasant Valley; 2. Waukee Northwest; 3. Johnston; 4. Dallas Center-Grimes; 5. City High

Ranked area teams: 5. City High

Top ranked individuals: 1. Charlee Gall, Soph., Cedar Falls; 2. Maddie Millage, Jr., Pleasant Valley; 3. Piper Messerly, Jr., Dallas Center-Grimes;  4. Emma Chesterman, Sr., Dubuque Senior; 5. Laney Dundet, Fr., Waukee Northwest;

Ranked area individuals: 10. Abigail Burns, Sr., City High; 22. Grace Hamann, Soph., City High

Team title race: Top-ranked Pleasant Valley is seeking to defend its Class 4A title from a year ago while a group of teams that include City High, Waukee Northwest, Dallas Center-Grimes and Ankeny Centennial are attempting to make it a fourth consecutive season with a different champion in 4A.

Pleasant Valley won the 4A title by 25 points over Johnston last season and the perennial power Dragons will be in the mix once again.

Pleasant Valley is the slightest of favorites but the 4A title race should be among the tightest of the weekend.

City High was eighth the past two seasons and will look to make a push for a top three spot this season.

Individual title tracker: Just like the 4A team race the individual race should be among the most exciting of the weekend.

Dallas Center-Grimes junior Piper Messerly is the defending champion and is a part of a talented and deep lead pack filled with runners capable of pushing for the title.

Cedar Falls sophomore Charlee Gall was third a year ago and enters top ranked while Davenport Central sophomore Joley Sullivan should be in contention along with Waukee Norwest freshman Laney Dundet.

Dubuque Senior senior Emma Chesterman, Waterloo West senior Nakia Olivierre and Johnston senior Alyx Woodley all return after top-eight finishes last season.

Keep an eye on City High senior Abigail Burns who made a big jump last season in her second appearance at the state meet and is poised for a strong finish to a stellar senior season.

Area breakdown: City High is making its fifth consecutive state meet appearance and has its sights set on climbing the 4A leaderboard after finishing eighth each of the past two seasons.

Led by Burns the Little Hawks have a lineup capable of competing with the state’s best.

Junior Grace Hamann is already a three-time state qualifier and sophomores Eliza Doster and Calissa Fruin return with experience after making their state meet debuts a year ago.

Speaking of state meet debuts there are four area freshmen that will compete in the Class 4A race as individuals.

The West High freshmen trio of Ellie DeWaard, Ava Twait and Adreinne Hodge has been excellent all season and will look to finish strong in Fort Dodge.

Liberty High junior Chelsea VeDepo returns to the state meet as an individual qualifier after placing 56^th last season and will be joined by Lightning freshman Aleah Williams.

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