A Quick Look at the Class 1A State Qualifying Cross Country Meets Featuring Your Prep Sports Area Teams
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
Half of the field is set for the state cross country meet.
Classes 4A and 3A held state qualifying meets on Wednesday with 15 teams in each class securing spots at the state meet set for October 28-29 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge.
On Thursday Classes 2A and 1A will finalize the field.
There are eight Class 1A state qualifiers taking place around Iowa on Thursday with the top two teams and top 10 individuals from each qualifying for the 1A state meet set for next Friday.
Before racing gets underway on Thursday afternoon we take a look at the Class 1A state qualifier hosted by Regina.
Class 1A Qualifier (Regina)
Girls Race
When: Thursday, 4 p.m.
Where: Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City
Teams: Regina; Bellevue; BGM; Columbus; Danville; Durant; English Valleys; Highland; Hillcrest Academy; Fort Madison Holy Trinity; Hudson, Iowa Valley; Keota; Lone Tree; Montezuma; Sigourney; WACO; Wapello; Winfield-Mount Union
Ranked teams: No. 4 Hudson; No. 11 Regina;
Ranked individuals: No. 9 Desi Lang, Fr., Hudson
Team title chase: It should be a two-team race for the title with fourth-ranked Hudson and No. 11 Regina the favorites to claim the two state qualifying spots.
Both teams finished in the top six at the 1A state meet a year ago with Hudson placing fourth and Regina 34 points back in sixth.
Hudson has a standout in freshman Desi Lang while Regina has a stalwart of its own in senior Mya Whitaker and plenty of depth behind her.
Athlete to watch: A consistent piece of the Regina lineup for the past four seasons Whitaker will be looking to go four-for-four in her career at state qualifying meets.
Whitaker has helped the Regals qualify for state in each of the past three seasons and is coming off a third-place individual finish at the 1A state qualifier at Kickers Soccer Complex last season.
Breakdown: A pair of programs no strangers to postseason success Regina and Hudson figure to battle for the team title and are heavy favorites to secure the two spots at the state meet.
A Regina squad with several runners making their postseason debuts will rely on the veteran leadership of Whitaker who has helped the Regals to three consecutive top-six finishes at the state meet.
Freshman Ruby Greving and Ruby Eastman have made big strides of late and finished 18th and 25th respectively in a strong field at the River Valley Conference meet last week.
Another senior, Grace Gaarde was 40th at the RVC meet and will make her postseason debut on Thursday.
Boys Race
When: Thursday, 4:40 p.m.
Where: Kickers Soccer Complex in Iowa City
Teams: Regina; Bellevue; BGM; Columbus; Durant; English Valleys; Highland; Hillcrest Academy; Fort Madison Holy Trinity; Hudson, Iowa Valley; Keota; Lone Tree; Montezuma; Sigourney; WACO; Wapello; Winfield-Mount Union
Ranked teams: No. 2 Regina; No. 5 Bellevue; No. 16 Hudson
Ranked individuals: No. 3 Aidan O’Neil, Jr., Regina; No. 6 Payton Griebel, Jr., Bellevue; No. 16 Aiden Onken, Sr., Bellevue; No. 21 Joe Maley, Sr., Regina; No. 24 Gage Heyne, Soph., English Valleys;
Team title chase: River Valley Conference rivals and returning state qualifiers Regina and Bellevue are the top two contenders for the team title.
Second-ranked Regina got the better of Bellevue in the most recent meeting between the two teams finishing 29 points in front of the Comets at the RVC meet on the same course last week.
With junior standout Aidan O’Neil leading the way Regina is the clear cut favorite with Bellevue and Hudson likely battling for the final spot at the state meet.
Athlete to watch: Regina junior Aidan O’Neil burst onto the cross county scene a year ago, winning the title at the state qualifying meet at Kickers Soccer Complex before collecting a state medal with a 14th place finish in his first ever season of cross country.
A stronger and more experience O’Neil has emerged as a title contender in his second season of cross country this fall and enters the postseason seeking to defend his state qualifying meet title before adding to his state medal count.
Breakdown: Regina stopped a streak of five consecutive years without a state meet appearance last season winning the title at the 1A state qualifying meet behind the individual win from O’Neil.
After placing eighth at the 1A state meet in its first trip to Fort Dodge since 2015 last fall the Regals are looking to lock up a return trip to state where they are legit title contenders.
Senior Joe Maly has had a strong season and headlines a group of Regina runners that have stepped up behind their leader O’Neil.
Henry Bottorff, Samuel Welter, Dan Maley, Riordan Smith and Colin Olney have all taken big strides this season and give Regina the depth required to repeat as state qualifying meet champs and contend for the top spot on the balcony in Fort Dodge next week.
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