Breaking Down the Class 3A Girls State Cross Country Meet
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
Cross country season in the state of Iowa all comes down to this.
The state meet is scheduled for October 31 and November 1 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge with eight state titles up for grabs across four classes.
Before the action gets underway on Friday Your Prep Sports takes a look at the races feature teams from the area.
Here is a quick breakdown of the Class 3A girls race.
Class 3A
Where: Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge
When: Friday, 2 p.m.
Qualifying teams: *Williamsburg; Ballard; Center Point-Urbana; *Mount Vernon/Lisbon; Solon; Dubuque Wahlert; *Sioux Center; Harlan; MOC-Floyd Valley; *Pella; ADM; Cedar Rapids Xavier; *Des Moines Christian; Gilbert; Winterset
*- state qualifying meet champions
Individual state qualifying meet champions: Avery Fedler, Fr., Mount Pleasant; Izzy Hardin, Sr., Maquoketa; Natalie Anderson, Jr., MOC-Floyd Valley; Marissa Ferebee, Sr., Pella; Elyse Erzen, Soph., Des Moines Christian
2024 top five: 1. Pella 23; 2. Sioux Center 142; 3. Mount Vernon/Lisbon 145; 4. Solon 190; 5. Winterset 193
Last five team champions: 2024 – Pella; 2023 – Pella; 2022 – Pella; 2021 – Solon; 2020 – Ballard
Returning state placewinners: 1. Marissa Ferebee, Sr., Pella; 2. Elsie Brenneman, Jr., Pella; 3. Ruth Dunham, Jr., Pella; 5. Izzy Hardin, Sr., Maquoketa; 6. Grace Berglund, Jr., Glenwood; 7. Addison Bertrand, Sr., Sioux City Heelan; 8. Kyliee Zylstra, Jr., Grinnell; 9. Natalie Anderson, Jr., MOC-Floyd Valley; 10. Evelyn Moeller, Jr., Mount Vernon/Lisbon; 12. Carleigh Altwin, Soph., Pella; 13. Alexis Hergenreter, Jr., North Polk; 14. Lizzy VandeVoort, Soph., Pella; 15. Ava Hope, Soph., Winterset
Top ranked teams: 1. Pella; 2. Des Moines Christian; 3. Mount Vernon/Lisbon; 4. Sioux Center; 5. Solon
Ranked area teams: 5. Solon
Top ranked individuals: 1. Marissa Ferebee, Sr., Pella; 2. Isabelle Hardin, Sr., Maquoketa; 3. Elsie Brenneman, Jr., Pella; 4. Natalie Anderson, Jr., MOC-Floyd Valley; 5. Evelyn Moeller, Jr., Mount Vernon/Lisbon
Ranked area individuals: 21. Falyn Svalstad, Jr., Solon
Team title race: Three-time defending state champion Pella will look to continue to add to unparalleled string of recent success.
Pella has increased its winning margin each of the past two seasons, winning its third consecutive 3A title last season by an astonishing 119 points.
With the top three finishers in last year’s 3A race all returning led by two-time defending champion Marissa Ferebee the Dutch are heavy favorites to add a fourth title.
The race will be for second and third and there are several teams capable of pushing into the top three.
Sioux Center was runner-up last season and should be in the mix along with last year’s third-place finisher Mount Vernon/Lisbon.
Second-ranked Des Moines Christian will look to make a big jump after placing 15th a year ago.
Individual title tracker: Two-time defending champion Ferebee will look to cap a brilliant career with a third consecutive title.
After placing fifth as a freshman in 2022 the Pella senior standout has won the past two 3A titles.
Ferebee won her first title by less than four seconds in 2023 and last season finished more than a minute and 27 seconds in front of teammate Elise Brenneman who was the 3A runner-up.
Brenneman and teammate Ruth Dunham, who was third last season, will be part of a pack trying to track down Ferebee.
Maquoketa senior Izzy Hardin was fifth last year and has been impressive this season.
Mount Vernon/Lisbon junior Evelyn Moeller is one of five other returning top-10 finishers from a year ago that should be in the mix.
Area breakdown: Solon has been one of the most consistent programs in the state over the past decade.
The Spartans are making their eighth consecutive appearance at the state meet and are seeking a fifth top-five finish in the past six seasons.
Solon was fourth last season and will look to push into what should be a crowded top five on Friday.
Junior Falyn Svalstad is one of four Spartans returning from last year’s team that placed fourth with 190 points.
Svalstad is a two-time state qualifier capable of pushing into the top 15 on Friday and joins sophomores Liv Nelson and Addison Seamans and junior Ava Rolwes are Solon runners with state meet experience.
Keep an eye on Clear Creek Amana freshman Ali Seidl who will look to cap a strong debut season with a big performance in her first trip to the state meet.
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