Prep Cross Country- The Iowa Track Coaches Association released their third edition of the individual rankings for the 2024 season and Class 1A features the best local competition with seven runners ranked in the top 30.
Class 3A
Starting with the highest class for our local teams, competition was turned up an extra level, resulting in Jacob Shottenkirk of Fort Madison and Andrew Rees of Washington being knocked out of the top 30.
Washington’s Tyler Alderton was the lone man standing as the senior was bumped from #10 in Class 3A last week to #27 this week. Alderton actually finished behind Rees at the Bob Brown Invitational over the weekend but holds a time of 17 minutes and 48 seconds for the season.
The girls’ side of Class 3A saw everyone ranked last week for our local teams no longer ranked this week in Washington’s Iris Dahl and Lauren Horak along with Fort Madison’s Ellie Hellman.
Avery Rump’s first place finish at the Keokuk Meet last week of 20 minutes and 10 seconds elevated her from unranked to #12 in this week’s rankings, keeping a Bloodhound in the top 30.
Class 2A
Will Schmidgall of Mediapolis entered the rankings at #7. The sophomore has clocked in a time of 17 minutes even for the season through two meets. The Bulldogs will run tomorrow at the Riverview Club.
Class 1A
The boys’ rankings features five local runners ranked within the top 30, including three within the top 15.
Lincoln Bainbridge of Van Buren County headlines the list of local runners as the junior is ranked #7 in Class 1A. He raced to a time of 17 minutes and 42 second in his first race of the season and has helped the Warriors grab second place as a team in each of their first two meets.
Winfield-Mt. Union’s Kohlby Newsom snuck into the top 10 at #10. In the only race of the season for the Wolves, the senior finished with a time of 17 minutes and 30 seconds at a meet hosted by Hillcrest Academy.
At #13 is Danville’s Jackson Shacklett as he helped the Bears finish in first as a team in a meet at Albia last week. Jude Dykstra of WACO entered the rankings at #22 and Ty Muniz jumped into the top 30 at #29 for Columbus.
On the girls’ side, Marie Yoder of Hillcrest Academy ranks #10 and Danville’s Alaina Gourley is placed at #19 for Class 1A.