**********THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED**************

 

The 2021 cross country season gets underway tonight for a trio of area schools at the Iowa City West Invitational.

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls teams will both be on the course tonight at the Iowa City Kickers Complex. The Golden Hawk girls begin the drive for five, their fifth consecutive class 2A state team championship. They enter this season ranked No. 1 in the state in 2A according to the preseason poll from the Iowa Track and Field Coaches Association. Four members of the Golden Hawk starting lineup are rated among the 30 best in 2A including last year’s individual 2A state champ Danielle Hostetler who checks into the top spot. Jaden Yoder is ranked second, she finished third in Fort Dodge a year ago. Mitzi Evans is eighth in the first poll of the season after a seventh place finish at state in 2020 and Sidney Yoder is 12th after placing ninth at the 2020 state meet.

The Mid-Prairie boys will also start the year tonight in Iowa City. They are ranked No. 6 in class 2A in the first poll of the year, matching their team finish at the 2020 state meet in Fort Dodge.

The Columbus Wildcats get their season underway tonight. The Wildcats are ranked No. 14 in the state in the 1A boys poll after finishing in that spot in Fort Dodge a season ago at the state meet. That was Columbus’ first trip to the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course as a team since 2005. Individually, the Wildcats have Isaac Acosta ranked No. 18 in the 1A preseason poll. He finished 24th at state in 17:51. On the girls side, the Wildcats return three of their four runners from last year’s team with junior Averi Sipes and sophomores Alexa Alcala and Kimberly Gonzalez.

The Sigourney girls will also run in Iowa City tonight. The Savages Reanah Utterback will be on the course for the first varsity meet of her career. Joining the Golden Hawks, Wildcats and Savages in Iowa City tonight will be Bettendorf, Iowa City, City High, Dubuque Senior, Iowa City Liberty, Wapello, Pleasant Valley and Iowa City West. Action starts tonight at 4:55p.m. and continues into the evening at the Iowa City Kickers Complex.