The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk cross country teams are back in familiar territory Friday, running at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge at the Class 2A State Championship meet. Both boys and girls teams qualified for the event as a team at the 2A state qualifier meet in Pella last week. The Golden Hawk girls were meet champions at Pella and are ranked No. 2 according to the final 2A poll of the season issued by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. The Hawks have two ranked individuals in their lineup. Two-time defending state champion Danielle Hostetler has held the top spot all year and Abby Fleming is No. 14. The Golden Hawk girls program has won five consecutive team state championships, dating back to 2017, tying the longest streak by any school in state history, they will try Friday to break the all-time record. Individually, a Hostetler from Mid-Prairie has won the state title each year since 2016.

The Golden Hawk boys will also run at state, after a gutsy performance in Pella a week ago that saw them qualify for Fort Dodge as a group with a third place finish. The Golden Hawks finished sixth in 2A a season ago. Emmett Swartzentruber leads the boys team, ranked No. 21 this week by the IATC. This week the Golden Hawk boys and girls teams each talked about their goals and preparation for state. “Rest up, and then at state just give it all we have and do the best we can. Not freak out at state. Go up there and have a Jim-dandy race. Maybe we’ll have a hard workout on Monday. The state meet is always the one that everyone remembers. We’re aiming for our best high school race. Even for us younger guys, we are working hard and doing it for the seniors. Eat good, get sleep, put in the work, it feels good and go out with a bang.”

The boys and girls Class 2A races are scheduled for the afternoon session Friday in Fort Dodge. Catch updates all day today and tomorrow at the top of the hour on AM and FM KCII and results posted on our website at KCIIradio.com.