Three of the area’s top cross country runners will look to claim the ultimate prize when they race at the Class 1A State Championships today in Fort Dodge.

In the girls’ race, Lone Tree’s Vivian Zaruba will look to wrap up a phenomenal season. The Lion sophomore has nine top-10 finishes, including running the course in just under 21 minutes and 53 seconds to finish sixth at districts in Iowa City last week. Zaruba has ended up in the top three twice but has yet to win a meet, including her best finish of second place in just over 23 minutes at the Winfield-Mount Union Invitational. The girls’ 1A state meet will begin this morning at 10:30.

One hour later, the boys’ race will get underway featuring a pair of the best young runners from the Southeast Iowa Super Conference. Columbus Wildcat junior Damian Vergara is the reigning JET Physical Therapy Athlete of the Week after finishing sixth at districts in a time of 17 minutes and 59 seconds. WMU sophomore Kohlby Newsom was one spot behind Vergara and ran his best time of the season at 18:15. Vergara has four top-10s, including his best finish of third at Sigourney, while Newsom ended up in the top 10 an impressive eight times. You can hear hourly updates from state cross country today and tomorrow on KCII.