The Washington Demons are gearing up for another cross country season, and if they can duplicate last year’s success, they’ll definitely live up to the preseason rankings they’ve received from the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. Along with two individual runners being ranked, Washington’s girls’ team has been voted fourth in Class 3A, while the Demon boys are 19th.

The individual runners that are ranked are the two that medaled at last year’s 3A state championships. Sophomore Iris Dahl debuts as the third-ranked girls’ runner in 3A after she finished sixth in the state last season and had top-10 finishes at districts and at the Southeast Conference Championships. Dahl helped Washington to a sixth-place finish as a team at state.

Senior Micah Rees makes it to seventh on the preseason boys’ 3A rankings. Rees was 13th in the state last season and earned a medal in every race he ran last fall, including a run of four straight victories. The Demons will run their first race of the season next Saturday at Anamosa.