The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk girls and boys track teams take the oval tonight in Eddyville for their Class 2A State Qualifier meet in search of bids to Des Moines. The Golden Hawk girls were third in the team race at last week’s River Valley Conference championship meet scoring 102 points. They got a conference title from the distance medley team of Dakota Mitchell, Emma Lueck, Jovi Evans and Danielle Hostetler. The Hawks had 14 other top five event finishes. A year ago, the Golden Hawks won their third consecutive 2A State Qualifier Team title, scoring 181 points, winning 10 event titles and auto-qualifying 15 events. In total last year, the Hawks sent 17 events to Drake Stadium. Danielle Hostetler won the state 3000 championship and 4×200 team of Madeline Schrader, Amara Jones, Jovi Evans and Tabitha Evans were state champions with the 4×100 of Schrader, Jones, Evans and Evans and distance medley with Schrader, Jones, Jovi Evans and Hostetler finishing runner-up. Mid-Prairie was the 2A State team runner-up a year ago.

The Mid-Prairie boys were fifth at the RVC Championship meet last week with 63 points. Emmett Swartzentruber went double gold for the Hawks, winning the mile and two-mile contests. The Golden Hawks had six other top five event performances. A year ago, the Golden Hawks were fifth as a team at this meet with 65 points. The Hawks auto qualified five events for state at Tipton last season. In total, the Mid-Prairie boys sent 10 events to state last year, with Jayden Stafford winning triple gold in the wheelchair 100, 200 and 400s.

The Golden Hawks will be joined tonight by Albia, Cardinal, Centerville, Central Decatur, Central Lee, Chariton, I-35, Mediapolis, Van Buren, West Burlington and the home Rockets. The top two finishers in each event automatically qualify for the State Championship meet next week in Des Moines, along with the next eight best performances from around Iowa in 2A. Action starts at 4p.m. and continues into the evening at Eddyville-Blakesburg High School.