The start of a new cross country season is upon us as the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls travel to Williamsburg Tuesday. Both teams are fresh off of another season of success that included appearances for each at the Class 2A State Championships in Fort Dodge, an individual River Valley Conference and Class 2A State title on the boys side for Emmett Swartzentruber with a 10th place team finish in Fort Dodge, to go with a girls team River Valley Championship and fourth place finish in Fort Dodge. Swartzentruber is back for the Golden Hawk boys as are Preston Yutzy, Max Swartzentruber, Jesse Stultz and Thomas Flynn. Emmett Swartzentruber starts the year ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, with Yutzy No. 19. For the Golden Hawk girls, the top returner back from State is Brooklyn Stutzman who was 12th there a year ago. Kendal Landstrum is also back from last year’s state lineup. Stutzman starts this season ranked No. 23 in Class 2A.

The Golden Hawks are joined tonight in Williamsburg by Belle Plaine, Benton, Davis County, the No. 11 in Class 3A Grinnell boys and their girls, HLV, Iowa Valley, the No. 14 Mediapolis boys and their girls, Montezuma, Newton, Oskaloosa, the No. 12 in Class 2A Prairie City Monroe girls and their boys, South Tama, Waterloo Christian and the home No. 16 in Class 3A Raider girls and their No. 19 boys. Action starts tonight at 4:30 and continues into the evening in Williamsburg.