The best runners in Iowa flock to Kennedy Park this weekend for the Iowa High School State Cross Country Championships. Class 1A and 2A runners from southeast Iowa will race for hardware Saturday.

In Class 2A, the Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk boys and girls have team state title aspirations. The Golden Hawk boys are making their fifth straight team appearance in Fort Dodge after winning their State Qualifier meet and enter the day ranked No. 1 overall in the latest poll from the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. They have two ranked runners in their lineup including the reigning individual Class 2A State Champion Emmett Swartzentruber No. 8 and Preston Yutzy No. 15. The Golden Hawk girls arrive in Fort Dodge for the 10th straight season, team champions of their Pella Christian State Qualifier and ranked No. 2 in Class 2A. There are two ranked Golden Hawks in their lineup including Brooklyn Stutzman No. 8 and Rachel Hostetler No. 18. The Mid-Prairie boys have one team state championship in their history, the girls have won the team title five times.

In Class 1A, the Columbus boys earned their trip to Fort Dodge by placing second at North Linn as a team. This is their seventh overall appearance at State and third in the last five seasons. They are ranked No. 12 in this week’s boys team poll. Ty Muniz is No. 27 in the boys individual rankings from the IATC for 1A.

Three other boys represent their schools individually at State Saturday. WACO’s Jude Dykstra was the individual State Qualifier Champion at Pleasantville and comes in ranked 15th, while Winfield-Mt. Union’s Kohlby Newsom was runner-up at the same qualifier and is ranked No. 28 ahead of his run at State. Sigourney’s Troy Klett competes in Fort Dodge today after going 11th at Pleasantville to qualify.

A pair of Raven girls runners flock to Fort Dodge this weekend with Hillcrest’s Marie Yoder and Siena Stanerson. Both qualified after finishing in the top five at Pleasantville last week and both are among the top 30 in Class 1A according to the IATC poll with Yoder rated 11th and Stanerson No. 25.

Teams and individuals from Class 1A and 2A Schools will be in action all day Saturday at Kennedy Park in Fort Dodge. Catch updates for southeast Iowa teams and athletes at the top of every hour on KCII and full results free on our website at KCIIradio.com.