The Norwalk cross country teams will look to keep their seasons alive today, competing in the Class 4A State Qualifying Meet at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs.

The ten-team district field includes Ankeny Centennial, Council Bluffs Jefferson, Council Bluffs Lincoln, Dallas Center-Grimes, Des Moines Roosevelt, Lewis Central, Norwalk, Sioux City East, Sioux City North, and Sioux City West. The top three girls and boys teams, and at least the top 15 individual place-winners from each race, advance to the State Cross Country Meet in Fort Dodge on Saturday, November 1st. There is also a minimum of five individuals from non-state qualifying teams at each meet site who are guaranteed a spot at state.

The Norwalk boys are seeking a seventh consecutive state meet berth as a team, as they placed fifth in last year’s state championship meet. The sixth-ranked Warriors will have tough qualifying competition as the second-highest-seeded team in the district, placed between #5 in 4A Dallas Center-Grimes and #7 Ankeny Centennial. Norwalk senior Teegan Kralik is ranked 13th individually in Class 4A, and senior Sam Parker is ranked 27th. Kralik and Parker, along with sophomore Lane Osterloh and junior Aksel Beedon, earned all-conference honors for the boys team this season.

The Warrior girls are ranked twelfth in Class 4A. State-ranked teams in the girls qualifying field include #4 Ankeny Centennial, #7 DC-G, and #15 Des Moines Roosevelt. Sophomores Olive DeRocher, Gabby Drymon, and Grace Wetzeler all qualified last season as individuals. Freshman Hannah Schmitz has been the Warrior girls’ top runner for the second half of the season and will look to contend for an individual state qualifier spot if the team is unable to earn a top-three finish. Schmitz, DeRocher, and Drymon earned all-conference honors for the girls team. 

The girls’ race begins at 4:00 p.m., followed by the boys’ race at approximately 4:40.