Photo Courtesy of Washington Cross Country Social Media

One of the biggest dates on the cross country calendar has arrived for the Washington Demons. Wednesday is the Class 3A State Qualifier meet.

For the Demon boys, Andrew Rees is ranked No. 19 in Class 3A in the latest poll from the Iowa Association of Track Coaches. Rees is the back-to-back boys Southeast Conference individual champion. Both Demon teams finished as conference runners-up. Rees spoke this week with KCII Sports about expectations for him and the team entering Wednesday. “My individual goal for the State Qualifying meet is to win it. I think there are three ranked guys ahead of me and one right behind me. That might be more of a pack race. We’ll go and see how I’m feeling in the last mile. I’m really excited for that meet, to give it everything I’ve got after all of the work I put in this summer and during the season. Team goal right now is to make it to state, which will be very difficult, there are four ranked teams ahead of us. Try to get three maybe three guys in the top 15 and hopefully the four and five will be able to bring us to the state meet!”

Washington will be joined by the No. 13 Davenport Assumption boys and their girls, the No. 8 Ballard girls and their boys, Burlington, the No. 17 Center Point-Urbana girls and their boys, Central DeWitt, the No. 5 Fort Madison girls and their No. 16 boys, the No. 4 Grinnell boys and their girls, Keokuk, Mount Pleasant, South Tama, and the home No. 14 Raider girls and their boys. There are a total of 11 ranked runners in Wednesday’s races.

In Class 3A, the top three teams plus the first 15 individuals qualify for state. The State meets will be held at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge Friday, October 31st and Saturday, November 1st.