Jackson County Central will open its cross country season Friday at the Fairmont Earlybird Invitational. The meet will be held on the grounds of Fairmont High School and varsity runners will use a 4000-meter course rather than the usual 5000 meters.
The Huskies will then compete in Marshall on Monday, Aug. 26. JCC’s home meet is Thursday, Sept. 19.
Here are the teams scheduled to compete at the Fairmont Earlybird:
Blue Earth Area
Heron Lake-Okabena
Jackson Country Central
Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial/Nicollet
Maple River
Mountain Lake Area
New Ulm
St. James Area
St. Peter
Tri-City United
Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
JCC schedule
Friday, Aug. 23: at Fairmont, 9:30 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 26: at Marshall, TBA
Friday, Aug. 30: at Mountain Lake, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 5: at Tri-City United, 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 12: at New London-Spicer, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Sept. 19: JCC Invitational, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 24: at Murray County Central, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 3: at Fairmont, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 8: at Adrian/Ellsworth, 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 15: Big South Conference, 4 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 24: Section 3A, Luverne
Saturday, Nov. 2: State meet, U of M Golf Course
JCC Invitational teams: Blue Earth Area, Heron Lake-Okabena, Jackson County Central, Luverne, Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther, Maple River, Martin County West/Butterfield-Odin, Windom, Worthington.
State ratings
The Big South Conference is well represented in the preseason ratings by the Minnesota Cross Country Coaches Association.
Seven teams and seven individuals from the conference are ranked in Class A or Class AA. No ratings for Class AAA were available, but all of the BSC schools are in A or AA.
Redwood Valley is first in the Class A boys team ratings with Luverne sixth. Redwood has two ranked runners with Will Ahrens second and Kilen Cilek sixth. Also, Luverne’s Owen Janiszewski is ranked seventh.
For the Class A girls, Redwood Valley is second behind defending state champion in the team ratings.
Also in Class A, Mountain Lake Area is eighth in the boys team poll.
In Class AA, Marshall is the top-ranked boys team, with conference newcomer Belle Plaine seventh. Fanuel Wolday of Worthington is sixth in the individual ratings and Marshall’s Josh Leifried is ninth.
Belle Plaine is sixth in the Class AA girls team poll, with Marshall eighth. Fairmont’s Macy Hanson is second in the individual ratings and Keira Freidrich of St. Peter is sixth.
Following are the team ratings for Class A and Class AA.
Class A boys
1. Redwood Valley
2. Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin
3. Cotter
4. Sauk Centre
5. Lewiston-Altura/Rushford-Peterson/Houston
6. Luverne
7. South Ridge
8. Mountain Lake Area
9. Hawley
10. Park Rapids Area
11. Nova Classical Academy
12. Staples-Motley
Class A girls
1. St. Cloud Cathedral
2. Redwood Valley
3. Cotter
4. Hawley
5. Staples-Motley
6. Northwest Nighthawks
7. United North Central
8. Rochester Lourdes
9. Carlton-Wrenshall
10. Nova Classical Academy
11. Mankato Loyola/Cleveland
12. Wadena-Deer Creek
Class AA boys
1. Marshall
2. Mankato East
3. Perham
4. Orono
5. Winona
6. Becker
7. Belle Plaine
8. Fergus Falls
9. Northfield
10. Big Lake
11. St. Paul Highland Park
12. Mankato West
Class AA girls
1. Alexandria
2. Perham
3. Northfield
4. St. Paul Highland Park
5. Willmar
6. Belle Plaine
7. Orono
8. Marshall
9. Blake
10. Chisago Lakes
11. Proctor
12. Delano