Wilson leads area charge to state cross country meet

 FORT DODGE (Oct. 28) -- Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton senior Evan Wilson will lead an area contingent of 11 runners set to compete at Saturday’s coed State Cross Country Championships at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course north of Fort Dodge.
 Wilson is ranked 2nd among Class 1A boys by the Iowa Association of Track Coaches and is coming off a first-place run at last week’s State Qualifying Meet in Mount Ayr. The Spartan senior will compete in the final race of the day at 2:30 p.m., battling the likes of top-ranked Riley Bauer (North Union) for an individual state championship. Also competing in the 1A boys race will be AHSTW senior Dalton Fischer.
 Saturday’s first area runners in action will be the Harlan Community tandem of junior Greichaly Kaster and freshman Brecken Van Baale, who will compete in the 3A girls race at 12:00 p.m. Kaster is making her third consecutive state meet appearance.
 In the 1A girls race at 2:00, AHSTW will run as a team after qualifying for state with a third-place finish at Mount Ayr last Thursday. The Lady Vikes are led by senior Heidi Hall, who enters the state meet ranked 29th by the IATC.
 IKM-Manning senior Payton Sporrer will also compete in the 1A girls race, capping her outstanding career with a fourth consecutive trip to Fort Dodge.