Marie Hostetler, Mid-Prairie (IA)
With Ashlyn Kenney and Emily Staal electing not to run, Marie Hostetler will certainly be the top athlete representing Iowa on Sunday. Hostetler went undefeated minus a runner-up finish to Kenney and a narrow loss to Staal at their sectional meet. However, Hostetler reversed that result to nab the Iowa 2A individual crown, the second year in a row she's earned the victory. That finish also led her Mid-Prairie squad to the team title. Hostetler elected to run the Foot Locker Midwest Regional instead of NXR last fall, so she hasn't faced some of the top runners in the field. That shouldn't be much of an issue, with a 9:52.50 3K to her name. At her district meet, Hostetler ran 17:40.50, the ninth fastest season best in the field. With a long history of success, keep an eye out for Hostetler to make a splash in her first trip to Sioux Falls.