IOWA CITY — No drama was needed to confirm what the rankings have hinted at for weeks: second -ranked West Marshall is the real deal.

The Trojans packed five scorers inside the top 22 to win the Class 2A state-qualifying meet hosted by Iowa City Regina at the Iowa City Kickers Soccer Park, edging Mid-Prairie 44-47 and punching their ticket to Fort Dodge.

Sophomore frontrunner Addie Thompson set the tone from the gun, surging to the front inside the first minute and never flinching on the early hills. She finished second in 19 minutes, 46.4 seconds, and called the plan “get out hard and compete,” a blueprint she’s leaned on all season.

“I’ve been starting fast most of the season,” Thompson said. “Having people to run with today really helped — it gives me confidence and keeps me honest. Going into state, I probably need to watch that first mile just a touch so I’ve got more late, but I like where we’re at.”

Head coach Cynthia Hilleman praised the Trojans’ balance — and a huge effort from a returning athlete.

“I knew we had strong runners and it’s been fun to watch them improve every week,” Hilleman said. “Addie did what she does up front, but I was really proud of Zoey Wignall — she’s been a little injured and still ran an amazing race when we needed it. Now it’s about staying healthy and being ready for Friday.”

On a day with plenty of nail-biting, none was closer than the girls’ team battle for third. Grundy Center tied Tipton at 103 and advanced on the sixth-runner tiebreaker. Spartan No. 6 Ava Heeren placed 53rd in 24:13.9, a heartbeat ahead of Tipton’s Averi Jeffries (54th, 24:14.1) — a margin of two-tenths of a second that secured Grundy Center’s return to Fort Dodge.

“It’s districts — every point matters,” said Spartan senior Grace Storjohann, who took third in 19:57.0. “We wanted to get back as a team, and we knew it could come down to one spot.”

The boys’ race turned into a statement for Grundy Center star Emerson Vokes. The defending 2A state champion and IATC No. 1 ran exactly as advertised, shifting gears on the hills and breaking the field by the midpoint. Vokes won in 15:49.6, nearly 30 seconds clear of runner-up Lucas Anderson of Chariton (16:19.2).

“We planned to control, surge when it made sense and keep it light for next week,” Vokes said. “The first two miles were smooth, then I backed off a bit to get ready for state. There’s a target on your back when you’re defending, so it’s about how you run — and how you carry yourself. I’m excited to go defend it.”

The Spartan boys also showcased young success as well. Behind Vokes, freshman Leo Block (13th, 17:26.6) and sophomore Jayce Fryslie (14th, 17:33.5) stacked low sticks to earn their spots in Fort Dodge.

State-Qualifying Cross Country

Class 2A District 4

GIRLS

Team Standings — 1. West Marshall 44, 2. Mid-Prairie 47, 3. Grundy Center 103, 4. Tipton 103, 5. Wilton 148, 6. Central Lee 169, 7. Anamosa 190, 8. Iowa City Regina 199, 9. Northeast 206, 10. Mediapolis 212, 11. Chariton 292.

WEST MARSHALL (44) — 2. Addie Thompson 19:46.4, 4. Dalaney Eldridge 20:21.8, 6. Kielly Kasal 20:36.0, 15. Ella Randall 21:28.3, 22. Zoey Wignall 22:12.3, 38. Mia Christianson 23:22.4, 45. Summer Kurth 23:41.7.

GRUNDY CENTER (103) — 3. Grace Storjohann 19:57.0, 11. Evelyn Geerdes 20:57.5, 24. Maddy Hendershot 22:16.9, 27. Karlee Lynch 22:21.3, 50. Makenna Steinmeyer 24:01.9, 53. Ava Heeren 24:13.9, 62. Anabeth Hawk 24:58.8.

BOYS

Team Standings — 1. Chariton 27, 2. Mediapolis 106, 3. Tipton 111, 4. Iowa City Regina 139, 5. Grundy Center 148, 6. West Liberty 152, 7. West Burlington-Notre Dame 159, 8. Anamosa 161, 9. Mid-Prairie 186, 10. Central Lee 235, 11. West Marshall 270, 12. Wilton 325, 13. Northeast 360.

GRUNDY CENTER (90) — 1. Emerson Vokes 15:49.6, 13. Leo Block 17:26.6, 14. Jayce Fryslie 17:33.5, 60. Oliver Del Castillo 19:47.6, 62. Daniel Barkley 19:49.0, 83. Daniel Hommel 21:55.9, 84. Kael Edwards 22:37.8.

WEST MARSHALL (260) — 35. Erick Rosas-Canchola 18:45.6, 44. Aaron Greene 18:57.7, 61. Jacob Eirikson 19:48.7, 65. Ryan Putney 19:54.1, 70. Joseph Swigart 20:13.3, 78. Yuk Heng Wong 21:15.1, 80. Tyson Bunting 21:29.0.