Year in and year out, the Fort Dodge Cross Country Invitational is considered by many to be a perfect prelude to the upcoming state championships.

That holds true once again this year.

Action begins at Lakeside Golf Course on Thursday at 4 p.m. There is a $10 charge per vehicle for parking.

In all, 14 boys and 14 girls teams are ranked along with a combined 39 individuals for both varsity races. With the middle school races, a total of 1,844 students are scheduled to compete.

Along with the host Dodgers and St. Edmond, the field includes Manson Northwest Webster, Adel-ADM, Ames, Ankeny, Ankeny Centennial, Ballard, Sioux City Heelan, Carlisle, Dallas Center-Grimes, Des Moines Roosevelt, West Des Moines Dowling, Indianola, Johnston, Lewis Central, Mason City, Newton, Norwalk, Sioux City East, Sioux City North, Southeast Polk, Unity Christian, Urbandale, West Des Moines Valley, Waukee and Waukee Northwest.

The Gaels are among those ranked teams, as the girls are 10th in Class 1A and the boys are 16th led by Anthony Valles, who comes in at No. 4.

Six of the Top-10 in 4A boys are slated for action including No. 1 West Des Moines Dowling. They will be challenged by fifth-ranked Ankeny, No. 6 Waukee, eighth-rated Waukee Northwest, No. 9 Norwalk and 10th-ranked Johnston.

Ethan Zuber leads the Hawks, as the defending state champion is ranked No. 1. Dowling’s top runner is Jack Flori, a two-time Top-10 finisher at state who is rated eighth overall. His teammate, Owen Wolfe, is ranked third with Indianola’s Reed Robbins checking in at No. 10.

For the girls, Johnston is ranked second in 4A along with No. 4 Ankeny Centennial, fifth-ranked West Des Moines Valley, No. 8 Dallas Center-Grimes, ninth-ranked Waukee Northwest and No. 10 Ankeny.

Piper Messerly of Dallas Center-Grimes is the highest-ranked 4A runner in the field, as she is third overall. Anika Mohrhauser from Ankeny Centennial, Messerly’s teammate, Maddy Stevens, Indianola’s Jordyn Brown and Ankeny’s Drew Beason are all in the Top-10.

Manson Northwest Webster’s Alyssa Richman was 10th at this meet last year and comes in ranked second in 2A. Teammate Thatcher Oswald is ranked 13th overall.