TAKING FLIGHT — Fairmont’s Gavin Artner, shown running at the Metcalf cross country invite in Mountain Lake on Sept. 2, and the Cardinal boys team will play host to the I-90 Invite today at Cedar Creek Park in Fairmont. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

FAIRMONT — Seven individuals and three teams ranked in the Minnesota High School Cross Country Coaches Association’s state polls will compete for top honors during today’s historic I-90 Invitational at 4:30 p.m. in Fairmont.

Macy Hanson, who holds the No. 3 spot in the Class AA individual rankings, will pace the host Cardinals in the girls’ 5K race at Cedar Creek Park.

Ironically, Hanson broke the previous I-90 girls’ record by crossing the finish line in a time of 18:25.6, but placed second to Fairmont teammate Laura Thompson during the 2021 event. Thompson, who competes for the Augustana University cross country team in Sioux Falls, S.D., this fall, established the longstanding invite’s No. 1 mark of 18:23.8 to pack a 1-2 scoring punch with Hanson in guiding Fairmont to a third-place team showing with a score of 74.

Carys Gudahl contributed a top-20 finish for the host Cardinals last year by placing 17th in 22:03.4.

Mankato East earned the I-90 girls team championship with a total of 42 in 2021, while Belle Plaine captured runner-up accolades at 51.

Martin County West’s Katie Hartke, who garnered fifth place overall in 20:37.3 last fall, and North Union’s Jacey Welbig, who pocketed 13th individually in 21:32.9, return to hit the trail today in Fairmont.

Defending I-90 champion Worthington, runner-up Mankato East and third-place finisher Belle Plaine all return to talent-laden boys’ competition at Cedar Creek Park today.

Worthington, which netted first with a score of 46 last fall, holds the No. 1 spot in this year’s Class AA state rankings.

But the talented Trojans are not alone as Mankato East steps to the starting line today as the No. 4 squad in Class AA, while Belle Plaine holds the No. 5 position in the state poll.

Defending I-90 champion Emmett Gerres returns for Belle Plaine after capturing the gold medal with a winning time of 15:49.2. Gerres currently is ranked No. 1 in the Class AA rankings.

Mankato East’s Isaiah Anderson, the 2021 silver medalist at the I-90 Meet with a time of 16:17.7, runs today as the No. 9-ranked runner in Class AA, while Worthington will feature a pair of top-10 runners in Fanuel Wolday and Mikele Walu.

Walu is ranked No. 3 among Class AA male runners, while Wolday holds the No. 6 rung on the state individual ladder on the heels of a bronze-medal showing of 16:51.2 in the 2021 Fairmont-based event.

Will Niestrath and Gavin Artner return for the host Cardinals after pacing Fairmont’s sixth-place team finish in 2021. Niestrath claimed the top time for Fairmont at 18:29.7 to net 32nd place, while Artner crossed the finish line in 33rd in 18:31.5.

Madelia/Truman/Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Martin Luther’s Josiah DeMaris and Butterfield-Odin’s Ryan Pierson round out the state-ranked runners in today’s field.

DeMaris, who collected seventh place with a time of 17:06 last fall, holds the No. 7 spot in the Class A state poll, while Pierson is ranked 11th in Class A.

Host Fairmont, Blue Earth Area, Madelia/Truman/GHEC/Martin Luther, Martin County West, North Union, Belle Plaine, Butterfield-Odin, Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda, Jackson County Central, Mankato East, Mountain Lake Area, St. James, St. Peter and Worthington will comprise the I-90 Meet’s field today.