HURON — The top five runners from last year’s girls’ race in the Class B State Cross Country Meet will be returning to battle it out again at this year’s event, which will be held today at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls.

Emery Larson of Chester Area is the defending Class B girls’ champion. Ella Boekelheide of Northwestern was second, followed by Kaelyn Ulschmid of Arlington, Autumn Fallis of Highmore-Harrold and Dannika Kaup of Potter County.

All of the top five runners from a year ago are sophomores this year.

Also qualifying for the state  meet this year for Highmore-Harrold were senior April Fallis and freshman Jaylynn Knox.

Wessington Springs will have four girls at this year’s state meet — senior Abby Kolousek, sophomore Masynn Mebius and freshman Ella Kolousek and Alexis Roesler.

Leading James Valley Christian into the state meet will be freshman Hadasah Olson, who earned all-state honors for the Lady Vikings last season with a 14th-place finish. She will be joined by senior Rhayonna Hood and eighth-grader Lily Swanson.

Other area runners in the Class B girls’ race will be sophomore Kendal Uttecht of Wolsey-Wessington and freshman Adalyn Gross of Wessington Springs.

Potter County is the defending Class B girls’ team champion.

Sunshine Bible Academy and Highmore-Harrold will be competing in the boys’ team portion of the Class B State Meet. Both schools will be sending five runners.

Running for SBA will be juniors Jimmy Burma, Trey Thieman and Owan Watson, along with Josh Wilken and seventh-grader Reagan Sandness.

Burma was 34th for the Crusaders last season.

Representing Highmore-Harrold will be senior Carson Stephenson, sophomore Jordan Erfman, sophomore Jonah Webb, eighth-grader Brooks McPeak and eighth-grader Carter Webb.

Sophomore Chase Temme and freshman Conner Giedd qualified for the season-ending event from De Smet.

Other area runners competing today will be senior Josiah Wiebe of Hitchcock-Tulare, senior Edwyn Reyes of Wolsey-Wessington, junior Ranick Fjerstad of Wessington Springs and eighth-grader Kaden Ober of James Valley Christian,

A new Class B individual boys’ champion will be crowned, as last year’s winner, Josiah Schroeder of Canistota, graduated.

Philip is the defending Class B boys’ team champion.

The Class B girls’ race is slated for 12:30 p.m., today, while the Class B boys’ race will be held at 2 p.m.