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With a vast majority of returners from last season's state-qualifying team, the Fairmont Cardinal girls cross country team is hoping for good things today.

The Class A No. 5-ranked Cardinal lineup qualified for its fifth consecutive state cross country meet last Thursday at Cedar Creek Park in Fairmont via a runner-up finish and will look to better their state placement of ninth from 2008.

The Class A state girls cross country meet gets underway at 2 p.m. today at St. Olaf College in Northfield.

During the section meet at Cedar Creek Park, Fairmont ran to a second-place finish with 79 points, while the No. 2-ranked South Central Conference rival Waseca Bluejays tore up the course to the tune of a dynamic score of 25 points.

The Cardinals placed ninth last season at state and boasted a runner making the all-state lineup.

No. 3-ranked Lauren Friese, who claimed the Section 2 Meet individual crown with a time of 15:06, will lead the way today as she placed eighth at last season's state meet.

Friese breezed her way through the St. Olaf Course in 15 minutes and 8.2 seconds, but will not be the only one of the Cardinals to return to state.

"She has been superlatively consistent this year. She's got a good head on her and should run within herself and place very high," Fairmont head coach Bob Bonk said in reference to Friese.

Laura Hamp will be back for the Cardinals as well, as she placed 31st in 15:52.2. Kylie Dekkers, who ran to a 50th-place finish in 16:30.7, also returns along with Jami Riley (66th at state in 16:40.6), Sarah Vanasse (86th in 17:06.5) and Alison Lundgren (101st in 17:33.7).

This will be Hamp's fifth state meet appearance.

During the section meet, Hamp ran to 13th place in 16:26, with Lundgren placing 20th in 16:48 and Dekkers was 22nd in 16:56. Vanasse took 26th in 16:59 and Justine Gerdts took 27th in 17:02. Riley rounded out the Fairmont lineup last Thursday, taking 36th place in 17:19.

"We'd like to place in the top 10 (as a team). That's our basic goal," said Bonk.

Fairmont will not be the only area school represented, however, as Blue Earth Area will send one runner to state in sophomore Marissia Hagedorn.

Hagedorn qualified for state last season as part of the Bucs team and finished 41st in 16:12.0. Hagedorn finished seventh in 15:59 at the 2009 section meet.

In team competition, Perham is the top-ranked squad in the state, having won the Section 8 championship, but the Section 3 champion Adrian Dragons are looking to keep an impressive streak alive of their own.

Adrian will be attempting to capture its fifth consecutive Class A title today.

No. 6-ranked LaCrescent, No. 2-ranked Waseca, No. 4-ranked Adrian, No. 12-ranked Blake School, Annandale, Albany, Esko and top-ranked Perham qualified for state as the respective champions of Sections 1-8.

Rochester Lourdes, No. 5-ranked Fairmont, No. 7-ranked Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin, No. 3-ranked Holy Family Catholic, No. 10-ranked St. Cloud Cathedral, New London-Spicer, Cook County and No. 8-ranked Park Rapids Area are the other respective section qualifiers via runner-up finishes.

"In my opinion, we're as familiar as any team there with the team that has the best chance to win and that's Waseca," said Bonk.

"Perham has been ranked No. 1 all year and they're a very, very strong team as well. After that, there is very little separation between the other teams," said Bonk.

There also will be be a new individual champion this season as last year's champion, Paynesville's Linda Keller, graduated.

The top returning runner is Chatfield freshman Kayla Woltz, who won the Section 1 individual title, and placed second last season at state in 14:42.8.

The Cardinals have had some issues with illness recently this season.

"I think the girls, more so than the boys, have had struggles with health. That's been a big, big factor. We'll have to see how they do (today)," said Bonk.