Mount Vernon takes over top spot in 3A while rest stay the same

Mount Vernon is the new No. 1 in 3A, replacing Estherville-LC this week

Johnston's Ari Phillips and the Dragons are still ranked No. 1 in Class 5A. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The latest basketball rankings from the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union have been released, with Mount Vernon taking over the No. 1 spot in Class 3A.

The other four top teams remained the same with Johnston (5A), Sioux City Bishop Heelan (4A), Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (2A) and Bishop Garrigan (1A) holding down No. 1 rankings.

Mount Vernon moved ahead of Estherville-Lincoln Central thanks to a 52-42 victory during “Rivalry Saturday” this past weekend in a head-to-head meeting. Since that time, they have suffered a second loss to a bigger school, losing to No. 6 (5A) Cedar Rapids Prairie, 66-54.

One of the biggest movers this week was Waukee Northwest, as the Wolves climbed from 11th in 5A to No. 4 after defeating then-No. 3 Ankeny Centennial, who dropped two spots in fifth in 5A. 

Williamsburg moved up to seventh from 10th in 3A while Monticello fell from fourth to 11th and Humboldt dropped from seventh to 12th. 

Iowa City Regina climbed from ninth to fifth in 2A as Cascade fell from third to 12th. 

In 1A, Highland debuted, breaking into the Top 15 with a 4-0 start and settling in at No. 9. Council Bluffs St. Albert moved up to seventh from 13th and Dunkerton and Akron-Westfield each dropped four spots. 

Newcomers to the polls include Iowa City Liberty (5A), Spirit Lake (3A), Treynor (2A), Maquoketa Valley (2A), Pella Christian (2A) and Woodbine (1A).

SECOND IGHSAU GIRLS BASKETBALL RANKINGS

(Dec. 5, 2024)

Class 5A

1. Johnston; 2. West Des Moines Dowling; 3. Davenport North; 4. Waukee Northwest; 5. Ankeny Centennial; 6. Cedar Rapids Prairie; 7. Ankeny; 8. Pleasant Valley; 9. Cedar Falls; 10. West Des Moines Valley; 11. Bettendorf; 12. Waukee; 13. Iowa City West; 14. Cedar Rapids Washington; 15. Iowa City Liberty.

Dropped out: Iowa City High (14).

Class 4A

1. Sioux City Bishop Heelan; 2. North Polk; 3. Sioux Center; 4. Norwalk; 5. Gilbert; 6. Maquoketa; 7. Cedar Rapids Xavier; 8. Central DeWitt; 9. Clear Creek-Amana; 10. Dallas Center-Grimes; 11. Storm Lake; 12. Carlisle; 13. Keokuk; 14. Waverly-Shell Rock; 15. Oskaloosa.

Class 3A

1. Mount Vernon; 2. Estherville-Lincoln Central; 3. Dubuque Wahlert; 4. Forest City; 5. Roland-Story; 6. Cherokee; 7. Williamsburg; 8. Algona; 9. PCM; 10. West Delaware; 11. Monticello; 12. Humboldt; 13. Center-Point Urbana; 14. Clarinda; 15. Spirit Lake.

Dropped out: Harlan (13).

Class 2A

1. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont; 2. Westwood; 3. North Mahaska; 4. Central Lyon; 5. Iowa City Regina; 6. Rock Valley; 7. MVAOCOU; 8. Denver; 9. West Lyon; 10. Hudson; 11. Hinton; 12. Cascade; 13. Treynor; 14. Maquoketa Valley; 15. Pella Christian.

Dropped out: Exira-EHK (7); Jesup (14); Emmetsburg (15).

Class 1A

1. Bishop Garrigan; 2. North Linn; 3. Riceville; 4. Mount Ayr; 5. Newell-Fonda; 6. Kee; 7. Council Bluffs St. Albert; 8. Montezuma; 9. Highland; 10. Fremont-Mills; 11. Dunkerton; 12. Akron-Westfield; 13. Gladbrook-Reinbeck; 14. East Buchanan; 15. Woodbine.

Dropped out: Lone Tree (10); Springville (14).