The Xavier Saints and Prairie Hawks will begin the 2012-13 girls basketball season in the rankings. Their job will be to stay there.

The Saints are ranked No. 4 in Class 4A and the Hawks are ranked No. 9 in the new Class 5A.

Xavier compiled an 18-6 record last season and reached the state tournament. Prairie went 12-10 and returns a good nucleus of players.

Prairie opened the season Saturday night at Muscatine and the Hawks were beaten by the No. 4 Muskies, 64-43. Xavier will begin the season Tuesday night with a home game against Decorah.

Southeast Polk was ranked No. 1 in the preseason Class 5A poll by the IGHSAU. Bishop Heelan was ranked No. 1 in Class 4A.

The other top teams are Davenport Assumption in 3A, Western Christian in 2A and Bedford in 1A.

CLASS 5A
(2011-12 record in parenthesis)
1. Southeast Polk (24-2), 2. Mason City (21-3), 3. Iowa City High (17-7), 4. Muscatine (19-4), 5. Waukee (20-6), 6. Iowa City West (25-1), 7. Ames (16-7), 8. Des Moines East (15-6), 9. Prairie (12-10), 10. West Des Moines Valley (14-9).

CLASS 4A
(2011-12 record in parenthesis)
1. Bishop Heelan (24-2), 2. Winterset (19-5), 3. Benton Community (24-1), 4. Xavier (18-6), 5. Dallas Center Grimes (18-6), 6. Waverly-Shell Rock (17-6), 7. Dubuque Wahlert (13-9), 8. Western Dubuque (13-9), 9. Indianola (11-12), 10. Washington, Iowa (18-5).