One of the top girls teams in the nation is back to defend its title in Hawai'i's premier high school cross country invitational.

Snohomish (Wash.) is one of 17 Mainland teams entered in the Seventh Iolani Cross Country Invitational at Kualoa Ranch tomorrow. The meet also will feature teams from the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, O'ahu Interscholastic Association and Kaua'i Interscholastic Federation. More than 900 runners are expected to compete in levels from intermediate to varsity.

"We're looking at a more balanced field," Iolani boys coach Jim Rubasch said. "The talent from the Hawai'i schools is really good this year."

Snohomish, the defending champion for both boys and girls, highlights the field. The Snohomish girls, ranked 19th nationally, and are led by junior Kara Sporrong and senior Amanda Stopa.

Also competing are teams from Nevada, Texas, Idaho and California, including the Lutheran boys, who are ranked No. 1 in Division IV in California.

"I recognize a couple of the team names, and those are top-flight teams in the nation," Iolani girls coach Karl Honma said. "It's cooler on the Mainland and it's interesting to see how they compete here in the heat. For the Hawai'i teams, it's more of an experience than anything else."

It will be a transition year for the Iolani girls, who lost last year's leaders Nicole Anderson, Joleen Oshiro and Kira Tamashiro to graduation, and welcome first-year coach Honma, who has spent 22 years coaching on the Big Island.

"For us, I'm getting to know them, and they're getting to know me," said Honma, who coached the Hawai'i Prep boys and led them to four state titles in his 18 years. "I've been really impressed. They've been doing a great job."

Defending girls champion Lauren Ho of Hawai'i Baptist, who also won the state meet, is not running in the invitational.

It will be a good indicator for the rest of the girls' cross country season, which will use a three-mile course for the state championship meet for the first time.

"That will show a lot about how the training has been going and how different individual runners will take to running three miles," Honma said.

Kamehameha, defending state champion for both boys and girls, will also be competing. The Warrior boys will be led by 2003 state champion Jeremy Kamaka'ala.

NOTE: The junior varsity boys start at 9 a.m., with varsity girls at 9:30, and varsity boys at 10. All three events will be three miles. Running the two-mile course will be the junior varsity girls at 10:30, an open race at 10:50, boys intermediate at 11:20 and girls intermediate at 11:50.

Reach Leila Wai at lwai@honoluluadvertiser.com.