Returning letter winners for the girls are juniors Amber Collins and Noelle Spicer, sophomores Britta Sweeney, Lydia Oldakowski and Cambrie Geiger, and freshman Brielle Kern.  Ninth-graders Annika Spicer and McKenna Brauch should also contribute at the varsity level.

For the boys, juniors Tayton Lehmann and Isaac Heppner, sophomores Grant Nelson and Trevin Kern, and ninth-grader Cooper Damlo are back.  Sophomores Owen Anderson and Blake Haverkamp, and eighth-graders Jack Halverson-Bucholz, Brennan Simmons and Carsen Sweeney are expected to make a varsity impact this fall.

“Even though they lost their top three runners to graduation, the boys have shown early indications of rebuilding improvement amongst the returning core,” said Head Coach Mike Brunsberg, now in his eleventh season.  “Staying healthy will be a key, as always.”

Brunsberg will be assisted by Terry Olson.  He sees Staples-Motley and Bertha-Hewitt as the top boys’ teams in the Section, with Staples-Motley and Minnewaska Area the favorites for the girls.  In the Park Region Conference, Brunsberg says Bertha-Hewitt and OTC are the top teams on the boys’ side, with OTC, UNC and the Wolverines the favorites on the girls' side.