5 girls' cross country runners to watch

The girls' cross country season is fast approaching.

While much of the two-month season is done on the road, many local schools have at least one home meet.

The past year proved that this is a sport where the small schools shine the brightest. Many of the area's most luminous stars earned Semoball Awards nominations as underclassmen and are coming back for more.

Here are five girls' cross country runners to watch this fall:

__Lauren Eftink, Notre Dame__

Lauren Eftink won two Semoball Awards for cross country and track and field. As a repeat All-Stater for Notre Dame, she became the third girl in school history to be All-State more than once. She ran 19:26.7 to take 11th place in Class 4 and should see better results in Class 3 this fall. The Bulldogs host the Notre Dame Invitational on September 30.

__Emma Niedbalski, Jackson__

Emma Niedbalski qualified for the Class 5 state meet and earned a Semoball Award nomination as a freshman. She is expected to play a significant role in Jackson’s success as a sophomore. The Indians will get the cross country season started for many schools when they host the Jackson Invitational on August 26.

__Kastin Cleaver, Van Buren__

Kastin Cleaver took 11th place at the Class 1 state meet with a time of 21:24 and was also a Class 1 District 1 runner-up. Cleaver and classmate Ziah Been led Van Buren to second place in Class 1 as sophomores and have high expectations this fall. Van Buren host the Scenic River Run on September 20.

__Kendall Marshall, Oak Ridge__

Kendall Marshall led the Blue Jays to a seventh-place finish in Class 1. She finished 64th with a time of 23:48.8 and is expected as a senior to push Oak Ridge higher this fall. The Blue Jays will host the Oak Ridge XC Invitational on September 19.

__Ella Harris, Bernie__

Ella Harris finished 12h at the Class 1 state meet with a time of 21:24.9 as a freshman. The older she gets, the closer she'll be to reaching her potential.