Cross country season preview

This is the last in a series of fall sports previvews for area high schools. Information was provided by each school. Not all coaches responded.

Central

Coach: Mark Hahn

n Assistant coach: Jason Bandermann

Last season: Boys were conference champions, third in district; girls were conference champions, district champions

Top returning boys: Daniel Austin, soph. (all-district); Corey Huskey, jr. (all-district, all-conference); John Kipper, soph. (all-district); Alex Schneider, sr. (all-district, all-conference); Bryan Schott, soph. (all-district).

Top returning girls: Cassie Kipper, sr. (all-district, all-conference); Jennifer Pancoast, jr. (district champ, conference champ, all-sectional, all-state); Holly Shaffer, jr. (all-district, all-conference); Linnea Woldtvedt, soph. (all-district, all-conference).

Delta

Coach: Gordon Walton

Last season: Girls were third in district.

Top returning boys: Aaron Kinder, soph. (state qualifier).

Top returning girls: Angie Green, sr. (state qualifier).

Noteworthy: Girls team won Oak Ridge meet, finished first among small schools and was fourth of 27 overall at Potosi meet.Jackson

Coach: Andrea Talley

n Assistant coach: Jim Stoverink and Dan Brown

Top returning boys: Lucas McIntosh, jr.; Mark Strickert, jr.; Kremer Rampley, sr.; David Welker, so.; Ben McMillan, so.

Top returning girls: Rachel Lowes, jr.; Rachel Schmidt, jr.; Ashley Meyr, jr.; Jenny Nagel, jr.; Chelsea Brown, sr.; Jessica Walter, jr.; Katie Grieshop, jr.; Angela Welker, sr.; Lauren Jackson, sr.; Brittany Brockmire, jr.; Casey Parrott, so.

Kelly

Coach: John Merrick

Assistant coach: Janie Merrick

Last season: Boys were fourth in district

Top returning boys: Trey Simmons (sr., all-district), Michael Glastetter (jr., all-district), Jordan Felter (soph.), Russell Carroll (soph.), Nolan Lewer (soph.), Brandon Ayers (soph.), Derek Rucker (soph.).

Top returning girls: Leigh Ann Bucheit (soph.), Janessa Burford (sr.), Patricia Quillman (soph.).

Noteworthy: Kelly has 39 runners this season, up from 15 last year. The team will return all of its strong freshman class from last year.Notre Dame

Coach: Bill Davis

n Last season: Boys were fifth in SEMO Conference, third in district; girls were fourth in SEMO Conference, fourth in district

Top returning boys: Austin Critchlow, jr. (all-district, state qualifier); Ryan Roggow, sr.; Sam Montgomery, sr. (all-district, state qualifier); Josh Lester, sr.; Allen Frey, sr.; Matt Pfau, soph. (all-district); Greg Swoboda, sr.

Top returning girls: Megan Rosenquist, jr. (all-district, state qualifier); Kasie Essner, sr.; Stacie Kula, soph.; Jennifer Barrett, soph.; Cori Garrett, soph.

Noteworthy: Boys squad, with 22 members, returns top seven runners and experience; girls won Notre Dame Invitational (varsity and junior varsity), Kelly Invitational (varsity and JV) and North County Invitational (small school division) and return five of top seven to a team of 11, including a talented group of freshmen.

Oak Ridge

Coach: Jason Niswonger

Assistant coach: Karen McClellan

Last season: Boys finished second in district

Top returning boys: Terry Bogenpohl, sr. (state qualifier); Austin Morrison, jr. (state qualifier); Jared Schoen, jr.; Damien Lange, jr.; Kyle Schoen, soph.; Tyler Williams, soph.

Top returning girls: Melinda Schoen, sr. (state qualifier); Alicia Kellogg, sr. (state qualifier).

Noteworthy: Two boys and two girls qualified individually for state while the boys team qualified for the first time ever last season.

-- From staff reports