DuQuoin head cross-country coach Eric Kirkpatrick is pretty excited about this year's girls' team, and there's good reason for that optimism.
The top seven runners from last season are back this year to attempt to improve on a solid 2015 season.
Last year, DuQuoin finished second in the River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division and the regional meet — both times to Carterville — and was sixth at the Edwardsville Sectional.
The list of returners includes two all-conference honorees in Andrea Lopez, who was fourth in the league, and Quinn Kirkpatrick, who was eighth. Lopez and Kirkpatrick — eighth and 11th at the regional — were joined in the top-22 there by Kate Smith (20th) and Chloe Hill (22nd).
Other top returners from last season are Hope Stewart, Olivia Cravens and Grace Bailey.
The boys' team is young coming into the 2016 season, with Nick King the lone returning senior. Juniors Caleb Davis, Nate Manning and Paxton Higgerson, and sophomore in Keith Norris are other returning runners.
Newcomers are sophomore Carson Davis and freshmen Wendell Killian and John Alongi.
“Our goals are the same every year — we want to be healthy at the end of the year and we want to improve every meet that we run,” Kirkpatrick said.
NEW ATHENS
Five of the top seven runners in 2015 are back this season for the girls' team.
Juniors Alayna Toedte and Jenna File are expected to battle for the No. 1 spot, with seniors Emma File and Cassie Crabtree in the mix as well. The team also welcomes freshman Danika White after she won the state junior high 400- and 800-meter races, Head Coach Dennis Works said.
Earlier this season, the girls team finished 12th in the Metro East Lutheran Invitational on Aug. 28 in Edwardsville.
The boys' team, like the girls' team, has 12 runners on the roster. Sophomore Deric Maurer, junior Joel Mattingly and senior Noel Ivester are leading the way this season, which has seen the team place higher in its first two meets than last year's team did, Works said.
“The boys' team lost six seniors, and with a total school enrollment of approximately 175, rarely does a school our size get that number of students in one class for a competitive sport,” Works said. “This year's boys' team, however, has risen to the task.”
MOUNT VERNON
The Rams had a strong boys' cross-country season in 2015, winning the South Seven Conference and the regional before finishing 10th in the sectional meet.
Senior Hagan Schneider was all-conference and finished sixth at the regional. Other top returners are senior Dylan Blackford (15th at regional) and junior Evan Owens (12th).
Head Coach Clint Turner said the team will try to rebuild and contend for the conference crown.
“Marion and Carbondale will be the teams to beat,” he said.
Note: Not all information requests were returned by press time.
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