Will the Northwestern girls' undefeated streak continue?

Can Pleasant Valley's Seth Slavin or Marian's Tina Capparell repeat as Male and Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year?Who will have a break out season?Those are just some of the many questions waiting to be answered as the 2016 cross country season gets underway.BOYSJIM THORPEBIG SHOES TO FILL... After losing John Condly, the Olympians had Dylan Bucior to step in as the top guy and fill that void in 2015. But Jim Thorpe head coach Drew Benyo knows it will be difficult for anyone to step in and deliver similar performances again this season."It is impossible to replace a Johnathan Condly, but Dylan Bucior came through just outstanding last season," Benyo said of Condly and Bucior, who are both running for Temple University. "It is impossible to replace a Dylan Bucior, so let's see who steps up this year. It will be fun to watch."The Olympians also lost Jian Gentile and Jason Montemuro to graduation.WHO'S NEXT?... Though Bucior will be difficult to replace, Benyo has a nice crop of underclassmen that appear set to blossom. Sophomores Noah Rodgers, Samuel Hydro, Dominick Bierman, Blake Killmer and Joseph Powierski, along with junior Anthony Defeo and senior Ben Saxon, will be counted on to contribute this season.TOUGH ROAD... Repeating last year's 9-2 record will be a difficult task for the Olympians, who are dealing with lower numbers this season and will be competing against Schuylkill League Division 1 teams such as North Schuylkill, Blue Mountain and Tamaqua."A winning record would be great, and running the top teams tough would be our goal," said Benyo.LEHIGHTONSTRENGTH IN NUMBERS... Coming off a solid season in which the Indians went 10-2, Lehighton will enter 2016 with solid depth, something that should help the team repeat that success this fall."The boys' team is larger than ever before and they have been working hard throughout the summer," said fourth-year head coach Erica Pagotto. "The boys team looks strong this year. I think they can earn a record like last year. I also believe it is possible for more than one of our runners to qualify for states."MORE TO COME?... Senior Michael Blacketter is the only member of the team to have previously made it to Hershey - twice - and he stands a good chance to finish his career with another trip this fall. Looking to join Blacketter will likely be seniors Blade McCabe and Pengcheng Zhang, along with junior Anthony Tavella. Others to watch will be senior Josh Eckman, junior Nathan Lucykanish and sophomore Addison Howland.MOVING ON... While depth appears to be on Lehighton's side this season, the Indians will have to deal with the losses of two talented varsity runners, Trent Frey and Luke Fisher, to graduation.NOT FORGOTTEN... The passing of Weatherly head cross country coach Jonathan Kiddish in early August has been felt throughout the running community, and Pagotto is one who wants to make sure he is remembered for all of his contributions well into the future."The Schuylkill League lost a very influential coach this year, with the passing of coach Kiddish from Weatherly," Pagotto said. "He always had encouraging words for all runners, no matter what team they were from. We want to carry on his positive support of others."MARIANTAKING OVER... Thomas Kostic, who coached at Bishop Hafey for 17 years, was hired as the head cross country coach earlier this year and replaces Jeremy Dormer. Kostic was inducted into the Hazleton Sports Hall of Fame in 2007."So far, so good," Kostic said of coaching at Marian. "I was enthusiastic about it. I like the situation."SOMETHING TO BUILD ON... The cupboard isn't bare for Kostic, as the Colts will have plenty of talent out on the course this fall. Aaron Srinivasan has been Marian's No. 1 runner so far and Kostic will look to the junior to pace the team. Mike Witczak has provided veteran leadership and enters his senior season as the team's captain. Several experienced juniors, Eddie Pulaski, Zaccary Roberts, Henry Kreisel and Joseph DeLash, along with freshman Zachary Zulkowski, should give Marian a great chance for team and individual success."I want them to be doing well at the end of the season," Kostic said of his goals. "I'm looking forward to it."NORTHERN LEHIGHTOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW... Head coach Dave Oertner will need to replace front-runners Gavin Kemery (a two-time state qualifier), TJ Dooley and Gage Christ. Oertner will be counting on juniors Kyle Krempasky and Hunter Haas as well as sophomores Preston Kemery, Carlton Davies and Nate Keller to lead the team."(We) hope to be competitive and improve as the season moves forward," Oertner said.A STAPLE... Oertner, entering his 35th season as head coach, has been a fixture for the Northern Lehigh cross country program. His assistants are Beth Case, Amy Zeiser and Lori-Beth Guelcher.GROWING PAINS... With several new faces expected to contribute this season, Oertner is hoping the team improves as the year progresses."With our lack of depth and no seniors, it might be a season where we take some lumps, but the kids have been working hard and their attitudes have been great," Oertner said. "Hopefully it translates into the success they deserve for the work they are putting into it."NORTHWESTERNMAKING STRIDES... After surprising many with a seventh place finish at last year's District 11 Class AA race to advance to states, Robert Leiser will be counted on in his junior season to be one of Northwestern's leaders."We knew he would figure it out," Northwestern head coach Chris Stitzel said of Leiser. "After the two-mile mark, he would just take off. When other guys are running out of gas, he's ready to go and still has something left in the tank."And that works for him."WORKING TOGETHER... Stitzel expects junior Phil Castrine to push Leiser and provide a nice 1-2 punch for the Tigers at the top of the lineup."Phil had a good track season and I expect them to push each other," the coach said.DEEPER, BETTER... Northwestern will have an experienced group this season. In addition to Leiser and Castrine, seniors Kavan Fitzpatrick, Anthony Vennera, Matt Grim and Isaiah Jones should give the Tigers a chance to improve on last season's 17-7 record."We're loaded with seniors," Stitzel said. "We have more depth than we've had, and a lot of these guys want to leave Northwestern on a high note."PALMERTONLOOKING AHEAD... The Blue Bombers lose two-time state qualifier Zach Svetik and will sport a roster loaded with underclassmen. Junior Tim Maradeo and sophomores Jake Martinez, Richie Hrusovsky and Kory Marlatat look to be the core of the team, while sophomore Reshan Selva and freshmen Trent Geist and Egan Bellesfield will also be counted on to contribute."The team is young so the potential is a strength," said Palmerton head coach Jeff Minnich. "Most of the team is comprised of freshmen and sophomores, so there is a lot of room for growth."ON THE OTHER HAND... While that potential might be something to build on, it could also lead to some growing pains as much of the team's varsity experience is limited, as is depth with low numbers.MOVING DOWN... A slide down from Class AA to A could go a long way toward improving Palmerton's postseason prospects."The team is a young one, but there is some potential here, and one factor working in our favor is a slide down to Class A for districts," Minnich commented."I am excited at the potential growth that could take place this season. While the roster is very young, we are moving down in class, and I feel our boys could be a lot more competitive by season's end."PLEASANT VALLEYHAPPY RETURNS... The Bears will bring one of their stronger teams in recent memory into the season. Pleasant Valley will try to improve on 2015's 10-7 mark with a veteran group, led by seniors Seth Slavin, Gabe Sullivan, Billy Milburn and juniors Seth Kron, Keith Staats and Luke Valdevit.REPEAT?... Slavin won the Times News Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors in 2015, and there's little reason to believe he won't be a contender for the award again this fall. The senior will also be looking to end his scholastic career with his first state medal.STEPPING UP?... While the bulk of last year's squad returns, head coach George Fair will need a few newcomers to step up if Pleasant Valley is to achieve greater team success."A few inexperienced runners will need to take on a new leadership role," Fair said.READY TO MAKE NOISE... The Bears appear to have the pieces. Now they need to deliver."If the returning runners are able to pull along the less experienced and tighten the pack, we will surprise a few teams this year," Fair said.TAMAQUABEEN THERE, DONE THAT... One of the Blue Raiders biggest strengths this season will be their experience. Head coach Tom Kanger expects seniors Adam Melnick, Raymond Kinder, Alec Roseland; juniors Brad Clemson, Nathaniel Davidson, Zack Davidson; and sophomores Derian Stianche and Isaac Miller to be the team leaders this year.LENDING A HAND... While Kanger will have plenty of upperclassmen to lean on, he knows the team will need some of the younger runners to make contributions this season. Look for sophomores Daniel Chinchar and Detrick Borden, along with freshmen Ethan Turano, Charles Kabana, and Christopher Osenbach to help Tamaqua build on last year's 8-3 record.CLOSE, BUT?... Success is certainly within reach for the Blue Raiders, though many close meets might be as well."If we can develop our younger runners, we can compete with most teams," said Kanger. "Our top runners have experience and will run in the front at many races."WEATHERLYSTEPPING IN... After the passing of head cross country coach Jonathan Kiddish in early August, Paul Schertrumpf took over as the head coach. While he acknowledges he's more of a sprinter than a distance runner, Schertrumpf had no problem taking over under the difficult circumstances."I think it's good for the kids to have someone they know (as the coach)," he said. "I'm still learning. I think they're helping me as much as I'm helping them."FINDING THEIR WAY... Schertrumpf will look to juniors Joel Hinkle and Traig Dempsey and sophomores Nick Berger, Derek Houser and Anthony Maguschak to provide leadership both on and off the course. Schertrumpf will also be looking to that group to fill the void left by Jared Hinkle, who was a state qualifier last season.GIRLSJIM THORPELOOKING FOR MORE... Losing Stephania Sparrow, Sophie Monboussin, Kailee Romanchik, Kylee Gahman and Julia Tonelis will be tough for the Lady Olympians, who are low on numbers. Despite the losses and small roster, Jim Thorpe head coach Drew Benyo has maintained a positive outlook heading into the season."If they do their best, who can ask for more," he said.LEADER OF THE PACK... Look for Madison Cressley, Asia Arner and Jade Steber to contribute as well."We have many freshmen girls this year, which will add to our strong upperclassmen," said Pagotto. "(But) the freshman girls have not realized their potential yet. I think they can run faster than their latest 5k time trial."NOT FORGOTTEN... The passing of Weatherly head cross country coach Jonathan Kiddish in early August has been felt throughout the running community, and Pagotto is one who wants to make sure he is remembered for all of his contributions well into the future."The Schuylkill League lost a very influential coach this year with the passing of coach Kiddish from Weatherly," Pagotto said. "He always had encouraging words for all runners, no matter what team they were from. We want to carry on his positive support of others."MARIANTAKING OVER... Thomas Kostic, who coached at Bishop Hafey for 17 years, was hired as the head cross country coach earlier this year and replaces Jeremy Dormer. Kostic was inducted into the Hazleton Sports Hall of Fame in 2007."So far, so good," Kostic said of coaching at Marian. "I was enthusiastic about it. I like the situation."DYNAMIC DUO... Kostic expects big things from sisters Tina and Nicole Capparell after both qualified for states last season."They're a great 1-2 combo. They both have a lot of talent," Kostic said. "I want them to be ready for the Big Three: leagues, districts and states."They've looked very good."QUITE A RUN... Tina Capparell is coming off a sophomore season that included her second straight District 11 Class A title and another state medal. She also won her second consecutive Times News Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year award despite not being 100 percent for much of the season.BUT THAT'S NOT ALL ... While the Capparell sisters get much of the attention, Marian also has several talented runners who will be looking to make a name for themselves this year. Natalya Konitzer enters her senior season as the captain and the Fillies' No. 3 runner. Fellow senior Nicole Jordan, along with freshmen Julia Kriesel, Caroline Mehallo and Christina Matunis, figure to give Marian more depth this season.NORTHERN LEHIGHPROS AND CONS... Northern Lehigh will be paced by several underclassmen this season, with sophomore Katie Guelcher, juniors Tori Csanadi and Emme Reiser and freshmen Reagan Pender and Alison Lorah expected to be key contributors."With youth at the front, they should progress quickly," said Northern Lehigh head coach Dave Oertner. "But with youth at the front, inconsistency may be a problem."MAINTAIN AND GAIN... Following an 11-13 season a year ago, Oertner is optimistic his young group can gel quickly and make some noise in the Colonial League."We have some young girls who, if they remain healthy, are all capable of finishing in the top 20 in our league," he said. "We will need them to grow up quickly, and we will need the rest of our pack to close the gap if we are to challenge the top tier teams in the league."A STAPLE... Oertner, entering his 35th season as head coach, has been a fixture for the Northern Lehigh cross country program. His assistants are Beth Case, Amy Zeiser and Lori-Beth Guelcher.NORTHWESTERNSTILL ROLLING... The Lady Tigers have not lost a dual meet since Oct. 13, 2010, and are a remarkable 129-0 during that time, including a 24-0 season in 2015."I know it's going to end eventually, but we're trying to enjoy it for as long as we can," said Northwestern head coach Chris Stitzel. "I don't like to bring it up because I don't want to put pressure on them. But they are aware of it. They don't want to be that first team to lose."LEADERS OF THE PACK... Much of Northwestern's success has come from its ability to groom talented runners year after year.The Lady Tigers have a solid 1-2 punch in junior Molly Tarvin (fifth at districts) and sophomore Madeline Consuelos (seventh at districts). Those performances helped Northwestern to once again send a team to the state meet a year ago.ALL HANDS ON DECK... But in order for the run to continue, Stitzel will need to get strong runs from all of his varsity runners to offset a lack of depth plaguing the Tigers this season.Stitzel will be looking to seniors Elizabeth Fornauf and Brooke Devers, junior Hannah Herzon, and sophomore Alyssa Zack to help in that area.PALMERTONSMALL BUT MIGHTY... The Blue Bombers again appear to not have enough runners to score as a team. But that doesn't mean Palmerton won't have anything to look forward to this fall."I do feel Hanna Nesfeder has looked much improved this preseason and will likely top last year's performances," head coach Jeff Minnich said of the junior. "I will focus on individual improvement as I have in years past."ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC... Despite the very low numbers, Minnich is no less excited for the season."The program again has struggled to attract athletes, however, I am always excited at the prospect of individual improvement and will look to that this season," Minnich said.TAMAQUAENCORE?... It will be tough for the Lady Raiders to repeat last year's 11-0 season, especially with the losses of runners such as Chelsea Frantz, Janette Kabana, Melanie Kostecky, Victoria Labar and Sage Frey. But Tamaqua appears to be equipped to handle the departures and again contend in the Schuylkill League. Two state qualifiers (Kailee Carroll and Sarah Maue) return for their junior and sophomore seasons, respectively. In addition to Carrol and Maue, head coach Tom Kanger also has seniors Monika Shimko, Nicole Wasserleben and Genevieve Beck, along with juniors Abby Fiorilla, Arianna Ryan and Maizy Troxell, as well as sophomores April Gerber, Brittney Miller, Kailyn Erbe and Melanie Shimko to give the Lady Raiders great depth.QUICK START... Monika Shimko was the first overall female at this past Saturday's 26th Chris and Kevin Truskey 5K Memorial Run at Tuscarora State Park. Shimko won with a time of 20:23.SETTING THE BAR HIGH. ... It won't be easy, and Kanger knows his team will need to stay healthy and catch some breaks, but Tamaqua appears to be primed for another stellar season in 2016."Two returning state qualifiers and two other runners with big meet experience should help us be very successful this season," Kanger said of his expectations. "(We have) solid experience and should contend for the league and district titles."PLEASANT VALLEYREADY TO ROAR?... The Lady Bears have a strong front-runner in senior Lizz Eberhardt. Eberhardt has made it to states the past three years, and she'll be looking to go out with a bang by grabbing a medal in her final run to Hershey.SPREAD OUT... An area of concern for head coach George Fair is the gap between his top runners."Success this year will depend on inexperienced runners making significant improvement to help front-runners," Fair said.FILLING A VOID... Part of that spread is at least due in part to the loss of Jenn Mickens, a two-time state qualifier who is now competing at Lehigh University. Fair will look to senior Tierney Belanger and juniors Sarah Larkin and Savannah Bauman to move forward this season. Progress from senior Ekaterine Slozina, junior Sam Segada, and a contribution from freshman Juliana Lopez, could go a long way to helping Pleasant Valley improve on last year's 8-9 record.WEATHERLYSTEPPING IN. ... After the passing of head cross country coach Jonathan Kiddish in early August, Paul Schertrumpf took over as the head coach. While he acknowledges he's more of a sprinter than a distance runner, Schertrumpf had no problem taking over under the difficult circumstances."I think it's good for the kids to have someone they know (as the coach)," he said. "I'm still learning. I think they're helping me as much as I'm helping them."NUMBERS GAME... Schertrumpf has a decent number of varsity runners to work with. Sophomores Emily Zoscin, Lindsey Hoffman and Megan Peifer, along with juniors Gillian Hinkle, Sierra Weston and seniors Morgan Gower and Breena Coxe will be counted on this season, as will freshmen Tabitha Hinkle and Cassia Hinkle.MULTITASKING... Gower will split her time between cross country and soccer this fall.