PREP GIRLS XC SEASON PREVIEW: Northridge leads area contenders in 2022
Aug. 17—After advancing to the state meet in 2021, the Northridge girls cross country team will look to repeat that success in the 2022 campaign.
Four of the Raiders' seven runners from the state meet return this year, and all of them are seniors: Tame Baylis, Haylee Hile, Emma Long and Kylie McMann. All four were in the starting lineup for Northridge in their season-opening invite this past Saturday at the Valley Cross Kickoff at the state course in Terre Haute, with Baylis leading the way with an 11th-place finish individually. Hile, Long and Emma's younger sister, Addie, also cracked the top 50 individually as well.
"Girls are returning some very talented seniors in Haylee Hile and Tame Baylis," Northridge head coach Ryan McClane said. "Both girls will battle to be the front runners for the Raiders this season. They will be supported by seniors Emma Long and Kylie McMann who will be battling for top five spots this year. We are excited to see how some of our younger runners will perform this year for us and realize that some sophomores and freshmen will have to step up to help us have a chance to compete for an NLC title and a trip to the state meet. If our younger runners can do that, I think that this will be one of the deeper teams that Northridge has had in the last couple of years.
"Like always our goals are to be competitive in the NLC and in the conversation for being a top six team at our semistate."
Elsewhere around the area, there seems to be a lot of unknowns with the rest of the programs.
Elkhart has qualified as a team for semistate the last four years. With the core group of its runners from last year back this season, Lions coach Bekah Shenk is optimistic for how this season could go for her team.
"This summer, the team is having fun while working hard towards our goals," Shenk said. "We fit in a lot of team-bonding events with our training. We were at cross country camp for a week in June and we enjoy finding ways to add memorable and fun activities to practices. Senior Adley Keim (captain) is leading the way along with junior Ashlyn Anderson (captain) and sophomores Alaina Dibley and Valeria Cruz-Portillo. I am impressed to see the way their focus has increased and is spreading to the entire team."
Concord has a new head coach in Jerry Redmond, who's been overseeing the girls track program for the Minutemen for the last seven seasons. The Minutemen return one of the more talented underclassmen of the area in sophomore Zoe Roberts, who made it to the semistate race as a freshman in 2021.
"We have been putting in a lot of miles this summer," Redmond said. "One of the things that we will stress is team culture. Cross country is such a team sport, and we are going to need for everyone to work hard and support one another if we want to have a good season. We have a lot of first-time runners who can be a big help if they continue to put in the work."
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BETHANY CHRISTIAN BRUINS
Head coach: Benjamin Hurst, 10th season
Assistant coaches: Linda Hochstetler
Returning letterwinners: Seniors: Beka Youngberg, Lucca Kauffman; Junior: Alina Bergstresser
Other varsity runners: Sofia Johar
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "We will likely field another incomplete girls team this fall, but we have an amazing group of ladies, including returning regional qualifier Beka Youngberg, who are working hard to improve individually and competitively."
CONCORD MINUTEMEN
Head coach: Jerry Redmond, 1st season
Assistant coach: Vanessa Steiner-Burke
Last season's record: 1-13 NLC
Returning letterwinners: Senior: Samia Latif; Juniors: Alex Brunswick, Ava Plank; Sophomores: Zoe Roberts, Maggie Weldy
Other varsity runners: Seniors: Maecy Potter, Rylie Meyer; Juniors: Daniela Pena, Hallie Davis; Sophomores: Lilian Hunter, Abriana Davila, Mia Mejia, Sophie Sotebeer, Serena Poindexter; Freshmen: Bella Kratzer, Guadalupe Salvador, Elizabeth Evans
ELKHART LIONS
Head coach: Bekah Shenk, 3rd season (12th overall within Elkhart school district)
Assistant coaches: Sergio DeLaCruz, Jenny Nolan, Irie Roll
Returning letterwinners: Senior: Adley Keim; Juniors: Ashlyn Anderson, Aaliyah Vaught; Sophomores: Lyle Boecher, Valeria Cruz-Portillo, Alaina Dibley, Harley Eash
Other varsity runners: Seniors: Lesley Hernandez, Laylah Luckey, Lizie Quintano; Juniors: Neveah Bowser, Andi McClain, Bria Jones; Sophomores: Paige Elliot, Meghan Grasty, Natalie Haas, Katie Hershberger, Ella Hubbard, Piper Roll, Taylor Sassaman, Paola Vazquez
ELKHART CHRISTIAN ACADEMY EAGLES
Head coach: Peter Casaletto, 31st season
Assistant coaches: Leanne McKee
Last season's record: 2-2 HPC
Returning letterwinners: Junior: Chloe Smith; Sophomores: Hannah Schramm, Brianna Marshall, Moriah Fox
Other varsity runners: Freshmen: Lydia Burch, Sheridan Maxwell, Cosette Brolin, Leah Huber
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "With Hannah being a strong sophomore runner and other strong freshmen runners, I expect the girls to compete quite well this season."
FAIRFIELD FALCONS
Head coach: Kirt Hunsberger, 17th season (31 overall; 185-74 record at Fairfield)
Last season's record: 14-7 (7-5 NECC)
Returning letterwinners: Seniors: Makayla Culp, Delana Geiger, Ava Bontrager; Juniors: Annelise Green, Katie Kuhn; Sophomores: Tatum McCauley, Liz Cunningham
Other varsity runners: Kenlee Gall, Jalyn Stofleth, Lucy Bontrager, Natalie Moreland, Natalie Lambright
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "Makayla, Delana and Katie qualified for the regional last year and will be leaned on to lead us during races. We must stay healthy and develop week after week. We had a couple girls not return, so girls need to learn how to compete in practices for us to be successful this year. Developing from #4-8 will determine a lot. The NECC is tough as is our sectional, so the goal is to be running our best at that point in the season. We had solid running over the summer, but have started slow to ensure we stay healthy in the long run."
GOSHEN REDHAWKS
Head coach: Mike Wynn, 11th season (44-66 overall record)
Assistant coaches: Lee Wynn, Juan Perez
Last season's record: 5-12 (3-5 NLC)
Returning letterwinners: Senior: Mara Schrock; Juniors: Micaela Corbin, Marisol Diaz
Other varsity runners: Senior: Mary Pedraza; Juniors: Mary Juarez-Pedraza, Frida Gallegos, Britney Ramirez, Jacqueline Sixtos; Sophomores: Mia Crist, Yesenia Medina-Santos, Eleanor Post; Freshmen: Jetcimani Cid, Lilly Clark, Eliza Herber, Edith Loera-Arambula, Katherine Rheinheimer, Lindsay Rodman, Nova Schwartz, Caitlin Yoder Rupp
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "We want to continually get bet and more competitive throughout the season while having fun."
JIMTOWN JIMMIES
Head coach: Ryan Woolwine, 2nd season
Returning letterwinners: Seniors: Hailey Young, Emily Leighton; Junior: Caitlynn Track
Other varsity runners: Freshman: Maddi Long
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "Small group that has been working on getting better at every practice. It will be exciting to see their progression as the season moves forward!"
NORTHRIDGE RAIDERS
Head coach: Ryan McClane, 24th season
Assistant coaches: Sam Miller, Any Williams, Jen Schrock
Returning letterwinners: Seniors: Tame Baylis, Emma Long, Haylee Hile, Kylie McMann; Sophomore: Isabella Furfaro
NORTHWOOD PANTHERS
Head coach: Mark Mikel, 18th season
Assistant coaches: Megan Miller
Last season's record: 17-4 (10-4 NLC)
Returning letterwinners: Senior: Reagan Austrup; Juniors: Cassie Hunsberger, Sydney Prenkert, Rylie Price, Savanah Slone, Bridgette Stutsman; Sophomores: Savannah Burns, Emma Davidhizar
Other varsity runners: Freshmen: Emma Clouse, Hanna Clyde, Chloe Davidhizar, Madelyn Harner, Marli Hartman, Erika Morgan, Faith Towler, Ava Zercher
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "After graduating the top three runners from the 2021 semistate qualifying team, NorthWood Girls Cross Country is in a rebuilding mode. While returning to the New Haven semistate is the ultimate goal for the Lady Panthers this season, much will need to be seen from the top returning runners and some of the new faces for the return trip to semistate. A third-place finish in the NLC last year was a great accomplishment for the smallest school in the conference, and this year the young Panthers will need to compete well against Concord and Mishawaka if they hope to repeat last year's NLC feat. Northridge and Warsaw are poised to continue their dominance at the top of the NLC."
WAWASEE WARRIORS
Head coach: Doug Slabaugh, 12th season
Assistant coaches: Staci Weisser, Kenzie Smith
Returning letterwinners: Senior: Trinity LaJoice
Other varsity runners: Freshmen: Mia Hodgson, Abby Speicher, Heatherlynn Holder, American Benetiz, Francie McDonald
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "It will be a growing season with so many new faces, but the girls are getting better daily and learning."
WEST NOBLE CHARGERS
Head coach: Aden Burke-Steiner, 1st season
Last season's record: 3rd in NECC
Returning letterwinners: Seniors: Elizabeth Christlieb; Juniors: Ruby Clark, Rachel Klages, Samantha Keene, Breanna Moreno; Sophomores: Ava Bish, Lucy Martin, Taryn Brimhall, Arianna Tayahou
Other varsity runners: Seniors: Natalie Baumann, Erika Lara; Freshman: Trinity Parson
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "The girls have been working hard all summer long to be prepared for this season. It is not easy adjusting to a new coach and building a new team atmosphere but I believe they have done an exceptional job so far. We have set high goals as a team and individually in hopes to put West Noble Girls Cross Country back on the map."
WESTVIEW WARRIORS
Head coach: Meghann Rainsberger, 2nd season
Returning letterwinners: Sophomores: Gwendolynn Owsley, Adelyn Rainsberger, Annagail Warrener
Other varsity runners: Freshmen: Bailey Manns, Eden Mauch, Kiana Mast
Head coach's comments on the upcoming season: "This is a young team who continues to learn how to maximize training and race competitively. They are developing as individual athletes and it will be exciting to see what they are able to accomplish this season."
Austin Hough can be reached at austin.hough@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2360. Follow him on Twitter at @AustinHoughTGN.
