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Area runners fared well at the IHSA cross country state meet last season, and while most of the runners who reached the podium with regularity are not back this season, there's still a whole host of performers ready to make their own mark.
Here's a closer look at the area boys cross country teams:
Joliet Catholic
Coach: Jason Midlock
Top returners: Zach Bertino, sr.; Andrew Ciarlettie, jr.; Owen O'Connor, jr.
Key newcomers: Luke Pekol, so.; Zach Pekol, so.; Ramon Rios, so.; T.J. Rzasa, fr.
Worth noting: Bertino did a great job of leading the team in finding ways for everyone to get together and connected during these unusual times. Ciarlette and O'Connor also have been leading the team in early-season workouts. O'Connor also is a wrestler and Rios usually plays soccer in the fall. The Hillmen are in the process of putting a complete schedule together along with taking advantage of the opportunity to compete this fall.
Joliet Central
Coach: Doug Cherry
Top returners: Jay Dworak, sr.; Leo Ramos, sr.; Erik Tejada, sr.; Angel Melgarejo, sr.
Key newcomer: Diego Leon, sr.
Worth noting: Dworak is one of the best area runners in the Will County area. He placed 29th in the state meet last season, has had an excellent summer of running and will provide great leadership for this team. Losing the track season last spring hurt the development of the younger runners, but the upperclassmen had a good summer of training and will be relied upon to bring this young group forward.
Lincoln-Way Central
Coach: John Taylor
Top returners: Jay Parker, sr.; Caden Simone, jr.
Key newcomers: Connor LeBeau, so.; Nolan Sams, so.; Kurt Kreis, so.; Devin Smith, so.; Ethan Hoff, so.
Worth noting: The Knights will be without All-State runner Jared Kreis, who finished fifth last year at state and now is at Duke. But Central does have five of the seven runners from last season's state team, led by Parker and Simone. The Knights are excited about the opportunity to host three dual meets at the Round Barn Park in Manhattan, which will be a new home course for the Knights.
Minooka
Coach: Kevin Gummerson
Top returners: Vincent Van Eck, sr.; Adam Shaw, sr.; Jake Manning, sr.; Hunter Reade, sr.; Dan Schalk, jr.; Emerson Fayman, jr.; Alex Forster, jr.; Jason Riley, jr.; Zach Balzer, so.
Worth noting: Coming off their best state finish in school history, the Indians look to continue that success this season with nine of the team's top 14 runners returning. The group will be led by Van Eck, who had a great season of training. It will be interesting to see who emerges from this group to have a big impact on the Indians' success.
Plainfield Central
Coach: Jeff Purdom
Top returners: Tommy Adelmann, sr.; Mike Forbear, jr.; Aaron Wyckoff, jr.; Alex Rojo, jr.; Paul De Avila, jr.; Cam Mulyk, jr.
Key newcomers: Henry Matson, jr.; Kyle Schick, jr.
Worth noting: An experienced group will bolster this season's Wildcats. With the dual meet setup, it takes cross country back to in history when many legends of the sport in Illinois high school history ran dual meets, much like this season. With no Plainfield city meet this season, Central is looking forward to the dual meets against the three other city schools.
Plainfield East
Coach: Matt Johnson
Top returners: Ibrahim Yousef, sr.; Kevin Burge, jr.; Ryan Dungo, jr.; Carter Neubauer, jr.; Ryan Ciezcak, so.
Key newcomers: Dominic Longo, sr.; Mathew Manzella, jr.; Ryan Breese, fr.
Worth noting: Manzella, a soccer player, and Longo, a football player, join the team this year with their other sports seasons moved to the spring and have showed great progress early. The program is building numbers, and with the gained experience from last year, the Bengals have the potential to have a strong season.
Plainfield North
Coach: Andy Derks
Top returners: Ryan Maseman, sr.; Dylan Young, sr.; Ian Morrison, sr.; Andrew Radulovich, sr.; Ryan Casey, sr.; Daniel Gaull, sr.; Suchir Sumant, jr.; Josh Bedford, jr.; Nick Simpson, jr.
Key newcomers: Oliver Burns, so.; Ryan Tracey, so.
Worth noting: The Tigers have their largest roster ever, which includes 19 freshmen. According to Derks, the dual meet format reminds him of a football schedule, as each meet now has importance for the conference title. With such a large team, it will give his young squad a chance to gain some great experience and the opportunity to compete up front.
Plainfield South
Coach: Jason Crowe
Top returners: Matt Graham, sr.; Grant Trentz, sr.; Scott Crabb, jr.; Grant Swanson, jr.; Ramon Uresti, so.; Ethan Reynoso, so.
Key newcomers: Niko Schultz, sr.; Jayce James, sr.; Gabe King, jr.; Brian Stanton, so.; Owen O'Shea, so.
Worth noting: The Cougars added Schultz, who is the starting quarterback on the football team and one of the area's best 800-meter runners during the track season, and O'Shea, who played soccer. Both are expected to battle for a spot in the top seven.
Editor's note: Area schools not listed did not submit information for this preview.