Anticipation has been through the roof the past couple seasons for the Western girls cross country team. With two state-caliber runners in, Annina Gruber and Anna Hurlock, the Panthers aimed high but just missed their ultimate goal of reaching the state meet.
Gruber, now a freshman at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, was a two-time individual champion and led the Panthers to three consecutive Marion Sectional titles. She helped establish a level of excellence every girl at Western aspires to reach.
With Gruber and fellow graduate Cassie Myer gone and Hurlock, a senior, physically unable to compete, Western is quietly laying the foundation of another dynasty. But will there be a drop in expectations in 2006?
"It is a little tempered this year," coach Dana Neer said of where his team has set its sights. "We are going for our fourth [sectional championship] in a row and that is an attainable goal."
The cupboard is hardly bare this season, but the Panthers will be forced to rely on their talented sophomores and need help from group of first-time runners and freshmen.
Jenn Elliott leads those sophomores, who should be the foundation of the team for years to come.
Elliott ran No. 2 behind Gruber all last year in both cross country and track. She was fourth overall at sectional and will be the top returnee in that meet.
Classmates Lacey Myer and Kiley Camp were both top-seven runners a year ago, with Myer 14th at Marion. Another sophomore with top-three potential, according to Neer, is Heather Power, and Cailie Swigart was a top JV performer in 2005.
The team's only senior is Vanessa Lorenz, and junior Katie Hollingsworth is the only other upperclassman with varsity expeience.
"Jenn, Katie and Lacey all have an understanding and a hunger to continue doing well," said Neer. "Vanessa has been a leader for us. She's going to step up in a big role."
Four juniors - Brittany Garibaldi, Jaime Parkins, Nicole Jakubowicz and Chelsea Scott are out for the team and freshmen Vee Weltbrecht, Amanda McKinney and Chelsea Durr could make an impact.
"We've got what we think of as our top six penciled in, and then any one of those girls could step up," Neer said. "It's been fun to watch the progress of these girls. They are going to he a very formidable unit."
Instead of putting emphasis on a trip downstate this year - and the pressure that comes along with it - Neer says this team must seek its own level.
"Right now we can be top 10 at semistate," he said. "We're trying to help our girls believe that is still a great accomplishment.
"To put [the pressure of reaching state] on this group right now would really weigh us down. As we aim high and progress, if we can up that goal, we certainly will."
The following are capsules of the remaining Howard County teams:
The Comets have a nice blend of returning runners and new faces, swelling numbers to a more comfortable seven girls instead of last season's five.
"We're encouraged to have seven girls out after scrambling to have enough last year," said coach Brandon Mink. "It feels like a positive thing to start off just to have that. They have really great attitudes and are great girls to be around."
The team has no seniors for the second straight year, but two talented juniors, Emily Rethlake and Danielle Stiner, will lead the Eastern pack.
Rethlake just missed qualifying for regional in 2005 with a 16th-place finish at the Marion Sectional. That was upsetting for Rethlake because she had qualified as a freshman.
"Emily ran a very good time actually," Mink said. "The county and the sectional have just been loaded [with talent]. Her time last year, two years previous, would have [placed] her in the, top three. You never know how it s going to shake out."
Stiner was 25th at sectional, and both will lead whatever level of success the Comets are able to muster this season.
"We want Emily and Danielle, at least, to advance to regional as individuals," said Mink.
Junior Abby Altman is the other returnee. She joins first, time juniors Elise Pollard and Rebecca Kady and freshmen Lindsey Reprogle and Alyssa Summers. Reprogle could wind up running as high as No. 5 this year.
"It's a nice mix and I really enjoy having them," Mink said. "We don't really know where we're at. We don't have enough experience to even know what we're capable of."
The Wildkats welcome back their top two runners from 2005, when they finished second at both the North Central Conference and Marion Sectional meets. The challenge will be weeding through a group of underclassmen to round out the lineup.
"We have a bunch of sophomores from track who could be good in another year," said coach Ricke Stucker. 'q~ey're going to be way back [in the pack] though. We're going to have a huge gap, I'm afraid."
One sophomore who could be as high as No. 3 by season's end is Katie Hingst, a state-qualifying swimmer as a freshman. She ran cross country in middle school.
"But we can't put any pressure on her'" Stucker said. "When a swimmer comes to us we have to be really careful because they're not used to supporting their body weight. We like to just bring them along very, very slowly. It could be October before our swimmers come through, but at least we keep them [healthy]."
JoAnna Breedlove and Halley Butchart both ran varsity last season as freshmen, finishing 41st and 44th, respectively, at sectional, Classmate Laura Aleshire should be somewhere in the mix this season/
Leading Kokomo will be senior Adrienne Shepherd and junior Nicky Parry. Both were all-conference and all-sectional a year ago, and Shepherd was a regional qualifier in track.
"She should be confident and stronger and smarter," Stucker Said of Shepherd. "Nicky is stronger and smarter. Those two girls ought to be pretty solid, but we've got to find a No. 3, a No. 4 and a No. 5 by October. I think we probably will."
Senior leaders. Talented veterans. Enthusiastic new athletes and coach. The Purple Tigers see it as a recipe for success in 2006.
"We've got a pretty balanced group this year," said new coach Dave Stevens, who has replaced longtime mentor Peter Schroer at Northwestern. "[The girls] all have their strengths."
The seniors are Jackie Combs and Olivia Pohl. They both return from last season's team that placed third at the Marion Sectional.
"They've latched onto my senior leadership philosophy really well," Stevens said. "I believe that the seniors lead warm-up. They lead this and they lead that. Both girls have stepped to the plate and taken to that. They've done a great job of leading the girls"
Junior Jennifer Claudio was the team's best runner in 2005. She was sixth overall at sectional and looks to be one of the top contenders for individual honors this season.
"She'll be up there, challenging the other girls from the area," said Stevens. "She's working through some phYSical things right now, but I'm trying not to push her too hard too early because I want her tO stay healthy. It's a long season"
Junior Stephanie Dewhurst is another veteran of last season, as is sophomore Nicki Hendricks, who came on at the end of track to qualify for regional.
"She'll be the surprise," Stevens said of Hendricks. "Nicki won't be running top-10 times early, but as the season progresses she will catch some girls. That's Nicki. That's her mentality.
"If we can keep [those two girls] healthy, they are going to be good Scorers"
Sophomores Carlie Anderson and Ruby Sanchez have been a nice addition to the team, and freshmen Morgan Hullinger and Allie Combs will compete for spots on the varsity.
"We've talked a little bit about goals but I've kept that low-key right now," Stevens said. "We have a chance to repeat [as regional qualifiers]. What it depends on is how well that pack can stay together."
The Titans reached new heights in 2005 by placing fifth at the Marion Sectional and advancing to regional for the first time ever.
Coach Jim Grossman was the beneficiary of one outstanding runner- Danielle Glick, who qualified for the state meet a year ago - and three other girls who came out for their senior year.
Glick now plies her trade for the University of Southern Indiana, and Grossman is forced to replace the four seniors with four sophomores with no running experience.
"It won't be as good as last year," he said. "I lost four seniors and this year I have no seniors, so we're a year away from having another good team"
Back for her junior season is Courtney Dunlap. She ran No. 2 last season and finished 13th at sectional. She and returning sophomore Leslie Maple should set the pace for Taylor, and junior Britney Parsley is the other returnee with sectional experience.
"Courtney is another natural [like Glick]," said Grossman. "She just hasn't shown her best yet. There's a lot of talent there.
"[Leslie] will be a good pusher for Courtney. They'll make a good team"
The newcomers are all sophomores. They include Kara Hazel, Ali Harrison, Jordan Evans and Abby Wagner. Their progress will be measured with a stopwatch, according to Grossman, not by how they place.
"I have certain times I'd like for them to achieve," Grossman said. "I guess my big goal, because of the new ones there, is turn them from joggers into runners. That's my goal"