“Good looks” is how seasoned veteran Coach Russ Grier explained the strengths of his Cross Country team.

All kidding aside, with 14 years at the helm, Grier has learned how to create a family atmosphere for his players and coaches.

Both boys and girls cross country teams lost 25 seniors in total, which is a large amount of seniors for any team, but Grier is confident that both of his teams will succeed despite the losses.

The boys go into the upcoming the season with determination, as the team went 5-0 in the past season and were league champions. Coach Grier knows that despite of the lack of experience, Evan Jones, Zak Terzini, and Jeff Roberts can lead the team to another championship. Furthermore, Grier hopes that Nolan Spillane will live up to his expectations this year and play a big role in bringing the team back to the championships.

The girls hope to improve from last season, as they only went 2-3. However, they were the “prettiest team out there” according to Grier. With the returns of Ashley Evans, Nikki Criscuolo, Nicole Mizzoni, and Olivia Ward, and the addition of varsity newcomer Marlo Guastella, who performed well on the spring track team, the team looks to improve from last year.

Although, both teams lack in the category of experience, which could ultimately play a role the outcome of the season, the hopes are high, and expectations are up.

Head Coach: Russ Grier (14th Season)
Last year’s record: Boys 5-0, Girls 2-3
Key returnees: Evan Jones (Sr.), Zak Terzini (Sr.), Jeff Roberts (Jr.), Ashley Evans (Jr.), Nikki Criscuolo (Jr.), Nicole Mizzoni (Sr.), Olivia Ward (Sr.)
Key losses: 25 Seniors including high performing runners AJ Hall and Nurlan Herburger
Key newcomers: Nolan Spillane (Fr.), Marlo Guastella (So.)
Strength of the team: Youthful energy.
Weaknesses of the team: Inexperience.
Areas that need improvement: Times are coming in a little high, the teams look to improve those times with training and practice.