FALL SPORTS PREVIEWS » GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

BOYERTOWN

Coach: Ed Baghdasarian, fourth year.

Last year’s record: 4-3 Pioneer Athletic Conference.

Runners to watch: Alyssa Albanese, Jr.; Grace Major, Jr.; Lillian DaSilva, So.; Tamara Engler, So.; Ava Gaisbauer, So.; Jamie Kelly, So.; Gabriela Martin, So.

Outlook: Albanese will serve as the Bears’ captain . ... “With still a very young inexperienced team,” Baghdasarian said, “our girls team will be competing in its first invitationals. Alyssa will be helping guide and lead this young core of sophomore Bears to faster times. Alyssa qualified for districts’ limited field last fall and hopes to run much faster times. Engler and Kelly, Martin will provide a solid group to help the team as well.”

DANIEL BOONE

Coach: Doug Snyder, second year.

Last year’s record: 8-6 overall.

Runners to watch: Renee Camburn, Sr.; Olivia Poore, Sr.; Hannah Santos, Sr.; Dani Ferrara, So.; Natalie Kryman, So.

Outlook: The Blazers’ roster is bolstered by the addition of freshmen AnnaBeth Glass and Emrie Watts . ... Santos and Kryman were Top 20 finishers in last year’s Berks League meet, Santos placing 13th and Kryman 14th . ... “We should have another winning record in 2021,” Snyder said.

HILL SCHOOL

Coach: Dan McMains, 12th year.

Last year’s record: No season in 2020. Runners to watch: Colette Zidek, Jr.; M.K. Barnhart, So.

Outlook: The Blues’ roster is bolstered by the addition of freshman Lauren Kuppinen. ... “The team has several talented runners,” McMains said, “and if we can all improve together to create a strong pack, we will be competitive. Staying healthy and developing our whole team to run as a group will be vital to the success of the season.”

METHACTON

Coach: Steve Mahan, 38th year.

Last year’s record: 5-2 Pioneer Athletic

Conference.

Runners to watch: Mackenzie Clark, Sr.; Iris Gong, Sr.; Devon Petrei, Sr.; Delaney Smith, Sr.; Brianna Christmann, Jr.; Catherine Koran, Jr.; Bipasha Moktan, Jr.; Molly Thomas, So.

Outlook: The Warriors’ roster is bolstered by the addition of freshmen Annabell Caldwell and Elizabeth Steiner . ... Clark, Gong and Petrei will serve as team captains this fall . ... Smith comes to the program from playing field hockey and Koran is a transfer from Massachusetts . ... Thomas was the team’s highest district finisher, placing 32nd in the AAA field . ... “This team has been focused on its approach to training and racing,” Mahan said. “They have been dedicated to Their training during the “Summer Miles” and pre-season part of the cross country schedule. Another exciting aspect is the addition of 16 “new” runners to this team. We always hope to develop some cross country racing toughness and make our opponents compete when they meet us out on a course.”

OWEN J. ROBERTS

Head Coach: Tim Marcoe, fourth year.

Last year’s record: 6-1 Pioneer Athletic Conference.

Runners to watch: Abby Norton, Sr.; Grace Fennell, Jr.; Maggie Lustig, Jr.; Claire Zubey, Jr.; Ava Taylor, So.; Danielle Nemeth, Soph. Outlook: The Wildcats’ roster is bolstered by the addition of freshmen Khya D’Angelo, Jane Kratz, Sienna Lehman and Kaitlin McGuire . ... Zubey returns as the team’s leading runner, a runner-up at districts in 2020. Maggie Lustig placed 40th in the AAA race. ... “The girls are looking forward to building on the success of their top-5 finish at last year’s district championship,” Marcoe said. “Our goal is to compete well at each meet this season and continually improve as the season progresses. We want to practice and race to the best of our ability each time out, so that we are as prepared as possible for the championship season.”

PERKIOMEN SCHOOL

Coach: Jacob Wells. first year.

Last year’s record: No season in 2020. Runners to watch: Laurel Reese, Sr.; Brianna Jones, Jr.

Outlook: “One major goal for the season is to have fun and strengthen the program after COVID-19 made cross country running difficult for everyone,” Wells said. “I hope to instill some traditions and memorable experiences for the athletes this year that will carry over to future seasons with the team. Lastly, I want our upper class athletes to have a fantastic season so they can fondly remember their time running cross country, even during a pandemic.

PERKIOMEN VALLEY

Coach: Ryan Sullivan, 19th year.

Last year’s record: 7-0 Pioneer Athletic Conference.

Runners to watch: Megan Furlong, Sr.; Audrey Liberi, Jr.; Elyse Tancini, Jr.; Summer Watts, Jr.; Sydney Fitzpatrick, So.; Allie Hurd, So.; Denise Hurd, So.; Sienna Miller, So.

Outlook: The Vikings roster is bolstered by the addition of freshmen Allie Matasich and Emerson Whetstone . ... Miller and Watts finished a respective ninth and 11th in last year’s District 1-AAA meet. “The girls return five out of seven top runners and have a wonderful incoming class of freshman to round out a very talented team,” Sullivan Said. “They enjoyed a productive summer of training, led by Summer Watts and Sienna Miller. We’re looking forward to the challenge of defending our PAC 12 title, continuing unbeaten streak for third consecutive season and improving upon our third place finish in District 1.”

PHOENIXVILLE

Coach: Eric Sprenkle, fourth year.

Last year’s record: No PAC competition in 2020.

Runners to watch: Griane Reed, Sr.; Nevaya Carr, Jr.; Alyssa Cunningham, Jr.; Anna Carruthers, So.; Kenzie Padilla, So.

Outlook: Padilla and Cunningham were a respective 27th and 42nd in the District 1-AAA race last year . ... “The team is excited to get back into competitions and has been training hard to put together one of our strongest teams in recent history,” Sprenkle said. “Both as a whole team and as individuals, we are aiming to reach new personal bests at large races. The leadership of our upperclassmen captains, Griane Reed and Alyssa Cunningham, will be critical to help direct our young team’s energy towards the high goals we have set.”

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Coach: Lisa Cagliola, fourth year.

Last year’s record: No PAC competition in 2020.

Runners to watch: Gianna Cagliola, Sr.; Colleen Schiele, Sr.; Katy Todd, Sr.; Ava McNicholas, So.; Hannah Satalin, Fr. Outlook: The Golden Panthers roster is bolstered with the addition of freshman Hannah Satalin . ... Cagliola, with her District 1-AA meet championship, and Todd, who finished third, also medalled in the PIAA Class AA race with respective finishes of 22nd and 24th . ... “We hope to repeat our 2019 success in the Frontier Division when we went 5-0, and top 4 in the conference championship,” Coach Cagliola said. “With 2 AA girls teams qualifying for states, our goal is to qualify as a team for states ... if not as a team, then with some individual qualifiers. Gianna Cagliola will be defending her 2020 individual district championship and Katy Todd hopes to better her 3rd place finish from districts last season.”

POTTSGROVE

Coach: Toni Crater, first year.

Last year’s record: 0-7 Pioneer Athletic Conference.

Runners to watch: Noelle Barone, Jr.; Riley McLaughlin, Jr.; Isabella Kerlin, So.; Fatima Sesay, So.

Outlook: Crater takes over the head coach’s post from Larry Rechtin, who steps down after 31 seasons. Rechtin, however, remains with the program in an assistant’s capacity . ... “Our numbers are very small,” Crater said, “but these girls show up to work and improve each day. Still looking for a girl to step into that number-five role for us. They all ran consistently over the summer and are also determined to help rebuild the PGXC program. I am very excited to see how this group develops over the next two years.”

POTTSTOWN

Coach: Stephanie Konnick, third year.

Last year’s record: No season in 2020. Runners to watch: Ariana Torres, Sr.; Lily Fetterman, Jr.; Mia Bolman, So.; LaRayna Rosado, So.

Outlook: Konnick is cheered by the fact there are seven runners on the 2021 Trojan squad. “I’m excited we have a full girls team,” she said. “We had only two or three the last couple years.”

SPRING-FORD

Coach: Dave Cain, fourth year.

Last year’s record: 2-5 Pioneer Athletic Conference.

Runners to watch: Julia Breisch, Sr.; Kayla Croiger, Sr.; Alexandra Fenske, Sr.; Amanda Mulhall, Sr.; Abigail Duersch, Jr.; Mckenzie Thomas, Jr.; Caley Kuestner, So.; Cameron Madsen, So.; Sarah Trimble, So.

Outlook: “The team is led by senior Julia Breisch, junior Abigail Duersch and junior Mckenzie Thomas . ... “This is a young team with some promising talent,” Cain said. “They are learning to run as a group and push each other to the next level.”

UPPER MERION

Coach: Kriston Jae Bethel, fourth year.

Last year’s record: 1-6 Pioneer Athletic Conference.

Runners to watch: Anna Fleischer, Jr.; Joy Lu, So.

Outlook: “This year has the largest number of girls this team has seen in years, the overwhelming majority of which are freshmen and sophomores,” Bethel said. “There’s a huge amount of potential here and we’ve already seen this young team start to come together, with runners already stepping up their workouts. There are still a lot of question marks this early in the season, but I’m excited to see how all of these ladies develop through the season and over the coming years.”

UPPER PERKIOMEN

Coach: Todd Niemann, 19th year.

Last Year’s record: 3-4 Pioneer Athletic Conference.

Runners to watch: Abigaile Fox, Sr.; Ava Reil, Sr.; Abigail Conti, Jr.; Tia Lester, Jr.; Lauren Donahue, So.; Nadia Frydlewicz, So. Outlook: The Indians roster is bolstered by the addition of freshman Maren Landis . ... “We are excited for the future of the girls team which has several 1st time and returning underclassmen that will make the team much improved from years past,” Niemann said. “We look forward to having a normal season, including running at some pretty competitive invitationals.”