The Wyalusing boys cross-country team has high expectations for this year, while the Lady Rams are in a rebuilding year.

"It feels a lot better since last year," said coach Lori Kingsley. "I had such a last minute notice, it was like trying to find my bearings as I went along. But this year I was able to prep before the season, and do pre-season work into the season."

She has high expectations for the boys as they're led by Aidan Neiley, one of the top returning runners in the NTL from last year. 

They also return Parker Cunningham, Griffin Sheldon, Cody Tuttle, and Tyler Caplan.

"The boys should be very competitive within the NTL and districts," said Kingsley. "Parker has been working all summer, and Cody (Tuttle) broke five minutes in track. They have a lot of potential. They're young, too, but they have a lot of potential."

Cunningham said they took the off-season more seriously this year than in previous seasons.

"I think we have a real good group of runners," he said. 

Cunningham has been running 5Ks, along with coming to summer practices.

"I ran an open 5K last month and hit 19:14," he said. "That's a new PR for me, and I'm hoping I can get into the 18s this year. I talked to coach, who thinks that's very doable, and I think that'll help the team, as well."

Small School and Class A District IV are both very tough with defending league champs Sullivan County, defending district champs NEB, and a Canton team that was tough last year.

"I think we have a shot to hang around with Sullivan County and Northeast," said Cunningham. "I know they both have really good runners, and I think we do, too."

On the girls' side they have just five varsity girls, though they boast nearly double that in the junior high ranks.

"We have an incredible turnout for junior high girls," Kingsley said. "For High School it's a rebuilding program, and, with any program, it waxes and wanes."

Leading the girls is senior Camryn Gesford.

"She's been running all summer," Kingsley said. "She did the camp."

Gesford organized all the voluntarily teams run this past summer.

"I'm more focused on making sure there's a lot of other kids coming, not just myself," she said. "The team is a rally big part of cross-country."

She's hoping this will be the year she gets to states. The Lady Rams are up in the always tough Class AA field of District IV, but that also means they'll be 10 individual spots, not just five like they've had in Class A.

"States is such a big goal, and so many other people are pushing for it as well," said Gesford.

She's putting down a low marker of breaking 20 minutes for her goal this year.

"She's been hitting a lot of mileage," Kingsley said. "She should be in there."

Senior Ireland Coats returns, along with Marcia Gowin, while the Rams welcome freshmen Reese Patrick and Maddy Clark.

ROSTER

BOYS

Parker Cunningham (12)

Caleb King (9)

Griffin Sheldon (10)

Tyler Caplan (12)

Dominic Trowbridge (10)

Garrett Gowin (9)

Cody Tuttle (10)

Graysyn Vaow (10)

Rylie Price (10)

Mitchell Gesford (10)

Aidan Neiley (11)

GIRLS

Marcia Gowin (11)

Maddy Clark (9)

Camryn Gesford (12)

Ireland Coats (12)

Reese Patrick (9)

SCHEDULE

Sep. 1 vs Sayre, Sullivan County, 4:30 p.m.

Sep. 8 vs Towanda, Wellsboro, 4:30 p.m.

Sep. 15 at Athens w/CV, 4:30 p.m.

Sep. 22 vs NEB, Troy, 4:30 p.m.

Sep. 29 at Canton w/NPM, 4 p.m.

Oct. 2 hosts Lasagna Invitational, 4 p.m.