The Lake Orion High School Boys and Girls Cross Country Teams are young this season, but coaches Debi Sherman and Stan Ford believe that young talent combined with some strong returning runners should carry them through a relatively successful season.
The girls varsity team graduated only one senior last season, Ashley Wharton. Returning for the Dragons are juniors Lindsay Gaudard, Kaitlin Wightman and Katie Rilly; along with senior Rachel Brown and sophomores Sara Lieblein and Kat Kline.
“I have a feeling with my incoming freshmen, it will be a fight for the last few spots (on varsity),” said Sherman. “We don’t have too many freshman up this year, but I know two (of the freshman could be on varsity) for sure.”
Returning to the Lake Orion Boys Varsity are “basically everyone” the team had last year, according to Ford. Number one runner Billy Peterson, a junior, returns, along with senior number two runner Keith Magic, and senior Shawn Wilsher.
Also back are sophomores Rob Shinoskis and Collin Motley.
“The top five all look real solid right now…the sixth and seventh (runners) will vary a bit (on varsity,” Ford said.
The boys team also has some promising runners in Chris Neary and Matt Martin.
“They’ve had good summers running,” said Ford. “We also have Jayson Lawton….(Those three) should mix it up pretty well.”
The girls cross country team started out with a small group of new runners the first week of practice.
“I think we’ll be stronger though,” Sherman said. “The way some of these girls have trained together (will be an advantage)…my goal is for them to be more of a pack running team.”
Most of the girls team’s runners went to running camp this summer, and the team’s focus will be to finish in the top five of their division this season.
“I told them not to get upset about what happens in duel meets,” she said. “As far as the division goes, I think we’ll be in the middle. Last year we were fifth. I don’t know how the other teams are looking yet.”
Sherman was pleased with the team’s performance at county last year.
“We were 2-4 overall and fifth in the league…They showed me the dedication this summer with what they have put in,” she said. “Near the end (of last season), when we (graduated) Ashley, the other girls were coming up to her. So we shouldn’t have a problem this season.”
The boys team finished fourth in the league last year, and Ford expects his team to be competitive in the group of Troy Athens, Troy and Rochester this season.
“I’m very pleased, I’m impressed,” he said of the team. “We had nine freshmen, and that’s a good turnout for us. I’ve got 22 (runners) out for the team.”
The county and regional meets will be competitive ones for the Lake Orion boys, and Ford plans to focus mainly on the league.
“We want to put emphasis on that,” he said. “We have excellent attitudes on the team. It’s a really great group. They’ve been showing up (to run) in the summer, so you could tell they had the right attitude.”