Perryville cross country preview

    It should be another successful season for the Perryville cross country teams.
    The Panther boys won the state title last season.
    Replicating that feat will be a difficult task, but always-optimistic Perryville coach Jake Moore expects his squad to be competitive.

    The Panthers return three of their top seven runners from last fall. Tyler McCall was eighth at the state meet last year.
    Matt Salvatore performed well in the state meet and was his team's sixth finisher.
    Ryan Kiger will also be a factor.
    Perryville has a big group of experienced runners – Joel McCall, Brett Page, John Witkowski, Cam Crosler, Clayton Searles, and Matt Kroner. Several other runners have shown promise and the dedication to the program – Jacobo Negron, Craig Seibert, Jakob Lewis, Alex Hernandez, Zach Buckson, Gabe Gonzalez, and Jake Burke.
    "There's a lot of optimism," Moore said. "They're working hard. They're giving a season buy-in but we're asking for a lifestyle buy-in."
    The Perryville girls team has finished fourth in the state for three years in a row.
    The Panthers return two state medalists, Allison Morris (11th) and Aleah Losoya (17th).
    Morris and Losoya have been leading the pack in practice in addition to being team leaders.
    In addition to Morris and Losoya, Perryville has a talented group of runners – Sierra Montz, Brooke Doane, Didem Akbay, Rachel Marshall, and Mollie Lipka.
    Veterans Christen Dodson, Kayla Losoya, and Kayla Lucas add depth. Two first-year runners – sophomore Sidnie Heiman and freshman Jenna Kertis – have shown promise.
    Perryville has 25 girls in the program compared to 24 boys, the first time in the program's history the girls have outnumbered the boys.
    The Perryville girls have their sights set on another strong showing at the state meet.
    "Every season presents lots of obstacles but if we can make good decisions and stay healthy and all the girls progress a good bit we'll be in the conversation at the end of the season," Moore said.