THE ECHO

By Amelia Humphrey // Reporter

Following a season in which eight runners raced at state finals, cross country is back to work with a new roster and high expectations.

The Avon XC team has been training for months now, and racing season has officially begun. Head Coach Zachary Toothman has high expectations for both teams this year.

“On the boys side, we have the potential to have the best team we’ve ever had,” Toothman said. “And I fully believe that our girls team is the most underrated team in Indiana.”

In each race, the top five runners for each team score points. This year, it’s hard to know which Orioles will take those honors every week. According to Toothman, the likely scorers include senior Mitchell Ford, juniors Quinn Murray, Maxwell Hunter, Aedan Aspaas, and Ella Staton, and freshmen Alena Wigger, Aly Connors, and Lauren Harvey.

“We don’t have a set seven, but we have a lot of girls who have at least one or two people around them,” Toothman said. “Not having that set order makes everybody a little more motivated.”

Every race, the Orioles compete for the winning spot on the podium. But for those who can’t make it every Saturday, Toothman recommends attending the conference meet in Brownsburg on Sept. 27. The HCC is one of the best conferences in the country for XC, and conference provides an opportunity to see both JV and varsity. It also pits Avon against their rivals, Brownsburg.

“They’re a team we go after to make the state meet,” Toothman said. “We see them so often in everything that we’re trying to do, like conference, sectionals, regionals, and state.”

Having proven they can compete with the best teams in the state, the Orioles come hungry for success this season.

“It’s one of the best combined years for cross country we’ve ever had,” Toothman said.ad,” Toothman said.