With the boys team returning a strong crew of senior and junior runners, and the girls team returning all varsity runners from last season, the Lake Orion High School cross country program hopes to dominate the competition this year.
Girls Cross Country
Girls coach Debi Sherman is happy to have her entire varsity team return, including her top five: Senior captain Lindsay Gaudard (fourth year on cross country), senior captain Katie Reilly (third year on cross country), senior captain Kaitlyn Wightman (fourth year on cross country), junior Sara Lieblein, and junior Kat Kline; as well as returning sophomore Renee Reilly.
‘I have about 22 girls on the team this year,? Sherman said. ‘We have 9-10 freshmen coming on…that’s a big jump from last year, when we only had three.?
Sherman is pleased with the commitment she’s seen from the girls, and said the optional runs the cross country program held over the summer were well attended.
‘Lindsay’s put in a lot of good mileage, she made almost every (optional run),? she said. ‘A few are still healing up some injuries from track…my juniors are putting in the mileage.
‘We’re healing up those injuries, but we should do fairly well,? Sherman said.
The team finished second in the league last year and were 5-1. Lahser has moved into the league this season, and Sherman said Clarkston will be as tough as ever.
‘We’re very competitive,? she said. ‘We’re looking to the end of the season. We want to stay steady, our goal is just to place about the same in the county meet (third last year), and focus on the regional.?
Sherman believes her team has a good chance of qualifying for the state meet this year.
‘I think there’s some young talent among the freshmen,? she said. ‘The whole team will finish in a nice pack…in practice we haven’t really been spread out that much.?
The last few open spots on varsity could switch around before the season is out.
‘That will make them more competitive,? Sherman said. ‘Especially with the freshmen, I’m trying to held them back. Some of them are doing too much, too early.?
Boys Cross Country
Boys coach Stan Ford also saw good attendance from his team on runs during the summer, and as a result the Lake Orion boys return ready for action.
Varsity runners back for the Dragons are: Senior Billy Peterson, junior Rob Shinouskis, junior Colin Motely, junior Jayson Lawton and senior Matt Martin.
The Dragons also return sophomores John Fingado and Max Hock, and Ford said both of them are look good in the preseason.
‘On junior varsity we have Andy Cross, who might fill in on varsity, along with Alex Pace,? Ford said. ‘We also have Michael Mason and John Mick.?
The boys team has seven freshmen out this year.
‘That’s a good group,? Ford said. ‘I’m kind of impressed, they want to do well.?
Ford said his seniors are taking the season very seriously, and have been running all summer long.
‘They are an attentive group,? he said of the team. ‘They are serious about it, and about doing more.?
Ford said Lahser has a good boys team, provid
ng some new competition this year for Lake Orion, along with the always tough Clarkston, Rochester, Troy and Troy Athens.
‘Lahser beat us in the county meet last year,? Ford said. ‘They’ll toughen up our league.?
As for the team’s goals, Ford said ‘you always want to look for that league championship.?
‘This year the regional is more equitable,? he said. ‘I could see us losing the league and going on to the regional and making it to state.?
Ultimately, Ford said the team’s goal is to extend their season and make it to the state competition.
‘We lost a dual meet last year, by one point to Rochester,? he said. ‘Then we beat them in the league meet. We kept working and it showed.
‘We always run tough at the end,? Ford said.
The team finished last season with just one dual meet loss, and tied for the league championship.
‘As for our work ethic this season, so much of it comes from that group of seniors,? said Ford. ‘And the young kids have taken that lead.?
Ford said freshman Kyle Lawton is one of the underclassman who could be a force for the team.
‘He looks really strong for a freshman,? he said. ‘He ran through middle school and camp….We have 25 kids showing up at my house in the summer, and more on Monday nights at the track also.?
Ford looks forward to seeing continued progress from the underclassmen.
‘They need to get ready for their role as seniors…it makes for a more steady program,? he said.
‘This group will have to find themselves a little bit after that first race. We are looking forward to that first meet.?