Following is a team-by-team preview of the 2023 high school boys’ cross country season:

ECC Division I

East Lyme

Coach: Mike Flynn (8th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Kai Ritz, Sr. Mason Hintze, Sr. Nathan Bergman, Sr. Maddox Grillo-Smith, Sr. Darius Kirvelevicius, Sr. Beck Schultz, Sr. Kaleb MIynarski, Jr. Sean McCauley, Jr. Jilali Benjdid, Jr. Matt Carrier, Jr. Andrew Carrier, Jr. Jack Jensen, Jr. Dylan Johnson, So. Gavin Fant, So. Adrik Gates, So. Luke Bergman, So, Ivan Butova, So. Christian Allen, So. Ethan Scheide, So. Topher Regan.

Top newcomers: So. Sam Leone, So Jack Faitsch, So. Harrison Thompson, So. Oliver Selmer-Larsen, Fr. Karthik Bolleni, Fr. Gabriel Costales, Fr. Dylan DiFrancesca, Fr. Owen Garabedian, Fr. Sahir Gupta, Fr. Kyle Miranda, Fr. Joey Papalia, Fr. Keegan Stadler.

Outlook: The Vikings, despite losing two of their top seven runners, are primed to defend their ECC and Class MM state championships. “In all my years of coaching, I’ve never had a deeper, more talented and fit group,” Flynn said. “There’s a dozen guys or more that could run varsity at this point.” McCauley finished third in last year’s ECC meet, then won the Class MM 3,200-meter state title in the spring while Ritz, Bergman, Benjdid and Carrier all had productive track seasons, too.

Fitch

Coach: Rich Kosta (12th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Ryan Dunning, Sr. Kaiden Chandler, Sr. Patrick Lindy, So. Keeghan Chandler, Jr. Shea Cahill.

Top newcomers: So. Julien Silva, So. Jordan Harris, Jr. Evan Vitagliano.

Outlook: The Falcons struggled in a difficult division a year ago, but return their top five runners led by captains Dunning and Chandler. Said Kosta: “The team will rely on experience and a great summer of training to achieve success in ECC Division I and Class MM.”

Norwich Free Academy

Coach: Jaclyn Sullivan (5th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Sawyer Barile, Sr. Nicholas DeBartolo, Jr. Jesse Croteau, Jr. Patrick Croughwell, Jr. Anthony DeBartolo, Jr. Robinson Meuse, Jr. Owen Muench, Jr. Nicholas Wigfield.

Top newcomers: Jr. Gregory Bourdon II, So. Fernando Flores, Fr. Collin Etchells, Fr. Paul Smith.

Outlook: The Wildcats return five of their top seven runners from a team that finished third in the ECC meet to a pair of eventual state champions (East Lyme and Griswold) and qualified for the State Open last season. “The team is ready to improve on last season’s finish at the state level (ninth in Class LL, 12 in the Open),” Sullivan said. “This team has a deep belief in each other and a drive to support each other to achieve their goals.”

Note: Division I includes Woodstock Academy.

ECC Division II

Bacon Academy

Coach: Marycia Malloy (1st season)

Key returnees: Carson Brown, Aaron Fidrych, Michael Dickey, Ian McClain, Evan Lovegrove, Kevin Reas, Elijah Banks.

Top newcomers: Jay Wikarska, Oliver Melmed, Bennett Holloway, Boden Paul.

Outlook: Malloy takes over a program that must replace Ryan Moores, who finished fifth in the ECC meet and third in the Class M state meet. Despite that loss, Malloy said, “This team has a lot of potential and will be exciting to see them progress throughout the season.”

Griswold

Coach: Kelsey Tobler (7th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Maxwell Brown, So. Joshua Montgomery.

Top newcomers: Fr. Tycen LaBelle, Fr. Sean Silva, Fr. Dylan Bailey.

Outlook: The Wolverines will try to reload after losing the Strain triplets and Jackson Collins from their Class SS state championship team. Brown and Montgomery provide experience and a freshman class will play a big role. “With a young and determined team this year, everyone is looking forward to getting some racing in and being competitive at the ECC championship meet and a factor at the state championship level,” Tobler said.

Ledyard

Coach: Christopher Helminski (3rd season)

Key returnees: Sr. Hayden Baber, Sr. Gabriel Huff, Sr. Jackson Hill, Jr. Antonio Soldato, So. Parker Widlicka, So. Lucas Heide.

Top newcomers: Fr. Greyson Stephenson, Fr. Raymond Grogan, So. Colin Downes, Sr. Steven Ives.

Outlook: There are great expectations at Ledyard, where the Colonels return their top three — seniors Baber, Huff and Hill — along varsity runners Soldato, Widlicka and Heide from a team that placed second to Griswold in Division II and sixth in Class M. “We are looking to go undefeated in the regular season, looking at a top two spot in the ECC meet and are shooting for a state title,” Helminski said.

Waterford

Coach: Chris Gamble (17th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Jay Zimmermann, Sr. Xavier Del Grosso, Jr. Titus Olson, Jr. Ethan Brown.

Outlook: The Lancers return some veteran runners and have good numbers with the addition of some promising newcomers who are battling for varsity positions. Said Gamble: “The potential is there for this team to be competitive.”

Note: Division II includes Killingly.

ECC Division III

Lyman Memorial

Coach: Chantal Fields (2nd season)

Key returnees: Sr. Hunter Sanchez, Sr. Ryan Spellman, Jr. Oliver Gatti, Sr. Kyle Franchi, So. Cameron Watkins.

Top newcomers: Fr. Tilden Reinckens, Fr. Kellen Johnson, Fr. Sawyer Sanchez, Fr. Owen Sehl.

Outlook: The Bulldogs are coming off a rebuilding season but have a strong senior class and increased numbers. “We are excited to have enough runners to score this year and to be competitive in our division,” Fields said.

Montville

Coach: Steve LaBranche (8th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Jack Brehler. Sr. Nick James, Jr. Brady Bilheimer, Jr. Alex Joseph, Jr. Nathan Dhillon, Jr. Kyler Newer.

Top newcomers: Sr. Mason O'Connor, Sr. Darren Chen.

Outlook: The Wolves must replace all-state runner Dylan Horkey, but the other six varsity runners, led by captain Brehler, return from a team that won the Division III title last season. “The team goals remain quite high,” LaBranche said. “We’re focused on defending (the division title) it this year.”

St. Bernard

Coach: Juliana Rosas (3rd season)

Key returnees: So. Maddox Roan, So. Connar Petro, Sr. Geoffrey Siebert.

Top newcomers: Sr. Colin Britner, Sr. Lucas Dellacono, Fr. Rad Tanksley, Fr. Anthony Depaola, Jr. Savas Videll, So. Palmer Noe, Sr. Lucas Ranelli.

Outlook: The Saints have struggled with numbers in recent seasons, but that won’t be a problem this season. Roan is a returning ECC All-Star, but St. Bernard also welcomes Britner, who won the ECC Division III-IV championship in the 3,200 in the spring and joins the cross country program this fall. “We should be competitive in Division III this year,” Rosas said.

Stonington

Coach: Megan Chapman (3rd season)

Key returnees: Brady deCastro, Collin Scherer, Emerson Baltrukonis.

Outlook: The Bears are rebuilding following the loss of ECC champion Ryan Gruczka, who went on to place ninth in the State Open and was named The Day’s All-Area Athlete of the Year. “The boys are excited to compete and I’m sure they will have a ton of individual success,” Chapman said.

Note: Division III includes Windham.

ECC Division IV

New London

Coach: Jelani Lucas (1st season)

Key returnee: So. Olivia Crane-Benjamin.

Top newcomers: Fr. Jaidelis Rivera, Fr. Maranyeliz Pacheco, Sr. Gabriel Frommer.

Outlook: The Whalers will compete as a co-ed program this fall as Lucas takes over a team that includes four freshmen, two sophomores and a senior. “We’re looking to gain experience as we go and get ready to compete each and every week,” Lucas said, “We’re lacking the size in numbers compared to other schools but hoping to make some noise throughout the season whether it’s dual meets or invitationals.”

Wheeler

Coach: Marc Tardiff (23rd season)

Key returnees: Sr. Cameron Conway, Sr. Jayson Krysiewicz, Jr. Trevor Scarchilli, So. John Nave.

Top newcomers: So. James Noyes, Fr. Jett Timmons.

Outlook: Krysiewicz, a Division IV all-star last season, returns to lead a veteran team that expects to compete for another division title. Tardiff said a realistic goal is a top seven finish in the ECC championship meet and a competitive showing in the Class S state meet.

Others

Norwich Tech

Coach: Catherine Sikorski (6th season)

Key returnees: Jr. Giuseppe Race, Sr. Elijah Orbe, Sr. Justin Caisse, Jr. Daniel LaRose, Jr. Cristien Walworth, Sr. Jesse Pulk-Littlefield.

Top newcomer: Fr. Savien Diaz.

Outlook: No. 1 runner Joseph Morse graduated, but the Warriors return an experienced team led by captains Caisse, Orbe and Pulk-Littlefield. “We are looking to build on past successes,” said Sikorski, who expects Norwich Tech to remain competitive in the Connecticut Technical Conference.

Old Lyme

Coach: Aron D’Aquila (5th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Eric Dagher, Sr. Gabe Tooker, So. Chris Kachur, Jr. Mark Burnham, Jr. Simon Karpinski, Jr. James Straub, So. Carson St Louis, So. Andrew Taylor.

Top newcomers: Fr. Skylar Graybill, Fr. Owen Holth.

Outlook: Dagher, the Wildcats’ top runner, returns but Old Lyme graduated its other five point-scorers. “We’re looking for a good building year,” said D’Aquila, whose Wildcats compete in the competitive Shoreline Conference. “We’ll be led by seniors Dagher and Tooker and a crew of younger athletes ready to rise up.”

Williams

Coach: Sarah Jennings (1st season)

Key returnees: Tyler Boissevain, Calvin LaFrance.

Outlook: Jennings has a solid squad of 10 runners in her first season led by captains Boissevain and LaFrance. “The team has embraced a new coaching style and have hit the ground (literally) running,” said Jennings.