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

ECC Division I

East Lyme

Coach: Mike Flynn (8th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Aranza Torres, Sr. Izzy Paggioli, Jr. Maya D'Aquila, Jr. Emily Macklin, Jr. Veronica Castro, So. Leah Bergeron.

Top newcomers: Fr. Rachel Bergeron, Fr. Brianna Unger, So. Rachel Qaudrato, So. Cate Bustamante, So. Allison Caskey, Jr. Lauren Fulcher, Jr. Paige Hinckley.

Outlook: East Lyme graduated some key pieces from last year’s ECC championship team, but veterans Torres, Paggioli and D’Aquila return, and Flynn is encouraged by some promising newcomers. “The team will aim to have smart and consistent training and stress patience while bringing the younger/newer runners along,” Flynn said, “I have a strong sense that they will be a pretty solid squad by the time post-season rolls around.”

Fitch

Coach: Rebecca Snelson (1st season)

Key returnees: Jr. Ava Kennedy, Jr. Alaina Campbell, So. Beatrix LaManque, Jr. Isabelle McKnight.

Top newcomers: Fr. Colbie Synhorst, Jr. Hannah Thomas.

Outlook: Snelson, a Fitch assistant for two seasons, takes over a program that continues to make strides in a difficult division. “I am looking towards building off the momentum this team has built in the last two years after the COVID shutdowns,” Snelson said. “We are returning a large group from last year and have added some new faces that should help us out in that goal.”

Norwich Free Academy

Coach: Kara Kochanski-Vendola (17th season)

Key returnees: Elya Anor, Meadow Brown, Karina Chan, McKenzie Connell, Ava Hatch, Sharon Liu, Kaitlyn Titus, Jennifer Aguilar.

Top newcomers: Paige Brayman, Alleigh Croteau, Hannah Croteau, Allesandra DeBartolo, Sofie DeGray, Alice Dziavit, Helen Muench.

Outlook: The Wildcats suffered some major graduation losses, including ECC All-Star Eliana Duclos, so there will be plenty of new runners in the varsity lineup and competition during the preseason has been strong. Despite those losses, Kochanski-Vendola believes NFA will contend for the Division I title.

Note: Division I includes Woodstock Academy

ECC Division II

Bacon Academy

Coach: Jeff Brunoli (2nd season)

Outlook: The Bobcats went through a rebuilding season in 2022, and Brunoli said “things look promising” for this fall.

Griswold

Coach: Greg Schoen

Key returnees: So. Ryley Hubert, So. Ava Casey, So. Zalie Dietz, Jr. Arianna Pedraza, Jr. Amaya Smith.

Outlook: Schoen is still building for the future. “This team may be young and small but are setting high standards for their individual goals and have a demonstrated great work ethic during practice,” Schoen said.

Ledyard

Coach: Denise Descheneaux (7th season)

Key returnees: Jr. Kate Littler, Sr. Ella Stephenson, Jr. Josie Withbroe, Sr. Sam Doran, Sr. Avery Widlicka.

Top newcomers: Fr. Fionna Woody, Fr. Kaitlyn Sweeney, So. Tatianna Irizarry.

Outlook: After placing second behind East Lyme in last year’s ECC championship meet and winning the Division II title, the Colonels have enough talent and experience to challenge for overall conference honors this fall. Littler, Stephenson, Withbroe and Widlicka are returning ECC all-stars and the entire top five is back. “This is looking like the most competitive team I have ever coached,” Descheneaux said.

Waterford

Coach: Chris Gamble (17th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Madison LaForte, Jr. Avery Maiese, Jr. Adeline Steinhaus, Jr. Molly Bartlett, So. Ava Lee.

Outlook: Maiese is the reigning ECC champion and a New England qualifier, so the Lancers have a true frontrunner. Lee was also an ECC all-star while LaForte, Steinhaus and Bartlett were all key varsity performers. “We have a good mix of new and experienced runners so we are optimistic that this season will be a competitive one,” Gamble said.

Note: Division II includes Killingly.

ECC Division III

Lyman Memorial

Coach: Chantal Fields (2nd season)

Key returnees: So. Hazel DeLucia, So. Sylvie Hiltz, Jr. Kayla Osga, Sr. Genevieve Gardella, Jr. Larhamie McKusick.

Top newcomers: Fr. Luci Gardella, Fr. Kamryn Sandhu, Jr. Addison Ziegler.

Outlook: DeLucia, who finished fifth in the ECC championship meet and ninth in Class S as a freshman, returns to lead the Bulldogs, who had an increase in numbers and will be able to score in all meets this season. “We’re excited to have enough runners and be competitive in our division,” Fields said.

Montville

Coach: Steven LaBranche (8th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Sage Gressly, Jr. Brenna LaBranche.

Top newcomers: So. Melinda Siismets, So. Ashlynn Audoin, So. Sarah Kaplan

Outlook: Maya Suarez, who finished second in the ECC meet last year was a two-time all-state runner, was among the graduation losses. Gressly leads a team that has just five runners, so LaBranche said he will have to “balance training and injury avoidance very closely.”

St. Bernard

Coach: Juliana Rosas (8th season)

Key returnees: So. Helena Coury, Jr. Mia Klewin, Jr. Violet Kunka, So. Martha Hammond, Sr. Audrey Turner.

Outlook: The Saints don’t have great depth, but plenty of quality with their top five runners returning from last year’s ECC Division III championship team. Coury placed third in the ECC meet and sixth in Class S as a freshman to earn all-state honors and Klewin was an ECC all-star. Rosas expects St. Bernard to compete for the division title again.

Stonington

Coach: Megan Chapman (3rd season)

Key returnees: Peyton Vanderstreet, Molly Musselman.

Top newcomer: Addison Labbe.

Outlook: Vanderstreet, who placed 10th in the ECC championships last season and was an ECC Division III all-star, is back to lead a young team. “I’m really excited to see what the girls can accomplish this year,” Chapman said, “They are super determined.”

Note: Division III includes Windham.

ECC Division IV

Wheeler

Coach: Katie McGuire (1st season)

Key returnees: Sr. Rose Tardiff, Jr. Carissa Browne, Jr. Niamh Korten, So. Ava Vangieri.

Top newcomers: Jr. Katheryn DelGrosso, So. Kylie Melia, So. Sophie Zichichi, Fr. Adyson Burroughs.

Outlook: McGuire takes over a program that won the Division IV title last year and returns ECC all-stars Tardiff, Korten and Vangieri. “We have some great returning runners as well as strong new talent,” McGuire said. “The girls have been working hard at practice and we are looking forward to a great season.”

Note: Division IV includes Plainfield, Putnam and Tourtellotte.

Others

Norwich Tech

Coach: Catherine Sikorski (6th season)

Key returnee: Sr. Matilda MacGregor.

Top newcomers: Fr. Amelia Hawkins, Fr. Cady Newman.

Outlook: The Warriors are low in numbers as they prepare for the Connecticut Technical Conference season, but Sikorski said the attitude is great as they look to improve throughout the season.

Old Lyme

Coach: Courtney Baklik (4th season)

Key returnees: Sr. Alexis Antonellis, Jr. Grace Ferman, So. Chase Gilbert.

Top newcomers: So. Jayden Livesey.

Outlook: Gilbert exploded onto the scene as a freshman, winning the Shoreline Conference and Class S state championships (she also placed third in the State Open) and leading the Wildcats to the Shoreline title and a runner-up finish in Class S. Old Lyme did graduate three of its top runners, but Baklik said the core of the team is strong, adding “the returning runners especially have taken care with their training and bring a great sense of camaraderie.”

Williams

Coach: Sarah Jennings (1st season)

Key returnees: Abby Ahlijanian, Helen Godshall

Outlook: Jennings takes over a program that will rely on the leadership of captains Ahlijanian and Godshall. Numbers are better and the Blues look to improve as they adapt to the new coaching style.