PREP CROSS COUNTRY Area's top runners, teams

BOYS
Five runners to watch
Luke McCluggage, Jackson-Milton, senior -- Last year's Division III district champion. Finished sixth at regional and fifth at state meet. Finished third in 1600-meter run at Div. III state track meet.
Joe Kunkel, McDonald, senior -- Top runner on state's top returning team. Placed 17th at last year's Div. III state meet.
Paul Moser, Maplewood, senior -- Teams with Craig Rupe as the top returning runners from last year's Div. III state championship team. Placed 15th at last year's state meet.
Dan Nemergut, South Range, junior -- Placed 32nd at last year's Div. III state meet and capped strong track season with third-place finish in the 3200 at state.
Jason Corman, McDonald, senior -- Placed 23rd at last year's Div. III state meet and finished in the top 10 at the Boardman regional.
Five teams to watch
McDonald -- Lost Kevin Stonestreet to graduation, but returns seven seniors from team that finished second to Maplewood at Div. III state meet. Favored to win second state title in three years.
Maplewood -- Lost three of top five runners to graduation, but have good mix of experience and youth. Will look to qualify for state tournament for 13th straight year.
Mooney -- Lost Erik Moss to graduation, but return five of remaining six runners from last year's district championship team. Won Div. III state title 1999.
South Range -- Lost four seniors to graduation, but return Nemergut, sophomore Doug Miller and junior Chad Fusco. Always in the mix.
Girard -- Five of its top six runners last year were underclassmen, helping the Indians finish fourth at last year's Div. II district. Good tradition, having won a Div. III state title in 2000 and Div. II title in 1998.
GIRLS
Five runners to watch
Brittany Durkin, Boardman, senior -- Last year's Mahoning County champion, Durkin qualified for state in Div. I in 2000. The three-sport standout placed 13th in the mile at last spring's state track meet.
Samantha Bonar, Badger, sophomore -- Best runner on arguably the area's best team. Bonar placed 11th at regional and 75th at last year's state meet.
Mary Sivulich, Hubbard, senior -- Ran without a team last season, but still finished as one of the best runners in the area. Placed sixth at district meet.
Krista Humphrey, Maplewood, junior -- Placed eighth at district meet for the Rockets, who may steal some attention from the school's better-known boys team.
Ashleigh Tondo, McDonald, sophomore -- Will likely take over the team's No. 1 spot as the Blue Devils look to continue run of success. Placed 24th at regional meet.
Five teams to watch
Badger -- Return six of seven runners from last year's district runner-up team, and only one is a senior -- Christine Miller. Placed 13th at state.
Maplewood -- Return five of top six runners from last year's team, which placed third at district.
Boardman -- Won Suburban League and Steel Valley Conference titles last season. Lost Monica Cuevas to graduation, but should be solid again.
McDonald -- Lost three seniors to graduation, including Jenn Wenhold, but have good team depth returning.
Salem -- Top seven runners return from last year's team, which placed fifth at district meet.
-- Joe Scalzo