Back and ready to race, the Orange Lutheran cross country team is off and running this weekend in their first meet of the season as the Lancers head to Norwalk on September 2 for The Great Cow Run. The boys side of the program saw several top runners graduate last spring, but this year’s roster includes some skilled returners, along with the addition of a talented freshman class. The group will be led by senior four-year runner Joel Borton and junior returner Cameron Krueger. Sophomore returner Josh Hight and freshmen Tyde Lazouras, Ash Ozzimo and Lucas Schroeder are all poised to have strong seasons. OLu cross country head coach Kristen Goossens is looking forward to seeing what this young and talented group brings to the program. “I'm really excited on the boys side,” says Goossens. “My ultimate goal is to re-develop that group and have them in as many races as possible to get them to be successful as a frosh/soph team.” The girls roster includes several returners, including sophomore varsity runner Sarabella Stakley. They will be joined by senior varsity transfer Lindsay Guthrie, and Goossens expects the group to push for a top three finish in the Trinity League and a CIF-SS Division 4 postseason berth. “I think the girls have a lot of talent, and my focus for them is to help them realize that they could actually be really, really good,” says Goossens. “The goal is for them to hold each other accountable at practice every single day in order to accomplish that.” In addition to Trinity League meets on September 29 and October 27, the Lancers will be competing at some of the top courses in the country, including Woodbridge (September 15), the Clovis Invitational (October 7) and the Mt. SAC Invitational (October 20). The tight-knit group is already showing a tremendous amount of camaraderie, and Goossens is confident this will translate into positive results. “At its core, it might be the most cohesive group in terms of leaders on the team,” says Goossens. “I feel like this group brings the best out in each other.”