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The combination almost seems unfair.
Dallas is the defending state Class 2A boys champion. The Mountaineers return nearly their entire lineup.
And, if that was not enough, the Mountaineers are still young.
It all adds up to Dallas being a prohibitive favorite to win its sixth straight Wyoming Valley Conference title.
The title chase on the girls side could once again also take place in the Back Mountain.
Lake-Lehman and Dallas finished 1-2 a year ago and were 1-2 again Saturday in a strong field featuring many of the WVC contenders in the season-opening Cliff Robbins Memorial Invitational.
The perceived gap between the top two and those chasing them – Pittston Area and Hazleton Area – is much more narrow on the girls side. All four teams were within 24 points of each other at the top of the 15-team field at the Robbins Invitational.
The season is scheduled to open Wednesday with a full schedule of cluster meets.
BOYS
Dallas coach Matt Samuel knows he cannot shy away from the potential of his boys team.
“There’s definitely no hiding,” said Samuel, who was named Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaching Association (PTFCA) Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year for the state after last year’s championship run. “This is a unique position for the guys. It’s not really a unique position for me.
“In 2003, going into 2004, I thought maybe we could do it again with the girls.”
As often as the Mountaineers win in cross country, Samuel knows there are no guarantees. Among the titles Dallas will be defending this season are the Wyoming Valley Conference Narkiewicz Championship Meet title and the District 2 championship.
“My guys are very aware of this, too, but what we did last year was great and it’s something to be celebrated, but I think that’s probably over with now,” he said. “When you’re on top, the only direction you can go is down.”
Dallas opened with the boys title at the Robbins Invitational.
The invitational results also backed up the point that Berwick and Holy Redeemer could be considered threats to Dallas on the right day. The Bulldogs, which was seventh in the state in Class 2A last year, finished fourth in the 20-team field, right behind the Royals, and well ahead of the rest of the pack.
Field hockey is the only sport in which District 2 produces more state-wide success and more major college impact athletes than in cross country, so Samuel knows the challenges will start close to home.
“Berwick was seventh in the state last year, so that shows you what they’re capable of,” Samuel said. “Holy Redeemer, just knowing what they had and the guys they have coming back, they’re somebody you have to pay attention to as well.”
Jack Zardecki, a state medalist last year with a 25th-place finish, is back to lead the Mountaineers. He opened with the Robbins individual title.
Dallas returns its top five runners from last year’s state meet. Adam Borton was 28th in the state and Jason Culp, this year’s only senior among the top runners, and Josh Culp was 36th.
Josh Wyandt, who ran in the district meet but not the state meet last season, was the team’s second finisher in the Robbins Invitational while sophomore Mitchell Rome was next, joining him in the meet’s top eight. Sophomore Stephen Postupak and Josh Jarden also return from the state championship lineup.
Berwick returns Ty Fisher, the team’s top finisher and 48th overall at the state meet last year. But, it was Mason Kimbell, 95th in the state a year ago, who led the team in the Robbins, finishing second to Zardecki.
Hazleton Area and Tunkhannock could be the best of the rest.
Hazleton Area finished third in the WVC, behind Berwick, but ahead of Holy Redeemer, last year. Tunkhannock was 12-4 to finish fifth out of 17 teams.
State Class 3A qualifier Franklin Cunningham is back to again lead Hazleton Area. Wyoming Seminary returns Class A state qualifier Eamon Gibbons.
GIRLS
Lake-Lehman won the WVC title by going 15-0, but it was second-place Dallas and fifth-place Hazleton Area that thrived in the postseason, making it to Hershey as teams.
Dallas claimed the second state berth from Class 2A behind district champion Abington Heights and Hazleton Area won the District 2-4 Class 3A Subregional title.
Lake-Lehman ended Dallas streaks at three straight titles and 52 straight wins in the WVC to ultimately finish on top.
“Our goal last year was to get to states as a team,” Sobocinski said. “We did win the conference, which is nice to do and also a goal.
“But the ultimate goal is the team berth at states and we fell short.”
Perhaps this could be the year for the Black Knights, who last made it in 2005.
The team returns six of its top seven runners, including state qualifier Jade Fry and Jace Garnick, who led the team at the Robbins Invitational. Olivia Vasey, Krystin Chaga, Lauryn Pembleton and Kara Martin also return. Sophomore Mackenzie Fleeger, a sprinter from track season who is making the transition to distance running, could give the team a boost.
Rebecca Balara, a state medalist with a 21st-place finish last season on a team that placed ninth in Hershey, is back for Dallas. Balara and current senior Riley Oremus were 2-3 in the lineup behind two-time state champion Ally Rome.
Dallas has other returnees from last year, but with Balara resting an injury, three newcomers followed Oremus to the finish to help the team place second at the Robbins.
Freshmen Megan Borton and Madison Baloga along with junior Abby Zolner, a state medalist swimmer who is on the team for the first time, could put Dallas into position to improve during the season.
“We have a long time yet,” Samuel said. “We’re trying to be patient.”
The mixture of veterans and newcomers could also make Hazleton Area a bigger threat as the season progresses.
Mary Everdale, the leader of last year’s subregional championship by finishing fourth, was fifth at the Robbins, helping the team finish fourth. Stephanie Yanochko and Kiera Feeley, the second and third runners last year, are among the veterans back.
“We also had two freshmen who have stepped up and were our second and fourth runners Saturday so that should help us out,” Hazleton Area coach Joe Smolinsky said.
Ariana Stranko and Mackenzie Milot were the newcomers.
Pittston Area is led by Bailey Loyack, who missed a state berth by one spot last season when the Patriots were a close second to Hazleton Area in 3A.
Loyack has plenty of help from freshman Nicole Zambetti, who led the team by placing ninth in the Robbins, and senior Arianna Boccardi, a veteran of Pittston Area’s distance success in both track and cross country in recent seasons.
Holy Redeemer’s Lindsey Williams and Berwick’s Sam Dyer were both state Class AA qualifiers last year.
Tara Kupsky is a returning state qualifier for Wyoming Seminary. Freshman April Kupsky, Tara’s younger sister, was the team’s top Robbins finisher.