High School Cross Country: 5 to watch
BOYS
Teams
Bishop Kenny: The Crusaders will have a tough time defending their 2A state title after last year's top four runners graduated. Three sophomores might be among BK's top seven this season.
Fleming Island:This is an experienced team led by talented Cameron Davis, last year's state champion in the 800 meters. The Golden Eagles might be ready to challenge Bishop Kenny for being the best team in the area.
Nease: The Panthers had a strong showing at the Katie Caples Invitational with a sixth-place finish, third-best in the area. They are one runner away from challenging BK and Fleming Island.
Bolles: This team is one man away from running with the top teams in 2A. A gap of 49 points between the fourth- and fifth-place Bulldogs runners at the Caples meet needs to improve.
Creekside:Seven freshmen or sophomores are among the team's top 10 runners. Senior Jimmy Clark is one of elite runners in the state and will contend for a 3A state title.
Individuals
Jimmy Clark, Creekside, Sr.: Clark is the most dominant local runner this year. He was second by 4 seconds in last year's Class 3A state meet.
Mac Reynolds, Nease, Jr.: Reynolds, the top returning runner for Panthers, looks to improve on last year's 26th-place finish in the 2A state meet.
Eduardo Garcia, Mandarin, Sr.: Garcia was named to area's first team last year. He could challenge as the school's best distance runner ever with a strong senior season.
Kamal Koroso, Parker, So.: Koroso, the surprise of the 2009 season, was among area's best runners as a freshman. He capped off the year by finishing eighth at the 3A state meet.
Cameron Davis, Fleming Island, Sr.:Davis is one of a handful of runners to break the 17-minute mark in '09. He will challenge Clark and Garcia as the best among this year's seniors.
GIRLS
Teams
Bolles:The defending Class 2A state champions will be in contention again this year. Seniors Rebecca Chandler and Amelia Williams lead the way for the fourth-ranked Bulldogs.
Creekside: The young Knights are ranked No. 5 in Class 3A. The Rodriguez sisters, Lauren and Kaitlin, were among the top 15 at the Katie Caples Invitational last week.
Mandarin: The Mustangs have Mary Kate Ponder and good depth. The team finished eighth a year ago at Class 4A state meet. After a strong showing at the Caples meet (fourth place), Mandarin is ranked third among 4A teams.
Bishop Kenny: The Crusaders were seventh at the Caples meet, one of their lowest finishes in the meet they host. With two seniors among the top six runners, BK is ranked sixth in 2A.
Providence: The team that is ranked No. 2 in 1A has one senior. The Stallions received boost with the transfer of sophomore Danielle Dunn, who was a top runner for St. Johns Country Day.
Individuals
Mary Kate Ponder, Mandarin, Jr.: Kate had outstanding freshman season and was the top Mustangs finisher at the Class 4A state meet last season.
Rebecca Chandler, Bolles, Sr.: The Bulldogs senior was among best in the area and finished sixth in the Class 2A state meet last season.
Kayla Vinson, Ridgeview, Sr.: Vinson led Ridgeview to a fifth-place finish in 3A state meet last year. She was the only area runner to place in top 15 finishers in that race.
Camille Jackson, Providence, Soph.: Jackson placed seventh in Class 1A state meet last year to lead Stallions to fifth-place team finish.
Lauren and Kaitlin Rodriguez, Creekside, Jrs.:They are two-thirds of triplets and could lead Knights to a good state finish. They finished 11th and 14th, respectively, at the Caples meet.
Questions
• Does Fleming Island have enough depth to challenge Bishop Kenny as the best boys team in this area? Both teams have two senior standouts and then will rely on underclassmen in the bid for state honors in 2A.
• Can Creekside's Jimmy Clark continue the success of Jacksonville having an individual state champion in the boys division? There has been a local winner in eight of the past 10 seasons. Clark was second in the 2009 Class 2A state meet to a senior runner from Tallahassee Leon.
• With nearly everyone back from last year's state championship team, will the Bolles girls team run away with the 2A title? It won't be easy. Estero and Cocoa Beach are among the elite 2A teams this year.
• Can Jacksonville have an individual state champion in girls division? The last local winner was Robyn DeBenedet of Episcopal in 2003. Bolles' Rebecca Chandler, Mandarin's Mary Kate Ponder and Providence's Camille Jackson are the best bets to end the drought.
• Which area girls team will finish as a champion or runner-up this season? Jacksonville has had a state champion or runner-up in each of the past 16 years, including a total of 19 team champions and 14 others who finished in second place during that span.
Races not to miss
Oct. 2: Bale N Trail (at Bartram Trail).
Oct. 16: Little Everglades Pre-State Invitational (Dade City)
Nov. 4-6:District meets (various local sites).
Nov. 12-13:Regional meets (at DeLand, Tallahassee Chiles and Oak Hall).
Nov. 20:State meet for all classes (Little Everglades Ranch and Dade City).