Aberdeen
2010 conference finish: boys 10th, girls 10th
Head coach: Kyree Edwards
Top prospects, girls: Nia Alleyne (sr.), Shelby Theis (sr.), Olivia Webster (jr.), Brianna Murphy (fr.), Rachel Bour (sr.), Abby Webster (fr.)
Top prospects, boys: Marquez Sloan (jr.), Brian Valcarenghi (jr.), Chris Banko (jr.), Isaiah Chapman (jr.)
Outlook: The Eagles return two of their top seven boys and two of the top seven girls from the teams that last year finished third in the Susquehanna Division meet. There are several newcomers on the team providing potential to improve on the Eagles' 2010 UCBAC finish.
Bel Air
2010 conference finish: boys second, girls second.
Head coaches: Jon Andrews and Ashley Barnes
Top prospects, boys: Peter Knorr (sr.), Roberto Ascenzi (jr.), Dan Bowley (jr.), Drew Lovell (sr.), Pat Voelker (jr.), Eric Ingram (fr.), Chester Wrobel (jr.)
Top prospects, girls: Hannah Stambaugh (sr.), Caitie Ellenby (sr.), Amanda English (sr.), Grace Davis (sr.), Grayson Slencak (jr.), Kelsea Hilditch (so.), Esther Cross (fr.), Breanna Knorr (fr.), Devin Davenport (fr.), Marisa Abbey (fr.)
Outlook: This is the senior year for four girls who led the Bobcats to third, third, and second place finishes in the 2A state meet the last three years. With 41 on the roster, it may be the largest girls team ever at Bel Air. The boys team faces major rebuilding after graduating its top five. There are 28 on the roster, but only one returning senior. "We are looking to regroup with a lot of young talent," said coach Jon Andrews. "Moving back up to 3A certainly creates its challenges, but we're hoping to continue to do big things."
C. Milton Wright
2010 conference finish: boys third, girls third
Head coach: Donnie Mickey
Top prospects, boys: Matt Hoerr (jr.), Dan Fleming (jr.), Dan Sweetser (sr.), Mike Neal (jr.), Corey Blanton (jr.), Max Anderson (so.), Mike Capozzoli (jr.), Dan Otradovec (sr.), Riley Battaglia (jr.), Brad Ensor (fr.).
Top prospects, girls: Miriam Silton (so.), Kelley O'Neill (so.), Kaitlin McCabe (sr.), Megan Coughlin (so.), Sydney Steinmiller (jr.), Becca Palmer (fr.), Liz D'Agostaro (sr.), Jenna Lam (jr.), Rachel Wakefield (fr.), Kelsey Lippencott (sr.).
Outlook: Donnie Mickey returns after one year of retirement to coach a team of 54 boys and 44 girls. Both the girls and boys teams are led by underclassmen, include many returnees, and have the potential to be the best in the county. "Our focus is on the end of the year, and we will use early meets to gain experience," said Mickey.
Edgewood
2010 conference finish: both teams were incomplete
Head coach: Megan Meinert
Top prospects: Lenier Tucker (jr.), Michael Dzambasow (so.)
Outlook: The boys team has two strong returnees in Lenier Tucker and Michael Dzambasow. Tucker, who was the runner-up in the Susquehanna Division meet in 2010, is among the best in the UCBAC. Both boys and girls teams are small, however, with the girls team being incomplete as the season begins.
Fallston
2010 conference finish: girls fourth, boys eighth
Head coaches: Mike Hollandsworth (girls) and Leal Williams (boys)
Top prospects, boys: Frank Abbate (sr.), Neil Thompson (sr.), Sam Burgess (so.), Austin Braerman (jr.)
Top prospects, girls: Leeann Bedsaul (sr.), Shannon Cooper (sr.), Katie Lazzeri (sr.), Grace Lekites (jr.), Kathryn Milwicz (jr.), Kati Mozingo (sr.), Emily Nosek (sr.), Claire Palmer (so.).
Outlook: "We have loads of senior experience and leadership this season," said coach Mike Hollandsworth about his team of 19 girls. "We should be set to do well if we stay healthy and our performances exceed last year's." The boys team is led by two outstanding seniors, Frank Abbate and Neil Thompson. The team should improve on its UCBAC finish of 2010.
Harford Tech
2010 conference finish: boys 12th, girls incomplete
Head coaches: Mike Griffith and Jeffrey Matteson
Top prospects, boys: Dustin Jones (sr.), Kenny Jones (so.), Alex Perdomo (jr.), Jason Jenkins (sr.)
Top prospects, girls: Alicia Kilgore (so.), Michele Marciniak (sr.), Jheniel Kelly (sr.)
Outlook: First year coaches Mike Griffith and Jeffrey Matteson aim to build a cross-country program to match the quality of Harford Tech's track and field program. They are starting small, with six returnees among the 14 runners on the team. "We are starting to build a cross-country team that will lead us to a more successful distance program in winter and spring track," said coach Mike Griffith.
Havre de Grace
2010 conference finish: both teams were incomplete
Head coaches: Bill Walsh and Alex Spooner
Top prospects, boys: Jake Williams (jr.), T.J. Haselhoff (so.)
Top prospects, girls: Jenna Newton (sr.), Delaney Newhart (so.), Jennifer Thacker (so.), Danielle Jankovich (so.), Elsie Buchanan-Wollaston (so.).
Outlook: The Warriors begin the season with a team of two boys and five girls, two of whom are first-year runners. The top returnee is Elsie Buchanan-Wollaston, who finished fourth in the Susquehanna Division meet last fall as a freshman.
John Carroll
2010 conference finish: girls sixth (IAAM A Conf), boys ninth (MIAA A Conf)
Head coaches: Rob Torres (girls) and Mike Monaghan (boys)
Top prospects, boys: Ben Pickett (sr.), Andrew Ellis (sr.), Derek Alban (jr.), Will Horn (jr.), Dave Knaide (jr.), Mark Pickett (fr.), Dominic Mezzanoti (sr.), Cole Alban (so.), Adam Bognanni (fr.)
Top prospects, girls: Holly Cook (sr.), Taylor Battaglia (sr.), Kayla Stoots (sr.), Rebecca Driver (jr.), Talia Kahoe (sr.), Katie O'Brien (sr.), Sam Clarke (jr.), Amanda Spaeth (so.), Megan Battaglia (sr.), and Shannon Vinton (jr.)
Outlook: With the top five runners returning from last season, this could be the strongest John Carroll boys team in a decade. "We are hoping to put at least four runners in the top 25 at the championships," said coach Mike Monaghan, who has 14 on the roster. The girls lost several key runners to graduation, including two-time IAAM champ Elizabeth Tauber. "We don't have the superstar that we've had in the past, but we have a solid pack that could do a lot better than expected in the IAAM A conference," said Rob Torres. There are 16 girls on the team.
Joppatowne
2010 conference finish: both teams were incomplete
Head coaches: Cheryl Oricchio (boys) and Heidi Fretz (girls)
Top prospects, boys: Terrell Adams (sr.), Tyree Gibson (jr.)
Top prospects, girls: none provided
Outlook: The top two runners from the 2010 boys team return, giving the Mariners a base for improvement this season. Both the boys and girls teams are small as they begin the season.
North Harford
2010 conference finish: Boys sixth, girls sixth
Head coaches: Eric Benjamin and Laura O'Leary
Top prospects, boys: Patrick O'Leary (fr.), Nick Fransham (fr.), Dylan Foote (fr.), Thomas Ogden (jr.), Ian Fiser (fr.), Justin Asch (so.), David Roloff (jr.).
Top prospects, girls: Annie Scott (jr.), Emily Zeller (jr.), Sarah Cullum (sr.), Regan Davis (fr.), Megan Tidey (so.), Paige Rickey (so.), Laura Drapinski (fr.).
Outlook: This season involves major rebuilding after losing to graduation the top five from the boys team and UCBAC champ Megan Schott from the girls. There is, however, enough new talent among the 28 girls and 25 boys on the team to make the outlook auspicious. "We hope to use this inexperience to build a new tradition of success with the ultimate goal of getting both teams to the state meet," said coach Eric Benjamin.
Patterson Mill
2010 conference finish: Boys fifth, girls seventh.
Head coach: Al Dethlefsen
Top prospects, boys: Sam Caretti (jr.), Alex Swartz (jr.), Dan Zablocky (sr.), Justin Snyders (sr.), Ryan Humphreys (sr.), Jake Nikkila (fr.), Nick Mills (fr.), Kevin Harned (fr.), Alex Marconi (so.)
Top prospects, girls: Emma Mattson (sr.), Steph McCartney (jr.), Torrie Manning (sr.), Kayla Ricks (jr.), Jess Benson (jr.).
Outlook: To graduation, the Huskies lost four of their top five boys from the team that finished second in the 1A state meet. "With the majority of the team being underclassmen, this will be a rebuilding year," said fifth-year coach Al Dethlefsen. There are 22 boys and 11 girls on the team. Emma Mattson and Steph McCartney are the pace-setters for the girls team, which is likely to improve on last year's seventh-place UCBAC finish. Mattson placed fourth in the 1A state meet two years ago, when the Huskies finished third as a team.