1. Dirigo boys: The Cougars finished fifth in Class C last year and are the defending South regional champions. Dirigo returns reigning Mountain Valley Conference champion William Morris, who will be battling throughout the season with Winthrop’s Alfie Cognata as the top male runner in the class. The Cougars also return juniors Stetson Thurston (11th at South regional) and Hayden Robbins (15th). Dirigo should be among the top teams in the MVC and Class C South.

2. Winthrop boys: The Ramblers finished fourth in the Mountain Valley Conference last year and were the runner-up to Dirigo at the South regionals. They return one of the best runners in Class C, junior Alfie Cognata, who had top-five outings throughout the regular season and could challenge Dirigo’s William Morris as the best male runner in the class. The Ramblers also return junior Sam St. Germain, who had a top-10 performance at MVCs.

3. Dirigo girls: The Cougars finished the runner-up in the MVC last year and placed fifth in Class C South. The top returner is junior McKenzie Boyle, who was fourth in the conference and 11th in Class C. Dirigo will also have junior Aurora Breau (21st at the South regional) and senior Sophia Archer. Continual progress over the regular season should set up the Cougars for postseason success.

4. Mt. Blue boys: Entering her 33rd season, coach Kelley Cullenberg always puts together a competitive team, and this fall should be no exception. The Cougars graduated three athletes, including top runner Henri McCourt, but have some strong returners, including seniors Ben Hatch, Nick Bell, Luke Doscinski and Tyler Rackliff. The group has already shown some early season progress and should be competitive in the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference.

5. Mt. Blue girls: It’s a similar situation on the girls side in Farmington, as the Cougars lost five to graduation, including top runner Nora McCourt. Senior Elizabeth Strickland leads the squad, along with juniors Elsa Feegel and Lily Jackson and sophomore Karoline Gonzales. The team has added a strong group of newcomers, including senior Eliza Stinson. Like the boys, the Mt. Blue girls should be competitive in the conference.