MARTINS FERRY — The courses have been measured, lined and mowed. It’s time for the miles upon miles of training to pay dividends.

Yes, prep cross country season begins around the Buckeye State this week. Actually, the majority of area teams are in action Tuesday at Buckeye Local.

Numbers are up across the Ohio Valley and actually three schools are debuting a program for the first time this season. Those being Beallsville, Shenandoah and Steubenville.

While the miles are still being pounded for training, area harriers actually have their sights set on October. That’s when the season really heats up and championships are won.

The Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Championship will once again be held at Meadowbrook High School and ran on Saturday, Oct. 7. The OVCCL will race the following Saturday, which puts the finishing touches on the regular season. The first championship on the schedule for a few area teams is the Buckeye 8. For the first time since the league’s inception, the meet will be ran on a weekday. Buckeye Local still serves as the host, but the date has shifted to Wednesday, Sept. 6.

The Eastern District Championship will be staged at Cambridge High School with the regional slated for Oct. 28 at Pickerington North and the state meet scheduled for National Trail Raceway in Hebron on Nov. 4.

Here’s a look at the teams that returned information:

BARNESVILLE — Numbers are up and so are expectations as head coach Mark Brown begins his 32nd season of guiding the Shamrocks’ program.

Brown has 53 runners in the program in grades seven through 12. Thirty-four of those are in high school and 24 are girls.

The Shamrocks’ boys must replace the graduated Kane Stephens and Hunter George.

“We could be very competitive this year if our top five stay healthy,” Brown said. “Our goal is to make a run at the OVAC 3A division and to qualify for the regional meet.”

Leading the way for the Shamrocks will be an expected top seven of Cole Meyers, Sam Wehr, John Crum, Ryan Crum, Justin Lucas, Aaron Marovich and either Levi West or Lucas Rogers.

The balance of the boys’ squad includes Draven Persons and Manny Vazquez.

On the girls’ side, the injury bug has been nagging the Shamrocks already, according to Brown.

“The nagging injuries are frustrating because the girls are working hard,” Brown said. “We want to see improvement from last year and to place in the top half of most meets.”

Barnesville’s top seven is expected to include the following Riley Helmick, Harlie Stewart, Taylor Clemons, Taylor Wolford, Sydney Carpenter, Haedyn Wise, Emily McGee and Annie Carpenter.

Madison Sellers and Abby Starr are also expected to challenge to break into the varsity lineup as the season moves along.

The remainder of the Barnesville roster includes: Leah Bonner, Sage Fader, Dani Meyers, Kali Milhoan, Abby Moore, Kelsey Moore, Kyla Morris, Megan Riley, Alena Sarver, Candace Schneider, Jacey Stephen, Shelby Weldy, Emma Wharton and Addy Wildes.

With such a large team, Brown has an assistant coach for the first time in many years. He’s being aided by Heidi Velas.

BEALLSVILLE — The first-year program has solid numbers with a full girls team and three boys runners listed on Coach Gloria Diehl’s roster.

“I am really looking forward to seeing how well our team competes,” Diehl said. “I am thankful to be coaching such a wonderful group of athletes. The kids have been doing well and for many this is the first time they’ve run competitively. I’m proud of these athletes for trying something different.”

The girls roster includes juniors Brynlyn Otto, Emma Turner and Caity Clary. Freshmen Sidney Vanhorn and Destin Otto round out the roster.

The boys team includes juniors Austin Vanmeter, Zach Kosek and sophomore Ethan Mellott.

BELLAIRE — As he prepares to begin his 22nd season as the coach of the Big Reds’ cross country program, Chris Arno has a large, but relatively inexperienced squad ready to roll.

The Big Reds’ girls are the three-time defending Class 3A OVAC champions, but four “intricate parts” of that success collected their diploma in May. Gone are state qualifier Shaye Beckett, Taylor Stoner, Rylie Purtiman, Sarah McAninch and Hope Hughey.

“We have had one heck of a ride the last four years, but that also means that some of the passengers are ready to move on,” Arno said. “The key for us this year will be how much did those four girls (who graduated) influence the younger ones.”

The Big Reds’ cupboard isn’t bare by any means as two of their consistent top five are back in junior Sydney Purtiman and sophomore Katrina Davis. Senior Tiffany Hoffman and sophomore Kiera Bumgardner are expected to be in the top four this season.

The next three spots at the varsity line are expected to be maintained by sophomores Tayah Frazier, Ashley Speece and Abbie Giangeli.

The balance of the Big Reds’ female roster includes freshmen Maddie Beckett, Kaleigh Leigh and Lauren Klempa.

“The key for us will be gaining confidence and becoming stronger throughout the season,” Arno said. “All of these girls have put in a lot of work this summer to get better.”

As for the Bellaire boys, the they came up just short in several meets, including the district where they missed a regional spot by two points.

“We have some holes to fill since we lost our number one runner (Trenton Gibson) and one of our top six guys from the past two years (Nate Wilhelm),” Arno said. “This is the largest boys team I’ve ever had and we’re excited to see how things fall. Our guys will not only be competing for varsity spots on a weekly basis, but our order of finish will probably change on race day.”

Seniors Zach Lowe, Clay Moore and junior Isaiah Wilhelm have been consistent this summer, according to their coach. Junior Hunter Huston, senior Andrew McAninch, senior Robbie Silber and senior Jonathan Shipe are also running near the front of the Big Reds’ practice packs. Arno also pointed out freshman Jacob Defibaugh could make an impact, too.

Others vying for a spot include senior Chase Masters, junior Robby Hicks, sophomores Nick Beckett, Noah Cusick, freshmen Noah Clark, Brennen Craig, Ryan Hicks, Ben Kniesner and Ethan Shaver.

“Race day will be like rolling the dice and anxiously awaiting to see what comes up,” Arno said.

Arno is being assisted by his wife, Anne, and former standout harriers Tyler Stewart and Trenton Gibson.

BRIDGEPORT — Jennifer Fillipovich loves a good challenge. That’s proven by the fact that she completed a 50-mile run in June to become an ultra-marathon runner. Her next challenge is trying to continue to build the Bulldogs’ cross country program, which is still relatively new as she takes over the reins of the program.

Fillipovich has a roster of just five runners at the high school level, including two boys and three girls.

“Coming in new to Bridgeport, my goal is to build each of my runners as well as build up a team over the years to come,” Fillipovich said. “Each of my runners has been working very hard throughout the summer. They’re all improving times in just a few, short weeks. They’re just as ready as I am to put Bridgeport on the map for cross country.”

The two boys are senior Elliot Dean and sophomore Nick Nolan.

Lining up in the girls’ races will be senior Vetra Foster, junior Lauren White and sophomore Jessica Weires.

BUCKEYE LOCAL — The husband and wife duo of Wayne and Diane McCracken are preparing for their eighth season at the Panthers’ helm with solid boys and girls squads.

The boys team will be led by senior Alex Lengyel. Sophomore Conrad Schuetz is penciled in to serve as Buckeye’s second runner. The newcomers on the squad include sophomores Fred Hertler Jr., Brody Cermak and Jacob Pielech along with freshmen Nathan Jarrell and Brett Dimmick.

The girls team will be led by sophomore Kya DeMeter. Sophomore Bailee McNamara along with juniors Emily Burrier, Sarah Lambright are also back. Senior Skylar Langford is out for the first time. Freshman Sierra Sterling will also be in the mix.

“We are looking forward to working with a very personable, hard-working group of runners.”

HARRISON CENTRAL — The Huskies’ program took a big step forward last season when it claimed the OVAC Class 4A boys’ title. Now head coach Doug Drapp wants to maintain and keep pressing forward.

The Huskies have a solid roster with 11 boys out, but must find a way to replace top finisher Zack Henry, who is now running at Wheeling Jesuit.

The top returnees are juniors Sam McClelland and Keishi Arnold. Both had outstanding track seasons in the spring, too. They’re joined by sophomore veterans Adam Ripley, Eric Leech. Senior Justin Hartley is also out for the team.

The balance of the roster includes junior Eric Williams, sophomores Jory Marvin, Cameron Ghezzi, David Phillips, Andrew Drapp and freshman Logan Laney.

The Huskies’ girls’ squad has six out for the team and only one competitor who is older than a sophomore.

The leader will be senior Joyce Barr. She’ll be joined at the line by sophomore Mia Lewis, freshmen McKenzi Howell, Katie Byers, Jasmine Arnold and Rachael Laney.

MARTINS FERRY — The Purple Riders have been one of the area’s premier programs and head coach Chrissy Lewis doesn’t expect much dropoff, despite heavy graduation losses on the boys side.

The Purple Riders, who are the three-time defending boys’ Class 3A champions, must replace four of their top five runners, including multiple-time all-Ohioan Jacob Bishop. Other graduation losses include Kevin Simpson, Terrell Tuttle, Nick Simspon, Thomas Singhaus, Jackson Lybarger, Taylor Fogle and Anthony Blankenship.

The lone returnee from last season’s top five is senior Marcus Clark. He’s joined by Justin Geery and Ozy Gil. Others in the mix for the varsity spot include freshmen Elijah Smith, Michael Lyle, senior Cameron Tickerhoof and C.J. Anderson.

The balance of the boys’ roster includes: junior Ethan Beale, sophomores Kyle Fogle, Kyle Kennedy, freshmen Mason Walton, Wyatt Wodarcyk and Alex White.

The Purple Riders’ girls team qualified for the regional and welcome back all but one runner (Madison Lyle) from that team.

Junior Olivia Walton is expected to the Riders’ leader. She missed all of track season with an injury, but Lewis likes her progress.

Junior Ember Carpenter and senior Jamie Fogle are expected to be the second and third runners, respectively. Sophomore Hope Lewis is ticketed for fourth, while the final three spots on the varsity starting line are expected to be senior Rylie Reis, junior Natalie Forsythe and freshman Carinda Lancia. Sophomore Chloe Hill is battling back from an injury and is expected to return as the season progresses.

“Both teams have the talent to be one of the top teams in the valley,” Lewis said. “With a little luck in the health department, and a lot of work, I think we can compete very well this year. Our eyes are set on continuing the tradition of OVAC champions and advancing in the postseason.”

RIVER — With a regional qualifier back and much of a nucleus from a team that consistently dropped time, Amy Shreve is excited about the Pilots’ season.

River boasts a full girls team with seven competitors, but just two boys.

The girls are led by sophomore Livi Beard, who was an individual qualifier to the Division III regional last fall. She’ll be joined at the starting line by freshmen Adrianna Karpacs-Brown, Sofie Myers, sophomores Katlyn Dotterer, Julianna Taylor, Mekayla Dye and Jenna Tucker.

On the boys’ side, sophomore Cooper Brown and junior Britton DeGarmo will represent the Pilots.

“Although we’re still a young team, these are all experienced runners,” Shreve said. “Most of the varsity girls have been running since middle school. They’ve put in a lot of miles during the summer and it’s shown. Both of our boys have great attitudes and tremendous work ethics. All in all, it’s a great group of kids, who not only are working hard on their own, but also encouraging their teammates along the way.”

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Red Devils have an impressive mixture of new and old on the 2017 roster for veteran head coach Tony Ciroli.

The Red Devils’ girls team is coming off the program’s seventh OVAC title and have all but two pieces from that team back at the starting line.

Trying to fill the void left by Lexie Robinson and Sarah Heidelbach will be seniors Julia Skrabak, Eliza Vrotsos, Shaina Thornton, Hannah Swisk, Isabella Trouten, Emily Thomas, junior Caroline Smith, freshmen Victoria Trouten, Kira Wakulchik, Maddy Caskey, Ellie Thomas and Jeanne Nguyen.

The boys, meanwhile, are looking to improve on their third-place OVAC and fourth-place OVCCL finishes from a season ago, but must replace Austin Passmore, Alex Madzia, Keegan Sproul and Donte Vincenzo, who all graduated.

Ciroli expects his top seven to consist of a mixture of the following seniors Zac Banks, Mitchell Hoover, Kevin Klinkoski, Zac Orzolek, sophomore Matt Marling, freshmen Isaac Davis, Nathan Yost and Noah Palmer.

Battling to get into the mix are juniors Jason Panas, Justin Hoover, Garrett Bethel, William Metzger, freshmen Kenny Coleman, Zack Riffle and Gavin Shields.

“Both teams are a mix of seniors and freshmen,” Ciroli said. “We do have some sophomores and juniors, but we will be relying on the senior veterans to mentor the underclassmen.”

SHADYSIDE — The Shadyside girls’ team claimed the OVAC Class 1A/2A title last fall. Though there were a few graduation losses, many key pieces return for Coach Jenna Coyne’s squad.

The Tigers will be led by sophomore Katie James, who was a regional qualifier last season. She’ll be joined by Syd Destifanes, Cali Weber and senior Sophia Ferrelli. All four were key contributors last season.

The balance of the scoring will come from from freshman Abbie Brown, senior Haylee Gregan, freshmen Jadelyn Smerzinsk, Kylie Quinn and Lillian Denson.

“The girls had a great season last year and we plan to build on that,” Coyne said. “When you lose seniors to graduation, you look to the underclassmen to step up. So far, that’s just what the team is doing. On a given night, any of the girls could be first or last in our scoring. We stress all the time, first or last, you matter to the team.”

Coyne is also excited about her boys’ team. After sending just one runner — Chase Stewart — to the line in 2016, the Tigers will field a full squad with five runners.

Stewart — a regional entrant — will be the unquestioned leader of the team. He’ll be pushed by senior Brandon Tucker, sophomore Adam Davis, junior Quinn Berletch and senior Robert Trayon.

“We wanted a full boys team and simply having a team is a great thing,” Coyne said. “We’ve not had a full boys’ team in several years, so it’s exciting. All of the boys are a great fit to the program. We have great kids, who work hard and have a good attitude.”

Coyne is being assisted by Brianne Johnson and Heidi McConn.

UNION LOCAL — Joey Meholovitch enters this cross country season very high on his squads.

“We are expecting to see some improvements team wise,” Meholovitch said. “The girls team is getting faster and our boys team is huge with around 16 out.”

The girls must find a way to replace Megan Bateman and have six on the team. Hannah Kemp will be the top UL runner to cross the line. She’ll be joined by Kylee Taylor, Bri Bumgardener, Bailee Perlman, Madi Sells and Megan Garrison.

“This group is very promising,” Meholovitch said. “They’ll definitely be faster overall than last year’s team.”

As for the UL boys, an influx of a talented group of freshmen along with a veteran core has Meholovitch anxious to see what the season holds.

Junior Aaron Prout, who had an outstanding track season in the 400 meter dash, will be the leader of the team.

“Who’s behind Aaron is a big unknown,” Meholovitch said. “Every practice it’s someone different.”

Andrew Smith, Brock Fankhauser and Luke Snyder are the upperclassmen in the mix. They’re being pushed by the freshmen group, which consists of Parker Skedel, Liam Vinskovich, Andrew Martin, Skyler Thompson, Tommy Walsh and Beau Clark.

“One thing is for sure, there will be a lot of red in local meets,” Meholovitch said.

The balance of the roster includes: Justin Hamilton, Gage Harris, Chad Barbe and Logan VanFossen.

Meholovitch is being assisted by Alex Snyder and Anna Frazier.