KENNEWICK -- They haven't been having this much fun with Kamiakin cross country since ... well ... ever.
Both the Braves boys and girls are ranked third in the preseason 3A state polls, marking the first time both sides of the program have state trophy contenders in the same season.
"There's been a lot of excitement," said boys coach Matt Rexus, who watched his team earn a state berth last season for the first time in 18 seasons, placing eighth. "The boys and the girls have had more practices together than they ever had, and the fast girls are pushing our middle boys pretty well. The boys don't want to lose to the girls, and the girls want to beat the boys."
The Kamiakin boys lost three key seniors off last year's team but still return their top performer, junior Anthony Armstrong, the Herald's all-area runner of the year who finished 19th at state and is listed as an honorable mention on the Dyestat Elite Top 25 in the nation. Also back is junior Austin Richards, an all-area second-team selection.
The rest of the CBBN 3A probably doesn't have the horses to rein in Kamiakin, but there's still plenty of talent out there.
Southridge has a lot of new faces, including coach Cheryl Yoke, and will rely on top returners Addison Quam and Aaron Smith.
Hanford returns five of its runners from a team that scored a first-ever win over Richland last season. Also, don't be surprised if Kennewick senior Ty Schoenwald and promising sophomore Joseph Schuldheisz as well as Pasco senior Sergey Gorbatyuk find their way into the lead pack.
On the girls side, Erin Hegarty is finally a senior at Hanford after three top-15 places at state and two all-area runner of the year awards in the last three seasons.
Third-ranked Kamiakin is both young and talented, with returning state competitors Stephanie Rexus, a junior, and Michelle Fletcher, a sophomore.
"We've had some good runners (in recent years), but not many teams have been paying attention to us," said Kamiakin girls coach Shaun Suss. "We should stack up to most teams."
Junior Rachel Dahl will lead a solid Southridge crew, which includes senior Emily Butler, a state qualifier as a freshman. After losing a pair of runners to their collegiate careers, Pasco will be young, but junior Summer Flowers shows a lot of promise.
In the 4A ranks, Eisenhower will be tough to beat on both sides. The Ike boys are ranked first in the state -- they were the last team to win the big-school state title before Spokane schools started their 22-year stranglehold.
The Cadets could receive a challenge from Walla Walla. The Blue Devils, ranked seventh in the state, return their entire lineup, led by all-area senior Aaron Nelson, who placed 20th at state last season in a virtual tie with Armstrong, and second-team junior J.P. Wolpert.
Richland has two varsity returners, led by senior Cayle Turpen, and Chiawana is still building the program behind senior Matthew Sturtevant.
On the girls side, Richland is ranked ninth and returns three seniors from last year's regional champion: all-area first-teamers Katie Mahoney and Maggie Jones and second-teamer Emily Hazen. However, the Bombers may have trouble filling out a lineup that can keep pace with Ike.
"Eisenhower's girls look like the team to beat with their top three from last year returning and five out of seven," said Bombers coach Jay Bartlett, a longtime assistant taking over for Lauri Sax.
Walla Walla's Rachel Nelson should be one of the top runners in the state after placing 11th at state, the first freshman to cross the 4A finish line. Another sophomore, Moses Lake's Hannah Marsh, is a returning state competitor, placing 75th.
Among the 2A CWAC ranks, the Ellensburg boys and Ephrata girls are at the front of the pack. Prosser sophomore Kolby Childers is the area's lone returning state competitor.
In the SCAC East, Kiona-Benton returns Leo Alvarez, Kyle Brightman and David Walker off a state-qualifying team and should have a strong competition with Royal and top runner Ethan Tonnemaker.
Tri-Cities Prep opens the season ranked fifth in the 2B/1B state poll, returning five runners from last year's state team. Waitsburg-Prescott should be competitive in boys and girls.