The Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference was already one of the two strongest cross country running conferences in the state, especially on the girls’ side with the likes of defending state champion Mt. Blue and Mt. Ararat.

Now, they have two more reasons to be feared: Edward Little and Lewiston.

The Red Eddies and Blue Devils complete the switch to the KVAC this season and bring with them added credibility to the conference as the state’s best.

“Having them in this league will only make this league that much stronger all around,” said Mt. Blue coach Kelley Cullenberg. “It will push everyone that much harder.”

Last year, Edward Little surprised the field at the Western Class A meet, winning the meet behind five gutsy finishes in the pouring rain. The Red Eddies faltered a bit at states, but also faced added pressure in that Mt. Blue and Mt. Ararat were there. Now, all three are in the same conference, not to mention the same class.

“Our goal is just to make it to the state meet this year,” said EL coach Dan Campbell. “This conference is very, very deep.”

The Red Eddies lost three top runners in Sarah Crispin, Andrea Rotz and Kacie Herrick, but they have a solid base returning in Lauren Laroche, Sarah Gardner, Janelle Demers and Brittany Wallingford. A few new runners will help bolster the EL drive for the state meet, but the hill will be steep.

Mt. Blue also lost three key runners, but the group coming in to replace those three is large and talented. They’ll have to be to replace the likes of Erin Archard, Tessa Mann and Katie Wells.

Perhaps the team to beat in the KVAC this season is Mt. Ararat. The Eagles have three runners that can finish in the top ten and just need to coax a few other runners along in the middle of the pack. The Wilcox sisters, Beth and Jessie, along with Krystal Douglas, are the best one-two-three punch in the state.

Lewiston will be an enigma this year in girls’ Class A. The numbers at the school are the largest in more than 10 years, and the pack is ready to take shape for John Gagnon. The question is how quickly the team can come together.

Oxford Hills is close to fielding an entire team with which to race and score points. For now, though, Mandy Ivey and Cammy Ingram are on their own in carving a niche for the Vikings.

KVAC Class A Boys

Top dog for a couple years, Mt. Blue now is joined by Edward Little atop the conference. Whether EL can supplant the Cougars at the top remains to be seen.

Mt. Blue returns several runners from last year’s conference and regional championship team, including seniors Matt Dunlap, Aaron Whitten and Arian Bates.

Wes Hines, a senior this year, joins the team after three successful seasons as a cross country skier and should provide some depth to the team.

Edward Little lost the bulk of its team to graduation, but as is normally the case, there are plenty more where they came from.

Sam Fletcher is of All-State caliber, and is joined by several new runners, including skier Ben Mawhinney.

“The goal for us is to make it to the top two in the KVAC,” said Campbell. “We think that’s reachable.”

Lewiston has its largest team on the boys’ side this season in over 10 years, and there are three former soccer players that may have an immediate impact on the Blue Devils’ success.

Oxford Hills didn’t lose anyone in the off-season, and with the quality of the runners they already had improving over the summer, the Vikings may pick off a few unsuspecting teams in the regular season. Depth could be an issue in the larger meets.

KVAC Class B

After coming within one place of winning the State Class B title last year, the Leavitt cross country girls’ team will be hard pressed to ruturn to championship form, having lost four important runners, including front-running Nicole Rodrigue, Taylor Leavitt, Kira Beeckel and Martha Enos.

Belfast, second to Leavitt at the KVAC meet last year, returns a veteran team, as does Maranacook, which raced with a young team last year.

The Black Bears return this season with a trio of juniors that helped the team to a solid finish last season.

Having lost just three runners, the Black Bears should be sniffing around at conference meet time.

On the boys’ side, Maranacook took a big hit with the graduation of four top runners, leaving the door at the top wide open for perennial power Belfast.

Leavitt lost four of its lettering runners but has a large younger group ready to go this fall.

The Hornets should do well in the smaller meets.

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