Team Capsules
Metro boys
Ballard
Coach - Bruce Drager, fifth year.
Top returning runners - Ben Steele, Sr.; David Testa, Jr.; Jacob Johnson, So.
Top newcomers - Matt Werner, Fr.; Patrick Pollack, Jr.; James Thompson, So.
Blanchet
Coach - Leo Genest, 20th year.
Top returning runners - Taylor Croonquist, Sr.; Steve Mull, So.; Chris Spicer, Sr.; Rudy Lauth, Sr.; Ashley Puzzo, Sr.; Ben Copstead, Jr.
Top newcomers - Carlos Lozano, Fr.; Kevin Goodspeed, Jr.
Miscellany - Genest calls his team "a group of guys who just love to race. They aren't afraid to take risks." . . . When Blanchet ran against Seattle Prep earlier this season, six Blanchet runners posted faster times than the No. 1 Brave had last year. Prep still won the meet.
Chief Sealth
Coach - Chris Vaughn, first year.
Top returning runner - Calvin Bressler, Jr.
Top newcomers - Thomas Bressler, Fr.; Ben Faulker, Sr.; Chris Faulkner, Jr.; Eric Dinh, Fr.
Cleveland
Not fielding team.
Eastside Catholic
Coach - Emmet Hogan, eighth year.
Top returning runners - Alex Hudgins, Jr.; Greg Johnston, Jr.; Ben Stein, Sr.; Clay Walton-House, Jr.; Jeff Pietz, Jr.; Chris Garber, Sr.; Eric Nelson, Sr.
Top newcomers - Pat Ferguson, So.; Jeff Garber, Fr.; Ryan Durgan, So.; Danian Bethea, So.
Ingraham
Coach - Steve Burg, first year.
Top returning runners - Albert Majia, Jr.; Henry Lee, Sr.
Top newcomers - Nathan Hansen, Fr.; Dean Nikic, Jr.
Lakeside
Coach - Tom Pardee, 10th year.
Top returning runners - Peter Furia, Sr.; Frazier Kitchell, So.; Cameron Colpitts, Jr.; Chris Loeffler, Sr.; Donald Bressler, So.; Kevin Smith, Jr.
Top newcomers - Andrew Kitchell, So.; Josh Karp, Jr.
Miscellany - Furia finished second in Metro meet last year and ninth at state. The reigning Metro 1,600 champion, he is slowed by a sore Achilles tendon.
O'Dea
Coach - Andy Slatt, 13th year.
Top returning runners - Sam Burns, Sr.; Casey Moriarty, Jr.; Jeff Liboon, Jr.; Ian Bliss, Sr.; Leo Danaher, Sr.; Shane Fulwiler, Sr.; Mike Farrell, Sr.; Lewis Jackson, Sr.
Top newcomers - Stefan Hoerschalmann, Jr.; Ariy-el Boynton, Fr.; Michael Kilburg, Fr.
Miscellany - Irish won Deep Lake Invitational near Enumclaw, and the field included powerful West Valley of Yakima. . . . Last year's Metro champion, Javon Broderick, graduated and now runs for Georgetown University.
Nathan Hale
Coach - Richard Freeman, eighth year.
Top returning runners - Yosuf Muler, Sr.; Bruce Jackson, Jr.; Abdul Farrah, Sr.; Larry Reynolds, Sr.
Top newcomers - Mengistea Wasie, Jr.; Mahta Mesfuu, Sr.
Miscellany - Might be best public-school team in league.
Rainier Beach
Coach - Mike Bethea, second year.
Top returning runner - Loyal Allen, Sr.
Seattle Prep
Coach - Mike Niggemeyer, 16th year.
Top returning runners - Benjamin Carter-Gauen, Sr.; Riley Lovejoy, Sr.; Dan Shickich, Sr.; Carl Williams, Jr.; Nick Fuller, Jr.; Mark Ellestad, Jr.; Chris Bergman, So.; Shawn Johnson, So.
Top newcomers - Pat Bergman, Fr.
Miscellany - Prep is going for its fourth straight Metro title. . . . Panthers finished third at state last season without placing a runner in top 20. . . . Ranked co-No. 1 in state with Interlake despite being outscored by Saints at Edmonds Invitational.
West Seattle
Coach - Tom Kramer, fifth year.
Top returning runners - Mike Doyle, Jr.; Jimmy Goodman, Sr.; John Daughters, Sr.; Stephen Hoback, Sr.; Charles Hamel, Sr.
Top newcomer - Dieu Pham, Fr.
Metro girls
Ballard
Coach - Bruce Drager, fifth year.
Top returning runners - Aja Brayman, Sr.; Anna Thomas, Jr; Sayaka Yoshinaga, So.; Lindsey Rice, So.; Felice Lam, Jr.
Top newcomers - Marlena Waltz, So.; Jenny Lu, Fr.; Kristi Dahlstrom, So.; Siri Longacre, Fr.; Alice Louise, Fr.; Lindsey Moore, So.; Claudia Saunders, Fr.; Katie Raynor, Fr.; Lisa Niemann, Fr.
Miscellany - Good turnout of 27 girls. "Instant team," as Drager calls it. . . . Probably best public-school team in league. . . . Lam is two-time Metro tennis champion.
Blanchet
Coach - Kristin Ellis, first year.
Top returning runners - Rose Wetzel, Sr.; Claire Butrymowicz, Jr.; Kate Laughlin, Jr.; Lauren Chudecke, Jr.; Clair Leighton, Jr.; Cailen Corrigan, Jr.; Julie Ross, So.
Top newcomers - Andrea Mull, Sr.; Molly McBride, Jr.
Miscellany - Braves have won Metro title past two years and were fourth in state meet. . . . Wetzel, 1997 state 800-meter champion, finished second in Metro, then upset Seattle Prep's Megan Johnson to win at district. She finished seventh at state.
Chief Sealth
Coach - Chris Vaughn, first year.
Top returning runner - Hannah Palmer, Sr.
Top newcomers - Katie Byrne, Fr.; Emily Spence, Fr.
Cleveland
Not fielding team.
Eastside Catholic
Coach - Emmet Hogan (8th year).
Top returning runners - Christy Pekara, Sr.; Sarita Mullins-Williams, So.
Top newcomers - Kori Flajole, So.; Marian Liu, So.; Katie Murphy, Sr.
Ingraham
Coach - Eugene Burt, first year.
Top returning runners - Mina Tarhouni, Sr.; Sadie Robertson, Sr.
Top newcomer - Andrea Hamley, Jr.
Lakeside
Coach - Tom Pardee, 10th year.
Top returning runners - Jessie Wells, Jr.; Kristina Hoglund, Sr.; Laura Matsen, Sr.; Annika Swanson, Sr.; Erica Franklin, Jr.; Jessica Ebberson, Sr.; Maureen Wiley, Jr. (injured last season).
Top newcomers - Sarah Estill, So.; Laura Davis, Sr.; Eleanor Miller, Fr.
Miscellany - Wells finished 20th at state last year.
Holy Names
Coach - Megan Shihade, Michael Yee, first year.
Top returning runners - Tara Song, Jr.
Top newcomers - Alexa Green, So.; Erin Schedler, Jr.; Kristin Thyng, Jr; Emily Bull, Sr.; Regina Davis-Niles, Jr.; Erin Waid, Fr.
Nathan Hale
Coach - Richard Freeman, eighth year.
Top returning runners - Heather Callahan, Sr.; Cara Payne, Sr.; Cassie Berg, Jr.; Nina Farhat, Sr.; Carin Berg, So.; Zoe Nebenfuhr, Jr.
Rainier Beach
Coach - Mike Bethea, second year.
Top returning runner - Angie Bethea, Sr.
Seattle Prep
Coach - Mike Niggemeyer, 16th year.
Top returning runners - Megan Johnson, Sr.; Molly Corr, Sr.; Chiyo Crawford, Sr.; Caitlyn Clauson, Sr.
Top newcomers - Meagan Yogi, Fr.; Claire Hirschman, Jr.
Miscellany - Johnson will be favored to win state meet after finishing second last year. . . . Panthers finished sixth in state.
West Seattle
Coach - Tom Kramer, fifth year.
Top returning runners - Kathy Bingham, So.; Katie Daughters, So.; Sheryl Bolin, Jr.
Top newcomers - Kelly Keith, Sr.; Alisha Mahrt , So.