FAIRMONT — Year-to-year improvement is important in a sports program and the Fairmont Cardinals boys cross country team is looking to build on last year’s success.

The return of seniors Andrew Moeller, Darrian Kueker and Dylan Kennedy, and sophomores Connor Artner and William Saari, will help lead the way this fall.

Cardinals head coach Bob Bonk said this year’s team has a lot of potential and depth.

“(Dylan) Kennedy has had some injury issues in cross country, but he’s got a lot of potential,” Bonk said. “I think a new guy, Tony Ortega, does, too. Pretty much grades 10-12, I think all the guys have a chance to run in the top seven, but Andrew Moeller, Connor Artner and William Saari are the top three probably. After that, it could be some switching around. I don’t know quite what to expect yet from the rest of the guys but all these guys are pretty decent runners. I don’t think there’s gonna be anybody who is way back there.”

The 2017 boys team had the highest winning percentage of a Fairmont boys cross country team since 2010. Even if they continue to build, Bonk said it will be a tough road for the boys to make it to state because of the competition they face.

“St. James (Area) and Mankato Loyola were both in the top three at state last year from our section, both have a lot of guys back. It’s gonna be a really big leap to get past one of those two,” said Bonk, whose team opens the season by playing host to the Early Bird Invitational at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 24, on the Fairmont High School campus. “I’d say St. James especially would be the favorite to win the section. It’s a 20-team section, so it’s tough to make it. I think Martin County West is going to have a good team this year and there are others out there, too.

“After the top two or three guys, I think our team is really even and I think that will make us a good team. I think the boys might actually have more depth than the girls will.”

The Cardinal boys haven’t been to state since 2010, but they placed in the top 10 in the Section 2A Meet each of the past four years.

Multiple members of last year’s team have graduated, but Bonk said new runners are ready to step up and take their place. Nineteen boys came out for cross country this year.

Seniors Charles Garbers, Kennedy, Kueker and Moeller; juniors Michael Johnson, Jacob Lueth, Martin Mittelstadt, Tony Ortega and Tyrell Zieske; and sophomores Artner, Cesar Flores and Saari comprise runners in the top four grades as there are no freshmen out for the sport.

Eighth-graders Alex Cruz and Blake Hilgendorf and seventh-graders Gavin Artner, Reece Buntjer, Sebastian Castro, Ben Moeller and Ramone Thompson will add depth to the Cardinals’ roster this fall.

Kennedy, Moeller and Artner have been named captains for the 2018 season and multiple returners from last year such as Flores, Zieske, Lueth and Kueker are taking steps forward in their development.

Bonk said even without finishing the season at the state meet, there is a lot to be gained from cross country, and many things to look forward to in the coming season. He said he expects the team to grow together and become a family.

“There’s a lot of life skills you learn in distance running,” Bonk said. “Delayed gratitude for one. We hope to have a really good atmosphere on the team every year and we pretty much do everything grades 7-12. We really try to emphasize the importance of cross-age mentoring. Those are probably as important, if not more important, from one year to the next than just how did we place in conference or section or state.

“We have a really good coaching staff, Stew Murfield and Mark Determan have been with the program for a long time and they’re very good assistants. Our volunteers Holly Neusch and Jen Kahler both bring a lot to the team.

“Those are the kinds of things we especially look for in cross country. It’s a smaller group than track, for instance, and you tend to get really close to your cross country teammates and care about them.”