The Lone Tree Lions will be a team to watch this fall in cross country, as a number of very successful runners return to build on last season’s efforts. Chief among them is junior Vivian Zaruba, who had nine top-10 finishes last year on her way to reaching the Class 1A girls’ state championships.

Zaruba will be looking for that first win, as her best finish in 2022 was second place at Winfield-Mount Union, but she did finish fifth at the Southeast Iowa Super Conference Championships and sixth at districts.

The rest of the Lone Tree girls’ roster will look new this season, while the Lions boys bring back senior Joey Birtcher and junior Taylor Alberhasky. Lone Tree starts the new cross country season this coming Tuesday by competing at the Hillcrest Academy Early Bird Meet.