With 130 students signed up to run cross country this fall and many of new faces, the team is full of depth. The team, coached by head coaches Erica Hill and Tony Scaringi, looks set to make another sweep of the KingCo titles and take that success on to state.

Scaringi said about 70 percent of last year’s team is back for another round, and the Islanders have seen a lot of underclassmen join the ranks this season.

“There’s a lot of returning girls from last year’s squad and some new faces,” he said.

The teams recently did their time trials, and Scaringi said the times looked good compared to last year. He credited the team’s hard work and the captains’ strong leadership.

“The other runners look up to them,” he said of the leadership group. “It’s a huge part of the sport.”

The girls brought home the state title last season, and the boys finished fifth in state last season — the boys’ best finish since the early 1960s, Scaringi said.

“They are very close; tight-knit,” Scaringi said of the team. “They work extra hard. We have freshman who are wanting to know what the freshman records are and what they can do to improve their times. Their hard work is starting to shine through.”

One of the team’s biggest strengths this fall is its all-around depth. Hill cited the strong leadership and bringing back a strong core of runners.

This season, Scaringi said the team will be on the lookout for Bellevue and Seattle Prep among the 3A schools, but will also be prepared to battle against Newport and Issaquah at the 4A level.

The coaches will be splitting their duties right down the middle this year, Scaringi said. He has spent the last six years coaching in cross country and track, and Hill has been coaching for 10 years.

The Islanders’ season kicks off tomorrow at 4 p.m. with the KingCo preseason jamboree at Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah.

Schedule

9/16 vs. Issaquah at Garfield

9/30 at Interlake

10/7 vs. Ballard, Garfield, Inglemoor and Juanita at home

10/14 vs. Mount Si