Middleton brings back five runners from last year's state championship boy's cross country team, including two top-10 finishers. After going 25 years between state titles, the Cardinals look to win two championships in a row at the state meet in Wisconsin Rapids on Saturday.
Coach Brian Finnel, a successful distance runner with wins in some of Madison's most notable events, says his own competitions help him relate to his runners, who have to mentally and physically prepare for a grueling two and a half-month-long season.
The field itself should be plenty challenging, says Finnel, because it not only includes fellow Big 8 schools Madison West and Sun Prairie, but fast teams like Stevens Point that should challenge to take over the D1 crown.