Lloyd Ness said a coaching counterpart told him once you have a good cross-country team, you always have a good cross-country team. Ness said he isn't sure if that's true, but he hopes so.
This fall Ness and the East Ridge girls' cross-country team are looking to reach a fifth state meet in the school's sixth year of existence. The Raptors are ranked No. 7 in the Class 2A preseason coaches poll.
"We should be favored to make [the state meet] again, but anything can happen," Ness said. "Ranked where we are, you should feel you have a good chance, but you're always an injury away."
East Ridge, which won the past four Suburban East Conference championships, has improved its finish at state each year it has qualified. Last year the Raptors earned second place in the big-school meet, behind Wayzata. East Ridge won all of its races aside from state.
"It was a very joyous time," Ness said of last year's state meet. "I'll never forget it. It was just a great group. They all ran really well."
East Ridge will need to replace two of its top five runners from last year in 2014, graduates Bailey Ness and Sandra Gramer. Bailey Ness, the daughter of Lloyd Ness, will run for the University of Minnesota this fall. She finished 21st overall in last year's state meet. Gramer, who is now running for South Dakota State, was 75th.
"I lose two really good girls," Lloyd Ness said. "They were my leaders. But we have a good little team coming back."
The Raptors return senior captains Emily Betz and Brenley Goertzen. Betz, who was East Ridge's top finisher at last year's state meet, and Goertzen have each run varsity since eighth grade and have been part of every one of the Raptors' state meet squads. East Ridge also welcomes back junior Olivia Hummel, sophomore Megan Schiferl and junior Anna Betz, who were each among the team's top seven runners last season.
