(Photo: John Jost)
1. Mark Veneable - Lamar - SR: Veneable had a breakout junior campaign and looks to carry that success into his senior season. After a 31st place finish at state his sophomore year, Veneable came back strong, winning his first 4 and 5 of his first 6 races, with his only loss in that span being a 16:08 PR at Chili Pepper. He finished 2nd at Cassville, 2nd in District 6, and then 3rd at the 2016 state cross country meet while leading the Tigers to a team title. Lamar jumps to Class 3 in the spring and Veneable's focus was on the 3200. He dropped a 9:53 PR at the Class 3 state track meet for 9th, but we don't see him missing out on a medal this year. In fact, he looks like the front-runner in Class 2 in 2017.