Herky took a slight hit this year to graduation, but they will return some solid pieces. The Blackcats made the jump to Class 3 and didn't skip a beat as they lost the the ever-competitive District 1 on the sixth-runner tiebreaker and then snagged a 4th place medal. Nautica Stricklin and Emily Enghauser headline the team. Stricklin ran 19:23 for her 2nd straight 5th place finish at the state meet (Class 2 in 2015). Enghauser has a 19:38 lifetime best, but ran 19:57 to take 22nd in 2016. Their next 3 are between 22:00 and 22:50 and their depth is suspect, but their history slots them in at #10 preseason and leaves room for a move up should they retool with freshmen. Herky is historic with 11 total team titles and 16 straight podium visits dating back to 2001.