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2026 LebCo Boys & Girls Cross Country Season Outlook
The 2026 cross country season is already underway, and Lebanon County enters the fall with a landscape that looks considerably different from the one that finished last November in Hershey.
Graduation took some of the area’s most accomplished runners, including 2025 PIAA State Champion Travis Furmanski of Cedar Crest and a large collection of postseason contributors from Annville-Cleona, Northern Lebanon and Palmyra. At the same time, plenty of proven talent remains. Several District and State qualifiers are back, younger runners who gained varsity experience a year ago are moving into larger roles, and two programs, Annville-Cleona and Palmyra, begin the season under new leadership.
There has already been an opportunity to see some of those pieces come together. Saturday’s Dutchmen Invitational at Union Canal Tunnel Park brought five of the county’s six programs together, with Annville-Cleona’s Lucy Stellmach and Benjamin Boyd each finishing seventh and the Palmyra girls placing third as a team.
With championship aspirations, rebuilding lineups and plenty of runners still establishing their places within their teams’ top seven, here is a look at Lebanon County’s six cross country programs for the 2026 season.
Girls Cross Country
Annville-Cleona Dutchmen
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 3
Head Coach: Bekah Sanders – 1st season
Key Returners: Emily Shearer (Sr.); Lucy Stellmach (Jr.); Paige Stoltz (Jr.); Bridget Funck (So.)
Rising Contributors: Anna Rotunda (Fr.)
Season Outlook
There are significant pieces to replace at Annville-Cleona, but Lucy Stellmach gives first-year head coach Bekah Sanders a proven frontrunner around whom to build the next version of the Dutchmen.
Stellmach finished 13th at the 2025 Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship before placing eighth at the District 3 Class AA Championship. She was part of an A-C team that finished second at Districts and qualified for the PIAA State Championship. The Dutchmen graduated Mackenzie Stellmach, Caitlin Shay and other important members of that lineup, creating opportunities for a new group to establish itself.
Paige Stoltz is among those taking on a larger role, while freshman Anna Rotunda was specifically identified by Sanders as a rising contributor. The early returns have been encouraging. At the Dutchmen Invitational, Stellmach placed seventh in 19:46.8 and Stoltz was 20th in 20:39.0. Bridget Funck, Emily Shearer and Rotunda completed the scoring five as A-C finished sixth in the 27-team field.
The names within the lineup have changed considerably from the group that made the trip to Hershey last November, but the early results show that A-C still has experienced runners at the front and several others beginning to settle into larger varsity roles.
Cedar Crest Falcons
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 1
Head Coach: Brandon Risser – 22nd season
Key Returners: Vivian Doster (Sr.); Sophie Meli (Jr.); Clara Schneider (Jr.)
Rising Contributors: Caroline Maisto (Sr.); Samie Rundle (Jr.); Sophie Musser (So.); Sage Henery (So.); Madisyn Willis (Fr.)
Collegiate Competitors: Eliana Schneider (Virginia); Makenzie Wamsher (Shippensburg); Hayden Wamsher (Shippensburg)
Season Outlook
Cedar Crest must replace some serious front-running ability, but Vivian Doster, Sophie Meli and Clara Schneider give the Falcons three returning runners who experienced championship racing last fall.
The Falcons finished fifth at the 2025 Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship before sending four runners to the District 3 Class AAA meet. Eliana Schneider led that group with an 18th-place District finish to qualify for States for the fourth time, while Clara Schneider, Meli and Doster also competed at Districts.
Eliana Schneider has since moved on to Virginia, while Makenzie and Hayden Wamsher are now at Shippensburg. Their departures leave room for a reshaped varsity group. Caroline Maisto, Samie Rundle, Sophie Musser, Sage Henery and freshman Madisyn Willis were identified by Coach Brandon Risser as runners who could take advantage of those opportunities.
Risser expects there could be some growing pains while the new lineup establishes itself, but he also believes the group can show noticeable improvement as the season progresses. With three returning District competitors providing a foundation, the Falcons have experience to lean on while determining who will fill out the remainder of the varsity seven.
ELCO Raiders
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 3
Head Coach: Mike Harnish – 2nd season
Key Returners: Cali Miller (Sr.); Paityn Newswanger (Jr.); Riley Keener (Jr.)
Rising Contributors: Maci Wise (So.)
Season Outlook
Experience is one of the biggest positives for an ELCO girls team that sent a full lineup to Districts last fall.
Paityn Newswanger, Riley Keener and Cali Miller all return after competing at the 2025 District 3 Class AA Championship. Newswanger placed 56th, Keener was 71st and Miller finished 81st as ELCO took ninth in the team standings. The Raiders had five runners compete at Districts last season, providing a valuable postseason experience for a group that was still relatively young.
Coach Mike Harnish believes that experience can help the Raiders remain competitive in Section 3. The larger goals include improving their performance at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championship and putting a complete seven-runner group into the District meet. Harnish also pointed to sophomore Maci Wise as a runner capable of taking on a larger role.
At Saturday’s Dutchmen Invitational, Newswanger was ELCO’s first finisher, followed by Keener and Miller. Wise ran fourth for the Raiders, giving an early indication that she could become part of the team’s scoring group. ELCO placed 20th overall.
With several runners who already understand what championship-level racing looks like, the task now is to develop enough depth behind that returning group to make another postseason team appearance possible.
Lebanon Cedars
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 1
Head Coach: Keith Rolon – 2nd season
Key Returners: Herlen Rodriguez Barrera (Sr.)
Rising Contributors: Alianis Ortiz-Del Valle (So.)
Season Outlook
For Lebanon, the focus remains on individual development while the Cedars work to build greater numbers within the girls program.
Herlen Rodriguez Barrera returns as the team’s most experienced runner and provides a senior presence for a young group. Coach Keith Rolon identified Alianis Ortiz-Del Valle as a runner who could take on a larger role this season.
The Cedars lost Olive Brandt, who is now playing basketball at Elizabethtown College, and depth remains a challenge. At the Dutchmen Invitational, Rodriguez Barrera and Ortiz-Del Valle represented Lebanon in the girls race.
Rather than measuring the season solely through team standings, Rolon’s emphasis is on the individual growth of his runners. For a developing program, continuing to add experience and providing athletes with opportunities to progress throughout the fall remain important steps.
Northern Lebanon Vikings
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 3
Head Coach: Tricia Schafebook – 18th season (non-consecutive)
Key Returners: Zoey Bouchard (Jr.); Chloe Seyfert (Jr.); Gabriella Citino (Jr.); Taylor Cunningham (So.); DeLayna Kreiser (So.)
Rising Contributors: Payton Noll (Jr.); Sophia Roye (So.); Hannah Cyphers (Fr.); Kayleigh DiPasquale (Fr.); Mollie Longenecker (Fr.)
Collegiate Competitors: Mackenzie Miller (Penn State Schuylkill); Alexis Schreckengost (Penn State Behrend)
Outlook:
Northern Lebanon graduated much of the veteran core that had helped carry the program to District competition, but Zoey Bouchard returns after extending her 2025 season all the way to Hershey.
Bouchard finished 24th at the District 3 Class AA Championship to earn an individual berth at States. Chloe Seyfert also competed at Districts, while Gabriella Citino, Taylor Cunningham and DeLayna Kreiser return with additional experience for a lineup that is now being asked to take another step forward.
Coach Tricia Schafebook identified several runners who could help fill the openings created by graduation, including Payton Noll, Sophia Roye, Hannah Cyphers, Kayleigh DiPasquale and Mollie Longenecker. The Vikings’ goal is to work their way back to Districts as a team and give themselves an opportunity to extend the season even further.
Saturday provided an early look at just how different the lineup could be. DiPasquale was Northern Lebanon’s first finisher at the Dutchmen Invitational, with Seyfert, Roye and Cunningham following. Northern Lebanon placed 23rd as a team.
The Vikings may need time for their new scoring order to settle, but the combination of returning postseason experience and a sizable collection of younger runners gives Schafebook options as the season develops.
Palmyra Cougars
Mid-Penn Conference Keystone Division
Head Coach: Garrett Funck – 1st season
Key Returners: Amber McCurdy (Sr.); Leah Senft (Sr.); Olivia Yorty (Sr.); Helena Baker (Sr.); Alyssa McCully (Sr.); Chelsea Herr (Jr.); Jericho Church (So.)
Rising Contributors: Madeline Dark (Fr.)
Season Outlook
Few teams in the county bring back as much varsity depth as Palmyra, where first-year head coach Garrett Funckinherits a girls group that returns six members of last year’s District lineup.
Leah Senft led the Cougars at the 2025 District 3 Class AAA Championship with a 93rd-place finish. Jericho Church, Amber McCurdy, Alyssa McCully, Olivia Yorty and Helena Baker also competed in that race, helping Palmyra place 23rd as a team. Chelsea Herr gives the Cougars another experienced runner within a veteran-heavy group.
Funck believes the group has become faster and stronger since last fall, and with several seniors occupying important places in the lineup, the Cougars have set their sights on producing a strong District performance. Freshman Madeline Dark was identified as a newcomer already pushing toward a place within the varsity seven.
That depth was apparent at the Dutchmen Invitational. McCurdy, Senft and Herr finished 24th, 25th and 27th, respectively, with Church and Yorty completing a scoring five that was separated by less than 45 seconds. Palmyra finished third out of 27 teams, the highest team finish by a Lebanon County squad at the meet. Baker and McCully also finished inside the top 80, meaning all seven of Palmyra’s varsity runners crossed before the 80th position.
With an established pack and several runners who have already competed together at Districts, Palmyra’s depth could be one of its greatest strengths as the season moves forward.
Boys Cross Country
Annville-Cleona Dutchmen
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 3
Key Returners: Benjamin Boyd (Sr.); Hunter Troxell (Sr.)
Rising Contributors: Oliver Brandt (Jr.); Gradyn Sanders (Jr.); Abraham Weber (Fr.)
Season Outlook
A new era begins at Annville-Cleona, but the Dutchmen still have an accomplished runner at the front of their lineup. Benjamin Boyd returns after placing 22nd at the Lancaster-Lebanon League Championships and ninth at Districts last fall. He was part of an A-C team that captured the District 3 title before advancing to the PIAA Championships.
That championship lineup was hit hard by graduation. Oliver Funck, David Moran and Luke Tshudy are among the runners who moved on, leaving first-year head coach Bekah Sanders with several important scoring positions to fill. Hunter Troxell provides another experienced senior presence, while Brandt, Sanders and Weber were identified as runners capable of taking on larger roles.
There are already signs of how the new lineup may take shape. Boyd finished seventh at Saturday’s Dutchmen Invitational in 15:51.3, the best finish by any Lebanon County boy. Troxell was A-C’s second runner, while Brandt, Jayden Jorge and Sanders rounded out the scoring five. The Dutchmen placed 12th in a field of 47 high school teams, giving the reconstructed lineup an early opportunity to race together against a large field.
A-C will not have the same lineup that produced last year’s championship run, but Boyd gives the Dutchmen a proven postseason frontrunner as the runners behind him settle into expanded roles.
Cedar Crest Falcons
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 1
Head Coach: Brandon Risser – 22nd season
Key Returners: James Engle (Sr.); Zach Margut (Sr.); Avery Gatto (Jr.); Hayden Snavely (Jr.); Henry Wengert (Jr.); Wyatt Wolfe (Jr.)
Rising Contributors: Edward Kuntz (Sr.); Evan Weimer (Sr.); Cameran Willis (Sr.); Michael Meitzler (So.); Ryan Zartman (So.); Ben Conville (Fr.)
Collegiate Competitors: Owen Sparks (IUP); Tony Figueroa (North Central); Travis Furmanski (Ole Miss)
Season Outlook
Few teams in the county have as much accomplished varsity experience returning as Cedar Crest. James Engle, Zach Margut, Avery Gatto, Hayden Snavely, Henry Wengert and Wyatt Wolfe were all part of a group that helped the Falcons win the 2025 Lancaster-Lebanon League championship and qualify as a team for the PIAA Championships.
What has changed is the front of that lineup. Cedar Crest graduated Travis Furmanski and Tony Figueroa, leaving significant production to replace. Furmanski was one of Pennsylvania’s premier distance runners, while Figueroa supplied another veteran presence near the front of a deep Falcons group.
The returning runners, however, have already shown their own ability. Margut, Wolfe, Engle and Gatto all posted quality distance performances during the spring track season, giving Cedar Crest a sizeable group with meaningful championship experience. That depth could become particularly important in cross country, where the fifth scoring position and the runners immediately behind it can make a major difference.
Head coach Brandon Risser isn’t treating last year’s accomplishments as a guarantee of anything in 2026. His emphasis is on the returning group coming together and putting in the work necessary to establish its own identity. With much of last year’s varsity lineup still intact, the Falcons have plenty of experienced pieces with which to do it.
ELCO Raiders
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 3
Head Coach: Mike Harnish – 2nd season
Key Returners: Max Frederick (Jr.); Cru Frederick (Jr.); Josh Desteno (Sr.); Sawyer Shanaman (So.); John Gass (So.)
Rising Contributors: Joash Jalique (Fr.)
Season Outlook
Last season was largely about gaining experience for a young ELCO group. Now, many of those same runners return with another year of varsity racing behind them.
The biggest postseason credentials belong to Max Frederick and Cru Frederick, who both qualified for the PIAA Championships last fall. Max was also a District medalist. Their challenge in 2026 comes with a change in classification, as ELCO has moved from Class 2A to Class 3A. Both are aiming for another trip to States while adjusting to a different postseason field.
The Fredericks again are splitting their fall between cross country and soccer, meaning ELCO will compete in some meets without two of its top runners. When the full lineup is available, head coach Michael Harnish believes the Raiders can compete well within Section 3.
Behind them is a young group that continues to gain experience. Sawyer Shanaman and John Gass led ELCO at Saturday’s Dutchmen Invitational, finishing 106th and 109th, respectively, while freshman Joash Jalique was part of the Raiders’ scoring five. With no significant graduation losses from last year’s group, ELCO has an opportunity to develop continuity while its younger runners take on increasingly important varsity roles.
Lebanon Cedars
Lancaster Lebanon League Section 1
Head Coach: Keith Rolon – 2nd season
Key Returners: Samuel Hershey (Sr.); Trystan Steckbeck (Sr.); Jovannie Martinez (Jr.)
Rising Contributors: Ian Aviles (Fr.)
Collegiate Competitors: Ramon Urena (Shippensburg); Sam Martinez (Alvernia); Trevor Gipe (Lebanon Valley); Owen Kreider (Lebanon Valley); Thadeous Gilbert (Lebanon Valley); Tyler Long (Eastern)
Season Outlook
Lebanon may not have the numbers of some of the county’s larger programs, but the Cedars have an established runner to set the pace at the front. Samuel Hershey returns for his senior season after emerging as Lebanon’s leading cross country runner last fall and carrying that momentum into a strong spring on the track.
Hershey ran 9:49 for 3200 meters during the spring and continued to show his ability against strong competition. That has carried directly into the fall. At Saturday’s Dutchmen Invitational, Hershey finished 13th overall in 16:24.7, making him the second Lebanon County runner across the line.
Trystan Steckbeck gives the Cedars another senior with varsity experience, while Jovannie Martinez returns after running 10:15 for 3200 meters during track season. Freshman Ian Aviles, who finished 10th at the Iron Bridge race as an eighth-grader, was identified by head coach Keith Rolon as a runner capable of contributing immediately. Aviles was already Lebanon’s third finisher at the Dutchmen Invitational.
Numbers remain the challenge. Lebanon had four boys competing Saturday and therefore did not record a team score. Rolon’s goal is to keep the group competitive while developing individual runners and getting as many Cedars as possible into postseason competition.
Northern Lebanon Vikings
Lancaster-Lebanon League Section 3
Head Coach: Tricia Schafebook – 18th season (non-consecutive)
Key Returners: Anthony Frederick (Jr.); Owen Kelly (Jr.); Isaac Bruce (So.); Emeri Kreiser (So.); Mason Krall(So.); Alex Breiner (Jr.); Myles Horst (Jr.)
Rising Contributors: Sawyer Hartman (Jr.); Avery Costanzo (So.); Jeremiah Kelly (So.); Carter Acevedo (Fr.); Blake Beyler (Fr.); Canon Risser (Fr.); Mason Wetzel (Fr.)
Collegiate Competitors: Charles Bomberger (Penn State Berks)
Season Outlook
Northern Lebanon is trying to reload after graduating a group that played a major role in one of the program’s most successful recent stretches. Charles Bomberger, Luke Hentz, Josiah Kelly, Thaddeus Raub, Tucker Reiber and Connor Troxell have moved on after helping the Vikings reach the PIAA Championships as a team in two of the previous three seasons.
The cupboard, however, is far from empty. Anthony Frederick, Owen Kelly, Isaac Bruce and Emeri Kreiser all gained experience as members of Northern Lebanon’s state-qualifying group last fall. That gives the Vikings several runners who already understand what postseason racing requires, even as they move into larger scoring roles.
Frederick has quickly taken over the frontrunning role. At Saturday’s Dutchmen Invitational, Frederick placed 25th overall in 16:52.4. Kelly was Northern Lebanon’s second finisher, followed by Bruce, Krall and Kreiser as the Vikings placed 21st.
There is also considerable youth behind the returning group. Head coach Tricia Schafebook identified seven potential rising contributors, including freshmen Acevedo, Beyler, Risser and Wetzel. Northern Lebanon’s stated goal is to work its way back into postseason competition as a team. How quickly the younger portion of the lineup develops around its experienced returners will go a long way toward determining how close the Vikings can come to that goal.
Palmyra Cougars
Mid-Penn Conference Keystone Division
Head Coach: Garrett Funck – 1st season
Key Returners: Landyn Rose (Sr.); Dalton Cole (Jr.)
Rising Contributors: Max Chesney (So.); Lucas Pachuski (So.); Blake Fellon (So.)
Season Outlook
Of the county’s boys teams, Palmyra may be undergoing the most significant transformation. The Cougars graduated Cornelius Cummings, Josh Miller, Gavin Bullard and Nathan Keiner, their top four runners from last season. Cummings and Miller were both State qualifiers, leaving first-year head coach Garrett Funck with substantial production to replace.
Landyn Rose and Dalton Cole return to provide experience, but much of the attention turns toward a younger group that Funck believes has considerable potential. Max Chesney made significant progress from his freshman season and was identified as someone capable of establishing himself among Palmyra’s top runners. Pachuski and Fellon were also quickly working their way toward the front of the group.
Those younger runners have already started to reshape the varsity order. Chesney led Palmyra at Saturday’s Dutchmen Invitational with a 67th-place finish in 17:57.8. Sophomore Finian Cummings followed in 83rd, with Rose, Pachuski and Emmitt Savary completing the scoring five. Palmyra finished 22nd as a team.
This season will look much different from 2025, but that’s part of the opportunity. Funck described the Cougars as being in a rebuilding season while also emphasizing the potential within the group. With a large collection of underclassmen already occupying varsity positions, 2026 gives Palmyra a chance to begin developing the next core of its boys program.
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