With only one senior among his top seven, Buffalo Grove High School cross-country coach Jamie Klotz is starting over.
"We have a couple of varsity returners,'' Klotz said. "But we should have a cornucopia of young guys who are going to get experience as we go through the season. By the end of the season they are going to be tested."
The Bison finished eighth in the Mid-Suburban League last season, lost top runner Tim Marr to family relocation and are without graduated state qualifier Clay Locke.
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The team kicked off the season with a win over Cary-Grove High School and losses to the Stevenson and Palatine high school teams.
Buffalo Grove's team is led by junior Jeremy Atchison, a state qualifier as a sophomore who finished 76th overall downstate.
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"He did a good job for his first time at the state meet,'' Klotz said. "It was 72 degrees, which is unheard of in November. He is running exceedingly well right now."
Behind Atchison is Taras Didenko, another junior. After that, Klotz said, it is a competition for top seven status.
"A lot of our guys are in deep water and haven't swam there yet,'' Klotz said. "We will get better as the team progresses. We have to grow up quick."
