The Mehlville girls cross country team enters the 2024 season with one simple goal: to improve on last year’s 14th-place finish at the Missouri Class 5, District 1 championships.

“I just want the girls to have a good season and finish better at districts this season,” Mehlville head coach Stephanie Guiliano said. “We need for them to buy into the hard work in order for us to be successful. I think we have a really good team, and I’m excited about what we can do this year.”

Senior captain Allison Miller returns as the Panther’s top threat on the cross-country course after finishing 34th overall at the 2023 district championships. Guiliano believes that Miller has the ability to qualify for this year’s state championships.

“Allison is doing awesome in the preseason,” Guiliano said. “She’s a triathlete and has been putting in a ton of extra work. She’s been working her speed and hill work, and we’re going to need for her to be a strong leader this year.”

The Panther’s coach also believes that senior Kayla Barrett has the potential to reach the state championships this season.

“Kayla is doing much better, and I think she has the potential to maybe go to state this year,” Guiliano said. “She’s come a long way in the last year.”

Other runners that will impact this year’s roster are seniors Lindsey Roberts, Olivia Tran and Claire Kimberlin. Juniors Ajla Otajagic and Anezka Kramarova and sophomores Ava Reifschneider and Tiana Phan are also expected to round out Mehlville’s varsity roster this season.