With a new head coach, a solid group of returning upperclassmen and a growing roster, the Mehlville girls cross country team is looking to make strides in 2023

“Things are going great,” said first year head coach Stephanie Guliano. “We have some really strong runners returning from last year and the girls are looking really good.”

The Panthers are led by junior Allison Miller, who competed at last year’s Missouri Class 5 state championships. Miller is an accomplished triathlete and took third overall in the women’s division at the St. Louis Triathlon on May 21st.

“Allison is actually a triathlete and is a strong athlete overall,” Guliano said. “She’s a team leader and just a good role model for the other kids on the team.”

Another runner to keep an eye on for the 2023 campaign is junior Kayla Barrett.

“Kayla is a strong runner who’s also a very good athlete,” Guliano said. “She’s always out there doing the longer runs with Allison which is a great thing to see as a coach.”

Guliano is also hoping the senior trio of Grace Brindley, Amy Escamilla and Trinity Roman will provide a leadership role on this year’s roster.

“All three of them bring positive role models for the team this year,” Guliano said. “They’re a good group of senior leaders to have on the team.”

Other runners to keep an eye on this season are juniors Natalie O’Brien and Alivia Tran as well as sophomore Madeline McClusky and freshman Tiana Phan.