If Tuesday’s opening race of the season is any indication, it’ll be tough to dethrone the Frontier cross country teams in the Pioneer League North this fall. 

Both the Redhawk boys and girls won the league title a season ago — the Frontier girls closing the regular season with an unblemished 12-0 record, 7-0 in the league while the Redhawk boys went 13-1 overall and 9-0 in the league. It appears Frontier picked up where it left off, as both teams secured wins against Mohawk Trail and Pioneer in a tri-meet on Tuesday to get the season started on the right foot. 

While some star runners were lost to graduation, expect Frontier to make another run at league titles and attempt to bring home a Western Mass. championship come the end of fall. 

“We really lost some excellent runners to graduation but have a good group of returners,” Redhawks girls coach Bob Smith said. “We are very young, so we have a lot of work in front of us. But, the attitude is good and our effort is good. We shall see how we progress over the season.” 

Sylvie DiBartolomeo, Liv Christensen, Sasha Malo, Maia Christensen, Perla Ordaz, Mary Burt and newcomer Maddie Antes are the runners Smith mentioned as being the core of the team this fall while Luke Howard, Evan Hedlund, Charles, Dennis, Oliver Brown and Adam Paul led the way on the boys side on Tuesday. 

Here’s a closer look at each team: 

 Franklin Tech

COACH: Oliver Rodgers

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Pioneer North/3

ROSTER: William Thomas, Dani Chagnon, Tristan Bliss, Taylor Youmell

OUTLOOK: The Eagles added cross country to the school’s varsity catalog this fall, and four athletes joined the upstart program.

“Looking forward to rebuilding the program and getting it up and running again,” Rodgers said.

Frontier

COACH: Bob Smith, Walt Flynn

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Pioneer North/3

ROSTER: Mary Burt, Sylvie DiBartolomeo, Sasha Malo, Perla Ordaz, Kali Beam, Liv Christensen, Maia Christensen, Eliza Montminy, Phoebe Radner, Paisley Severane, Kiera Nugent, Julianna Dettmers, Bailey Cusson, Maddie Antes, Sadie Griffin, Mila Phelps, Thaily Ordaz, Gemma Gochinski, Hayden Costa, Aaron Desmond, Charlie Dennis, Oliver Brown, Luke Howard, Evan Hedlund, Adam Paul, Brendan Carey, Leland Murphy, Dominic Sarno, Ty Phillips, Caleb Libbey, Harrison Manning, Thomas Bagdon, Caleb Jacobs, George Payne

Greenfield

COACH: Shaun Richard

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Pioneer North/3

ROSTER: Henry Anhalt, Levi Badillo, Avery Barton, Dylan Breiwick, Adele Bross, Max Caron, Isabella Ekblom, Grace Fortin, Rose Fortin, Alice Fortin, Zach Ozdarski, Wednesday Passiglia, Ryan Pedigree, Derek Scotera, Alex Scotera, Javion Williams, Nate Woodard, Mason Youmell

OUTLOOK: Breiwick is the Green Wave’s lead runner, though Youmell has been right on his heels throughout the preseason.

Scotera is a runner Richard said has made great improvement from last year while Rose Fortin and Alice Fortin should lead the way on the girls side. 

Mahar

COACH: Sarah Woodward

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Pioneer North/3

ROSTER: Marshall Ames, Aiden Drake, Michael LaPlante, Solomon Burke, Joseph Burke

OUTLOOK: While a small roster, the Senators have returning experience as Ames, Drake, LaPlante and Solomon Burke all return from a season ago.

Ames and Drake are the senior leaders for Mahar.

Mohawk Trail

COACH: Joe Chadwick

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Pioneer North/3

ROSTER: Georgia Gauthier, Virginia Krezmien, Natalie Lanoue, Katie Osterman, Anya Read, Ella Thompson, Ettalynn Thompson, Leo Boltz, Aidan Gauthier, Peter Healy, Rex Kuoppala, Aymeric Loucka, Peter Macmillan, Carson Richardson, Gunnar Triggs

OUTLOOK: The Warriors qualified and made it to states a season ago, and return a roster poised to make it back to the big stage this fall.

Reed, Krezmien and Lanoue lead the way on the girls side while Healy, Kuoppala, Richardson and Loucka had strong showings in Mohawk Trail’s opening meet of the season.

Pioneer

COACH: Emma Harnisch

LEAGUE/DIVISION: Pioneer North/3

ROSTER: Lex Singh, Amelia Fowler Shaw, Camden Guertin, Benjamin Goodwin, Eric Ballou, Elizabeth Brown, Ryan Spofford, Lorenzo Ordas, Isabella Allen, Lucianne Burnap, Kaylan Costello, Hannah Sheperd, Hazel Singh

OUTLOOK: Spofford and Guertin were the Panthers’ top runners in their opening meet of the season on the boys side while Fowler Shaw, Burnap and Allen are a few to keep an eye on on the girls side. Singh and Fowler Shaw are Pioneer’s captains.