Here's a look at the boys and girls preseason Top 25 rankings and the top 10 returning runners at three major courses.
Darlington hosts the Bergen County championships, most Big North meets and some NJIC meets. Garret Mountain hosts the Passaic County championships, the NJIC Championships and the North 1 state sectionals. Holmdel County Park hosts the state group championships and the State Meet of Champions.
Very few North Jersey runners competed at Greystone Park last year. Greystone Park has replaced Oak Ridge Park as the site of the North 2 sectionals this season.
Boys Top 25 rankings
Don Bosco returned to the No. 1 ranking at the end of the 2022 North Jersey boys cross-country season after a stunning upset at the Lou Molino Bergen Meet of Champions last November, but Ridgewood sits atop the 2023 preseason rankings. Last year's final rankings are in parentheses.
Preseason rankings are based largely on state sectional and state group results from last season and do not reflect new athletes who may have joined this year.
Also ranked in 2022 final rankings: Northern Highlands (3), Pascack Valley (5), Mahwah (21), Passaic (22), Paramus (24), Secaucus (25).
Boys returning course leaders
Darlington
1. Luke Pash, Ridgewood and Ryan Locicero, Don Bosco, 16:09; 3. Joshua Tejada, Teaneck, 16:18; 4. DJ Murphy, Ridgewood, 16:23; 5. Matt Califf, Wayne Valley, 16:26; 6. Trevor Kane, Ridgewood, 16:32; 7. Dylan Guarquila, Hackensack, 16:39; 8. Aidan Morrow, Hasbrouck Hts., 16:43; 9. Ben Raser, Glen Rock, 16:44; 10. Patrick Tallman, Park Ridge/Emerson, 16:46.
Garret Mountain
1. Califf, 16:33; 2. Pash, 16:42; 3. DJ Murphy, Ridgewood, 16:56; 4. Kane, 17:05; 5. Tejada, 17:08; 6. Colin Menier, West Milford, 17:11; 7. Morrow, 17:12; 8. Lamarr Olive, Clifton, 17:17; 9. Ivan Timochko, Demarest, 17:18; 10. Raser, Glen Rock, 17:26.
Holmdel County Park
1. Pash, 16:50; 2. Locicero, 16:58; 3. Murphy, 17:02; 4. Califf, 17:04; 5. Morrow, Hasbrouck Hts., 17:12; 6. Kane, 17:25; 7. Tejada and Kyle Bjornson, Kinnelon, 17:33; 9. Olive, 17:36; 10. Menier, 17:44.
Girls Top 25 rankings
Northern Highlands and Ridgewood were among the top teams in New Jersey last year. With all of the top runners returning, the two teams should be among the top five in the state if they can stay healthy this season.
The big question this year will be if any other North Jersey team can step up to challenge them.
Also ranked in 2022 final rankings: Holy Angels (14), Passaic Valley (22); Dumont (24).
Girls returning course leaders
Darlington
1. Christina Allen, River Dell, 18:22; 2. Amelia Keogh, Ramapo, 18:58; 3. Cellina Rabolli, Ridgewood, 18:59; 3. Rebecca MacLaren, Northern Highlands, 19:02; 4. Autumn Ritter, Northern Highlands and Allison Courtney, Northern Highlands, 19:02; 6. Mary Daclan, Paramus, 19:15; 7. Avery Sheridan, Ridgewood, 19:23; 8. Sadie Meloro, Northern Highlands, 19:25; 9. Ayla Cooke, Ridgewood, 19:26; 10. Summer Myrhen, Indian Hills, 19:33.
Garret Mountain
1. Allen, 19:15; 2. Keogh, 19:40; 3. Ritter, 19:43; 4. Rabolli and Daclan, 20:05; 6. MacLaren, 20:08; 7. Kara Langbaum, Wayne Hills, 20:13; 8. Courtney, 20:21; 9. Sheridan and Viktoria Green, Clifton, 20:22.
Holmdel County Park
1. Allen, 19:27; 2. Keogh, 19:41; 3. Ritter, 19:48; 4. Rabolli, 20:00; 5. Cooke, 20:13; 6. Meloro, 20:16; 7. Courtney, 20:24; 8. MacLaren, 20:26; 9. Sheridan, 20:37; 10. Daclan, 20:40.