MIDWAY, Ky. - It would be fair to expect the Midway cross country program to go through some growing pains early in the 2025 season.

The men's and women's teams lost a combined 12 runners from a season ago. This includes three of the most impactful runners in school history, as Jacob Kocis, Josiah Kocis and Trinity Smith departed after combining for 11 appearances at the NAIA Cross Country National Championships.

"It's going to be a little bit of a rebuilding year," head coach Jay Walls said. "Especially in the beginning it's definitely going to be a growing period for our team."

But as he enters his seventh season with the program, Walls, the 2024-25 River States Conference Coach of Character recipient, has a well-established culture his athletes say is very easy to buy into.

"The dynamic changes a little, but I think we have such a strong base that we've had set up for years and years that it's not really going to change who we are," said returning junior Carson Milner. "We've already kind of established where we're at, so it's just building on top of that."

PREVIEWING THE MEN'S SEASON

On a team that lost four of its top-five runners, Milner will elevate into the No. 1 position and look to get over a big hurdle he's yet to clear.

Milner owns three individual program records in track and field and won an RSC Outdoor Championship in the 1,500-meter run last spring.

But one of the few things eluding him is a spot in a National Championship race. And after getting achingly close on several occasions, he's ready to get over the hump this fall.

"It's been (multiple) seasons I've been right there," said Milner, who missed the 1,500 outdoor qualifying standard by just 1.56 seconds in 2024. "I've had the best summer I've ever had really, so I'm excited for it."

Other returners are juniors Connor Byrd and Adam Higgs and sophomores Lance Logan and Steven Meyer. Elsewhere, sophomore transfer Noah Hale and freshmen Noah Hampton, Jonathan Kocis and Ridge Revers will look to secure spots in their first seasons with the Eagles.

PREVIEWING THE WOMEN'S SEASON

While lower in numbers, the Eagle women will return more experience than the men.

Highlighting this group will be sophomore Ariah Egleston, who finished 11th at the River States Conference Championships last fall to earn Second-Team All-RSC honors.

Also back are seniors Macy Adams and Riley Gillis and juniors Stevie McSorley and Abby Baldridge. Egleston and McSorley were both named River States Runners to Watch for this season.

Veterans will be joined by incoming freshmen Alarra Cobbins and Mariacamila Navarro.

"Each year, when you get new athletes, the dynamic on the team always changes just to work with the team," Egleston said. "I can tell this new group of girls is going to be strong. We're going to work for it."

EXPECTATIONS

"The goal is always to hopefully finish in the top half of the conference," said Walls, whose teams were predicted to duplicate last season's fourth-place RSC finish in a preseason coaches' poll. "We have our own goals we set amongst ourselves, but top half of the conference (is where we'll end up) hopefully.

"We've got some good pieces to add to what we already have so I'm excited for the season."

Midway begins the 2025 season in Wilmore, Ky. on Friday, running in the Eagle Opener hosted by Asbury University at 6 p.m.