LAKEWOOD, CO – The anticipation and expectations have never been higher for the Colorado Christian men's cross country team.

After the 2018 season, the Cougars got a glimpse of how bright the future of the program can be. The squad welcomes back a strong handful of runners as they look to take another step on the ladder of success.

"Success for the program looks like getting to the national meet. It is important that we compete well all year but we have made a commitment and decisions geared towards qualifying for the national meet," said head coach Jon Poag. "That is difficult coming out of our region but we believe that's where our potential is and where we belong."

Leading the way for the Cougars is Isaac Russo who earned all-region honors last season after a strong showing at the NCAA South Central Championship meet. However, the Cougars also have plenty of talent behind him. Returners Nicholas Skinner, Ryder Searle as well as Josh Pierantoni all were high scoring runners throughout last season.

While they were steady throughout the season in 2018, there are a handful of returners who have the capability to make a splash on the courses during the upcoming campaign.

"The strength of our team is our returning talent. Being so close to nationals last year was a big confidence booster to the guys but also a significant motivator as well. Like any good team you have to have depth and talent but that doesn't give you the right to be anywhere. For us it is about execution and actually running to our potential," said Poag.

Not to go unnoticed is a group of freshman runners who have showed significant promise during the preseason. Expect to see Trent Cochran, Luke Meyer and Jacob Vermillion factor into the scoring runners this season while helping to lay a foundation for the program's future success.