CHICAGO – The 2024 Roosevelt cross country program can be defined by one word: potential.

The Lakers might have been picked to finish 10^th in men's cross country and 11^th in women's cross country, but the optimism is abundant in the program. Both teams have their best runner from the past three years returning in Angie Delgado for the women and Brandon Saavedra for the men. They both have experienced runners who are now completely focused on cross country and newcomers who are ready to push the pace for the veterans.

Saavedra is the clear leader for the men having been the team's best runner in each of the past three conference championship meets. Last season was a tough year for the Cicero native as he dealt with injuries, but he's back in 2024 for one last go at the collegiate running scene.

He is joined by a pair of other veteran runners, Cristian Martinez and Raul Ortiz, both of whom have run a lot of miles for the cross country program. Although Martinez is more known for his dominance on the track, he has continued to improve his distance running in his three seasons with the Lakers. He ended last season with his personal best of 31 minutes 9 seconds in the conference championship, and is poised to get faster this year.

Ortiz dropped his personal best below 31 minutes last season, knocking almost three minutes off his best time from his first year in Green and White. He's another key senior leader who will help mentor the youthful injection of energy from a talented freshman class. The newcomers are headlined by Rocco Cipolla, who holds the Evergreen Park High School record in the three-mile race and was an Illinois High School Association Regional champion in 2023.

Delgado has led the Lakers women in the conference championship each of the past three years, and not much is expected to be different this season. The changes come in the steady group of runners behind her who are focusing on cross country almost exclusively this fall. Destiny Ashcraft, Shelsee Isassi and Lisset Munoz all have experience running for the Lakers, but never as full-time cross country athletes like they are this season.

Ashcraft has run in the past two conference championships and is a mid-distance runner on the track, but spent her falls the last two years playing for the women's soccer team. She's now focusing exclusively on cross country, opening up the potential for one of the most well-conditioned players on the women's soccer team.

Isassi and Munoz both ran in a handful of races as well last year, but have focused their training this offseason to be constant contributors. The duo both showed flashes of success in 2023 and will build on that heading into 2024. Munoz in particular has found herself in the best shape of her career and could easily surpass her personal best time. The same with Isassi, who ran just twice last season for the Lakers.