The return of many of the top runners means District 2’s top cross country programs appear likely to maintain their status in the year ahead.
The preseason Century Dental Associates Cross Country Power Rankings of District 2 teams, which were released Saturday night, look much like the 2021 final rankings, which also looked very similar to the 2021 preseason rankings.
The Crestwood girls are again in the top spot after returning all but their top runner from an unbeaten Wyoming Valley Conference and District 2 Class 3A championship team. The Lady Comets will compete in Class 2A this season.
Abington Heights is the preseason No. 1 among boys, swapping places with North Pocono, the only team it finished behind a year ago.
North Pocono won the Lackawanna League last season. Like the Crestwood girls, it won the district Class 3A title last season before dropping in enrollment to Class 2A this season.
Of the 24 teams ranked at the end of last season, 23 are ranked again.
The top three boys teams and top five girls teams from 2021 are intact, in slightly different orders.
Abington Heights and North Pocono are followed on the boys side by Holy Redeemer, the defending District 2 Class 2A champion, which is again No. 3.
Crestwood, Montrose and Abington Heights are 1-2-3 in girls, as they were at the end of last season.
Montrose won District 2 and finished third in the state in Class A at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Championships.
Dallas and Holy Redeemer are fourth and fifth among girls, switching places from the end of last season. Holy Redeemer won the District 2 Class 2A title and Dallas was second, claiming the district’s other state berth.
Defending District 2 Class A champion Montrose is fourth in boys, followed by Lake-Lehman, Dallas, Crestwood, Scranton Prep, Blue Ridge, Honesdale and Berwick.
Dunmore, the only newcomer to the rankings since the end of last season, is the No. 12 boys team.
Lake-Lehman, Honesdale and Elk Lake are sixth through eighth among girls teams.
Elk Lake, which had six underclassmen on its state qualifying team, makes the biggest climb from the end of last season, moving up four places while Lake-Lehman moves up three.
Delaware Valley is ninth, followed by North Pocono, Valley View and Scranton to complete the rankings.
The Mid Valley boys, seventh at the end of last season, are not ranked.
The full preseason rankings with 2021 record and final rankings:
PRESEASON CENTURY DENTAL ASSOCIATES CROSS COUNTRY POWER RANKINGS
Boys
| Rank | Team | 2021 Record | 2021 Rank |
| 1 | Abington Heights | 22-1 | 2 |
| 2 | North Pocono | 23-0 | 1 |
| 3 | Holy Redeemer | 14-2 | 3 |
| 4 | Montrose | 20-3 | 6 |
| 5 | Lake-Lehman | 15-1 | 4 |
| 6 | Dallas | 13-3 | 8 |
| 7 | Crestwood | 15-1 | 5 |
| 8 | Scranton Prep | 20-3 | 9 |
| 9 | Blue Ridge | 15-8 | 11 |
| 10 | Honesdale | 19-4 | 10 |
| 11 | Berwick | 13-3 | 12 |
| 12 | Dunmore | 15-8 | NR |
Girls
| Rank | Team | 2021 Record | 2021 Rank |
| 1 | Crestwood | 16-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Montrose | 21-2 | 2 |
| 3 | Abington Heights | 23-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Dallas | 13-3 | 5 |
| 5 | Holy Redeemer | 15-1 | 4 |
| 6 | Lake-Lehman | 12-4 | 9 |
| 7 | Honesdale | 21-2 | 6 |
| 8 | Elk Lake | 13-10 | 12 |
| 9 | Delaware Valley | 13-10 | 11 |
| 10 | North Pocono | 19-4 | 8 |
| 11 | Valley View | 20-3 | 7 |
| 12 | Scranton | 19-4 | 10 |
