The Siuslaw Vikings cross country team opened practice Monday for the 2016 season minus two major contributors from 2015.

Senior Morgan Bingham and sophomore Murray Bingham have moved with their family to Washington state.

"We lost two great kids and a great family," coach Chris Johnson said. "I'm excited for the family. Obviously they wouldn't have left here if they didn't have something that was better for the family.

"And that's obviously No. 1."

Both the girls and boys cross country and track and field teams will miss the pair, who were liked and respected by teammates.

"We wouldn't have won the girls (state cross country) title last year without Morgan," Johnson said.

Murray was the boys' top runner as a freshman, capping the cross country season on the podium at state with a 10th-place ribbon.

"I feel blessed that we had them for one year," Johnson said. "I will always speculate what would have happened if we had them another year.

"Or Murray for three more years. He probably would have rewritten a lot of our (school running) records."

Morgan placed third in the Far West League championships and 19th in state last year in cross country. She was second on the team behind state champion Celie Mans.

"I don't think Celie wins a state title if we don't have Morgan here all year to push her," Johnson said. "They pushed each other every day on the track.

"They were going to be a dynamic duo. I felt confident they were going to go 1-2 in the state meet this year in cross country."

Murray not only was the boys' top cross-country runner, but he also had a solid freshman year on the varsity wrestling team and was one of only two Vikings boys to score in the state track and field championships, placing fourth in both the 1,500 and 3,000 meters.

Morgan also had a good first year of track for Siuslaw, usually running shoulder-to-shoulder with Mans. Morgan won the Far West League 3,000-meter run, finishing fourth in state. She was runnerup to Mans in the 1,500 at district and finished fifth at state.