Iowa State cross country runner Sydney Pounds no longer feels that the weight of her team’s success is riding on her shoulders.

Pounds, a senior, was expected to show leadership to a young Cyclone squad last season, as one of the team’s few upperclassmen.

That is not the case this season, because of the emergence of Emily Martinez and Jana Peterson. Iowa State qualified for its first NCAA meet since 1990 with freshman Martinez and Peterson in the lineup. They finished 20th at the meet.

“I feel much more relaxed going into this season than I did last year,” Pounds said. “Even though I will be counted on to provide leadership because I am a senior, I can count on other people to pick up the team if I am not running well.”

Pounds did run well last season, finishing third at the last Big Eight meet ever and having Iowa State’s top finish at the NCAA meet. She finished 58th.

Iowa State Coach Dick Lee said that Pounds will be counted on to provide leadership to his team even though it returns a lot of experienced runners this season. He said her practice regimen is what separates her from other runners.

“Sydney is a strong leader by the example she leads in practice,” he said. “She sets an example for the others on the team by her enthusiasm, intensity and dedication.”

Pounds, a chemical engineering major, has set higher goals for her team going into this season. The Cyclone women cross country team starts the season today at the Northern Iowa Open in Cedar Falls starting at 5:30 p.m.

“I don’t think we will be satisfied with just qualifying for Nationals this year,” she said. “We want to finish in the top 15 finish at least. A lot of the players on the team did not like the way they ran at Nationals last year.”

Iowa State Coach Dick Lee said four of his top five runners will not be in the lineup today at Cedar Falls. This is a common practice for early meets in college cross country.

“Looking ahead, our biggest meets are going to be in November,” Lee said. “The early meets give the young kids and the freshman a chance to get a collegiate meet.”

Lee said Laurie Meythaler and Gayle Nugent are to newcomers that will run at Northern Iowa today who have impressed him in the preseason.

“Both Laurie and Gayle have stepped in to practice and done real well,” he said. “Laurie in fact has been running about as well as our number three, four and five runners. It will be interesting to see how runs for us as the season progresses.”

ll Kopatich is a senior in journalism from Des Moines.