The Iowa State women’s cross country team qualified for the NCAA meet last season for the first time since 1990.

“Last year, just getting to nationals was important to us,” said senior runner Sydney Pounds. “This year we want to do well once we get there.”

With literally everyone returning from last season’s 20th-place squad at the NCAA Championships, the Cyclones are making big goals for the upcoming season that kicks off with the Northern Iowa Open at Cedar Falls on Sept. 20.

“Our team is going to be a lot better than last year,” Pounds said. “Realistically, we want to be a top 15 team in the nation this year.”

While Pounds may be the Cyclones top finisher at the NCAA meet at 58th place, she is not the only returning runner of note this season. Emily Martinez was named Big Eight Newcomer-of-the-Year, and Jana Peterson was well on her way to having an exceptional freshman season before falling victim to a variety of injuries.

Still Iowa State Coach Dick Lee said he will be counting on Pounds’ senior leadership to guide the team this season.

“She leads by example in practice,” he said. “Everyday she goes out there and gives it everything she has; she has a lot of heart.”

Lee said the experience of running at nationals last season will help the team prepare for the national meet at Tucson, Arizona Nov. 25.

“We were concentrating so much at qualifying for nationals last year that once we qualified we lost our focus,” Lee said.

“Having run last year (at nationals), it will make that much easier to prepare for.

The first Big 12 Conference Cross Country Championship will be held at the ISU course at the corner of Mortensen and Hayward on November 2.