Dick Lee, Iowa State women’s cross country coach, is excited about the upcoming season for more than one reason.

In addition to returning many young runners from last year, ISU unveils a new cross country course that will host the NCAA Cross Country National Championships on November 20.

“I’m really looking forward to this season,” Lee said. “We have a handful of strong returning starters.”

One of those returning starters is junior Sydney Pounds.

“I’m really excited,” Pounds said. “I am looking for a lot of improvement in the team this season. We are looking to carry over the success we had in track last fall into the cross country season.”

Both Lee and Pounds agree that Colorado appears to be the dominant team in the Big Eight during the preseason, with the real race being for second place.

“Colorado is definitely the team to beat in the Big Eight,” Lee said. “They are loaded. They return their entire team from a squad that had a top-five finish at nationals last year.”

While Colorado may be considered the Big Eight’s finest, runner-up honors could go to an entire contingent of Big Eight squads. “The race for second place appears to be wide open right now,” Pounds said.

Iowa State, Kansas State, Nebraska and Missouri are the teams that seem to have the best chance of unseating Colorado for the conference championship.

Lee’s job once the season begins is to get the team ready for the conference, regional and national championships.

“Everything we do is geared toward the last three meets of the season,” Lee said.

Lee is cautiously looking forward to hosting the nationals.

“Definitely one of our goals is to be running here on November 20,” Lee said. “But first we have to qualify for nationals.”

The Cyclones will participate in the NCAA regional meet at Oklahoma City.

Members of the team are excited about running on their new course.

“I think it will be really neat to run on,” said Jana Peterson, a heralded recruit from Webster City. “The course will be great because it is designed specifically for running. I think it will provide for ideal conditions for running.”

Pounds also expressed her satisfaction with the new course.

“I trained on it over the summer and it is really nice,” Pounds said. “It is a runner’s dream.”

Kevin Bourke, assistant men’s cross country coach, called the course “one of a kind.” It is believed to be the only cross country course in the country devoted entirely to running.

“Ever since the floods of 1993, we have been looking for a new course,” Bourke said. “The programs are fortunate that the College of Agriculture was able to lend a piece of land directly west of Towers Residence Halls.”

Coach Lee considered the new course as one of the more challenging courses in the country. “It will be a true test of cross country skills,” Lee said.