Don Williams thinks it's time the Cedar Falls girls' cross country team began a new streak.

In 19 years as an assistant coach with the program, Williams had seen the Tigers qualify for the state meet every year until 2008, when a four-point shortfall kept Cedar Falls home for the first time in nearly two decades.

This season marks the beginning of a new era, though, with Williams taking over the head coaching job from Bob Schmidt, who coached 23 very successful seasons, and the Tigers hungry to make the trip to state an annual event again.

"The girls felt terrible about not making state, so we don't talk about that much," Williams said. "They all want to come back and set things right again, and I'm very optimistic that we could have a very good team."

Williams will have a large group of new athletes to work with, but the Tigers do have eight returning letterwinners, losing only Paige Hersom from last season's top six. Sophomore Hannah Savage should be the team's pace-setter this year, with juniors Cara Strike, Emily Rogers and Monica Anton in hot pursuit.

Among the newcomers, Williams thinks he has at least two freshmen who will run varsity.

"We've got some freshmen who could help us tremendously, and that's the real wild card in the whole situation," Williams said. "The young kids look very promising, but until you see them out on the course it's hard to tell how good they're going to be."

The Tigers will get an early look at the state's best, going up against defending state champion Iowa City West as part of the field in their season-opening meet at Cedar Rapids Prairie on Sept. 1.

On the boys' side, Cedar Falls coach Troy Becker will enjoy the advantage of huge numbers, with 17 returning letterwinners, including six who ran varsity last year. Metro champion Jacob Tayloe will be joined by previous starters Eric Neill, Tanner Reyhons, Jacob Stoner and Andrew Halloran, while senior Paul Strike should also make an impact after recovering from an injury year in 2008.

"Several runners have made huge commitments over the last year," Becker said. "Therefore, I think the team has a chance to be better this year at all three levels of competition."

Across town at NU High, Will Reingardt is beginning his second season in charge of the Panthers' girls' and boys' programs.

"It's nice to know the kids better, how they run and perform," Reingardt said. "It allows me to individualize their workouts a lot easier."

Junior Terry Nielsen should head up the squad of four boys' letterwinners back with the Panthers.

""(Nielsen) is one who enjoys to see how far he can push himself every day," Reingardt said.

On the girls' team, junior Joni Griffith will keep pace with defending metro champion Christine McKenna, a sophomore.

"They both push each other, and they get along great," Reingardt said. "It's nice to have two people that are that competitive with one another."

At Waterloo West, boys' coach Matt MacKenzie is watching his 32 runners, including seven letterwinners, gel into a cohesive unit.

"The nice thing about this group of guys is that they're real close-knit," MacKenzie said. "Last year we had about 27 runners, but only about 20 were really on board. This year, everybody's on board and working hard."

The Wahawks graduated last year's pace-setter, Amir Kantarevic, but Austin King and Chris Smith should lead the pack in today's season opener at Marshalltown.

The Wahawk girls' team will be following the lead of Morgan Gerdes, who qualified for the state meet as a sophomore in 2008.

"She finished about the middle of the pack, but the important thing is she got in and she ran well for her first trip there," said West coach Ralph Longus. "She's done a lot of work over the summer and she looks very strong right now."

Waterloo East girls' coach Mike Penning has won his first battle in getting 23 girls out for the program, although none lettered last year.

"It's kind of a tough sell, but we're trying to get the girls excited about it," Penning said. "It's hard to tell where we'll stack up because our conference is so tough, but we've got a couple of girls who by the end of the year could turn some heads."

Waterloo Columbus coach Ron Roberson is also looking at the positives while working with a largely young group that includes just one returning boys' letterwinner and three on the girls' side.

"I'm eternally optimistic," Roberson said. "We've got great potential, and obviously a lot of hard work to do."

Capsules

Metro

CEDAR FALLS TIGERS

HEAD BOYS' COACH - Troy Becker

HEAD GIRLS' COACH - Don Williams

RETURNING BOYS' LETTERWINNERS (17) - Alex Clopton, Andrew Friedel, Scott Packard, Joey Sevcik, Paul Strike, Jacob Tayloe, Austin Javellana, Eric Neill, Tanner Rayhons, Jacob Stoner, Philip Weinert, Forest Wrede, Andrew Halloran, John Paul Sevcik, Shane Shaddox, Alex Staudt, Adam Streicher.

RETURNING GIRLS' LETTERWINNERS (8) - Alana Alberts, Monica Anton, Carly Naaktgeboren, Rebecca Oberrieder, Emily Rogers, Hannah Savage, Cara Strike, Carrie Traetow.

Schedule

Sept. 1 - at Cedar Rapids Prairie (G)

Sept. 3 - at Ames (B)

Sept. 5 - at Central College Invitational (Pella) (G)

Sept. 10 - at Marshalltown

Sept. 17 - Rich Engel Classic at Birdsall Park

Sept. 19 - at Des Moines Roosevelt (B)

Sept. 24 - at Mason City

Oct. 1 - Metro meet at Irv Warren

Oct. 8 - MVC super meet at Iowa City High

Oct. 15 - MVC Divisional at Waterloo East (Bontrager Park)

COLUMBUS SAILORS

HEAD COACH - Ron Roberson

RETURNING BOYS' LETTERWINNERS (1) - Brandon Hulme.

RETURNING GIRLS' LETTERWINNERS (4) - Leann Luecke, Lynn Luecke, Abby Engel, Hallie Kuchera.

Schedule

Sept. 1 - at Oelwein

Sept. 8 - at Waverly-Shell Rock

Sept. 12 - at Benton (Van Horne)

Sept. 15 - at Starmont (Arlington)

Sept. 19 - at Union (LaPorte City)

Sept. 22 - at Vinton-Shellsburg

Sept. 26 - at Independence

Oct. 1 - Metro meet at Irv Warren

Oct. 6 - at Dike-New Hartford

Oct. 15 - WaMaC conference meet at Anamosa

EAST TROJANS

HEAD BOYS' COACH - Tim Moses

HEAD GIRLS' COACH - Mike Penning

Schedule

Sept 8 - at Waverly-Shell Rock

Sept. 17 - Rich Engel Classic at Birdsall Park

Sept. 24 - at Mason City (NIACC)

Sept. 29 - at Linn-Mar (Tuma Soccer Compex, Mariion)

Oct. 1 - Metro meet at Irv Warren

Oct. 6 - at West Delaware (Manchester)

Oct. 8 - MVC super meet at Iowa City High

Oct. 15 - MVC Divisional at Bontrager Park

NU PANTHERS

HEAD COACH - Will Reingardt

RETURNING BOYS' LETTERWINNERS (4) - Terry Nielsen, Luke Schroder, Keith Hanson, Tristan Holt.

RETURNING GIRLS' LETTERWINNERS (7) - Christine McKenna, Joni Griffith, Jyothi Dhanwada, Alex Pircer, Megan Grey, Judy Bleile, Jesse Lankford.

Schedule

Sept. 3 - at South Hardin (Eldora)

Sept 8 - at Waverly-Shell Rock

Sept. 14 - at South Tama (Otter Creek)

Sept. 22 - at Vinton-Shellsburg (Rodgers Park)

Sept. 24 - at Iowa Falls (Meadow Hills)

Oct. 1 - Metro meet at Irv Warren

Oct. 6 - at Dike-New Hartford (Fox Ridge)

Oct. 13 - at Union (Hickory Hills)

Oct. 17 - NICL conference meet at Reinbeck

WEST WAHAWKS

HEAD BOYS' COACH - Matt MacKenzie

HEAD GIRLS' COACH - Ralph Longus

RETURNING BOYS' LETTERWINNERS (7) - Austin King, Chris Smith, Brandon Walker, Dylan Cutsforth, Zak Kohlmeyer, Ryan Shumaker, Jacob Porter.

RETURNING GIRLS' LETTERWINNERS (4) - Ashley Ubbelohde, Morgan Kosar, Haley Waschkat, Tori Johnson, Morgan Gerdes.

Aug. 27 - at Marshalltown

Sept. 3 - at Charles City

Sept. 8 -at Waverly-Shell Rock (G)

Sept. 10 - at Cedar Rapids Jefferson (B)

Sept. 12 - at Luther Invitational (Decorah) (G)

Sept. 17 - Rich Engel Classic at Birdsall Park

Sept. 24 -at Burlington (B); at Mason City (G)

Oct. 1 - Metro meet at Irv Warren

Oct. 8 - MVC super meet at Dubuque Senior

Oct. 15 -MVC Divisional at Cedar Rapids w