The girls on the Cedar Rapids Prairie cross country team hope to make great strides this fall. First of all, they'll have to keep up with their new coach.

Corrie Enyart ran a half-marathon in the Twin Cities last year and has a passion for the sport, but this is the first time she's coached a team. "This is a new endeavor for me," she said Thursday before practice.

Enyart ran track and cross country at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, graduating in 1996. She was a sprinter on the track team and placed at the state meet, but now she's an active distance runner in road races.

Enyart is a licensed massage therapist who specializes in sports therapy. She has a private practice, and now she's taking her expertise in running and athletics to the Prairie cross country team.

There are 52 girls on the squad this year, including a big freshman class.

"A reasonable goal for us this year, I think, is to have individuals qualify for state," she said. "It's been quite awhile."

The girls and boys cross country season begins Saturday morning when Prairie hosts its annual invitational meet on school grounds. Enyart is looking forward to the campaign to see how well her girls can do.

"It will be interesting and exciting to see what comes out of them," she said.