The season has yet to begin but the Central College women’s cross country team has taken a big step forward. A returning NCAA Division III meet qualifier bolstered by a large and promising freshman class is putting the Dutch on a path to the type of national prominence coach Joe Dunham envisioned for the program when he gave up his track and field head coaching duties a year ago to focus on cross country. With 11 incoming freshmen, Dunham is off to a good start. They join a still young squad that returns five of last year’s top seven runners That contingent includes sophomore Miranda Kruiswyk, who had a spectacular debut season. She won her first collegiate race, the Central Dutch Invitational, placed second at the 16-team Les Duke Invitational at Grinnell and turned in a season-best 6,000-meter time of 22:17 at the Rim Rock Classic hosted by the University of Kansas. She then finished fourth in the American Rivers Conference meet and ninth at the NCAA Division III Central Regional in Waverly to earn a national meet berth, only Central’s second national qualifier since 2009. Kruiswyk was 144th in an elite field at the national meet in Oshkosh, Wisconsin but the experience was invaluable. The Dutch also have another returning all-conference performer in senior Lauren Moll. She was 10th at the league meet and was Central’s No. 2 runner at the regional, where she was 44th in a season-best 23:26. Central opens the women’s cross country season at home during the annual Central Dutch Invitational on September 6th.