POULSBO — On the heels of an historic, total team trip to the 2005 4A State Cross Country meet, the North Kitsap Vikings have no place that they’d rather be than back on the trail.

The quest officially began Aug. 21 with the starting gun of the fall sports season, but in many ways the NK cross country squad’s collective shoes were never still.

Many of the Vikings strained through summer camps and workouts which have provided solid bases for the beginning of the season, head coach Lee Hodin said before practice Thursday.

Noting last year’s JV squad which finished first in the 2005 Narrows League meet, Hodin said, “I was worried about how long it would take them to be prepped (this season), but they came in and they are ready.”

Though summer workouts were not taken advantage of by all runners, with most of last year’s JV at or beyond where they were at the end of last season and solid returners coming back to both the boys and girls teams, early varsity outlooks are positive.

Graduating just two seniors from a powerfully youthful roster last year, the bulk of the Lady Vikings are back and will be led by 2005 state participants, juniors Kelly Cates, Erika Warkus and Jen Gregg. And despite the fact that the NK ladies don’t have a single senior on the roster this year, runners returning from last year’s squad — which spent most of the season looming just outside of the top 10 teams in the state — will provide experience.

“Experience will help them in a way that if they don’t have immediate success they are going to be OK,” Hodin said, noting that even if the beginning of the year isn’t stellar, the true climax will come in late October. “You don’t have to sweat the small stuff.”

Throughout the beginning of preseason practice North has been sweating in preparation, while taking a step back to focus on the little things — like productive warmups — as a handful of Vikings have been hindered by early-season aches and pains.

“This year we are committed to being more focused, taking our drills, warmups and everything more seriously,” senior Cody Bradwell said.

Bradwell and juniors Matt Stickney, Nick Cameron and Paul Coulter are returning with state experience from last year, looking to reach the pinnacle in Pasco once again.

“(State) opened everyone’s eyes to the fact that if we work hard, this is where it’s going to get us,” Bradwell said. “If we work harder, it’s going to get us even further.”

Using preseason practice as a gauge of workout intensity, the Vikings should go far as the team has been pressed to the limit, Hodin said. Some workouts have included 20 400-meter runs to build stamina and others with harsh hill climbs for strength training.

“That’s the most mentally challenging workout we’ve had,” Hodin said of the 20 400s. “I’ve got a crew that will work and that will not complain, so let’s push them.”

And as Hodin pushes, the Vikings are responding.

“A lot of the girls have a lot of willpower,” Gregg said. “They are amazing, they are some of the hardest working people I’ve known.”

“We know how much work it’s gonna take, so our goal is to put in the work that it takes to get to state,” Hodin said. “There’s a hunger there, they want to race, they want to test their legs and see how they’ll do.”

The Vikings first chance to run on the competitive course is Sept. 9 at the Capital Invitational in Olympia.