With a long history of postseason success, the Lindbergh High School varsity boys’ cross country team may have to run a few extra miles to continue that tradition in 2013.

After winning district seven consecutive years, Lindbergh faces a rare rebuilding year after graduating nearly the entire team last year. The Flyers have only three members who have run in varsity races.

“We graduated everybody last year, so we are brand new,” head coach Jim Petersen told the Call.

Ben Barry, Kyle Mrotek and Jordan Watt are the three returning from last season.

Petersen said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the season’s potential.

“We are young, but we are inexperienced,” he said. “They are pretty hard-working kids. “We’ve got a junior. We’ve got a couple young sophomores and a freshman who’ve worked really hard, and we’re optimistic about what they might be able to do,” Petersen added.

Flyers fans can hope that hard work pays off throughout the season as throughout the season, the team basically is training for the district meet.

Petersen is confident that he can get his runners where they need to be by the end of the season.

“I think we’ve got some good young talent. Like I said, we’ve won districts seven years in a row,” Petersen said. “Our goal is always to win districts, and that’s still our goal. It’s a little higher goal this year.

“I always say we will. Now I’m hoping we will, but I think it’s a possibility if kids step up and work hard.

“And they are working hard, so we’ll see what happens,” he added.