MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan – While she was happy to capture the Far East Division II cross country championship a year ago, Jane Williams says running 12½ laps around a track and having her time submitted to DODEA-Pacific’s headquarters only goes so far.

So the Matthew C. Perry senior says she and her Samurai teammates are looking forward to the first true in-person Far East meet in four years, in late October at Misawa Air Base, Japan.

“It’s going to be a lot more fun in person,” said Williams, who began the DODEA-Japan season by taking first place in a head-to-head meet with E.J. King in Sasebo on Saturday. “I’m really excited.”

“In person. That’s huge,” coach Brad Cramer said. “That’s gotta be better than the last four years” of doing virtual Far East meets.

Williams, timed in 19 minutes, 57 seconds Saturday, is joined by junior teammates Isabella Cordes and McKenzie Steele, 10th and 11th in Far East last year, on a strong Samurai girls team. “Jane is strong right now,” Cramer said.

Senior Tyler Gaines, second in last year’s Far East and who ran 16:20 at Isanoura Park, has sophomores Xavier Mitchell and Daron Lopez joining him.

“Tyler is definitely putting work in, and we have personal and team goals for each runner,” Cramer said.

Nile C. Kinnick, DODEA-Japan’s lone Division I entry, also has a strong contingent of experienced runners – Junior Mia Bartram and senior Bree Withers finished 1-2 in Far East for girls, while senior Soul Vessels placed fourth. The girls placed five runners in the top 20.

The girls team has “the potential to be very good,” coach Luke Voth said. “Deepest team that Kinnick has ever had. Five of seven pieces from last year’s team with a large group of talented runners.”

The boys are rebuilding, but do return two top 10 runners, seniors Soul Vessels and Raiden Urena. They’ll need others to step up, Voth said, to challenge for another Far East, “but the talent is there, though.”

Yokota, whose boys shared the Far East D-II title with Perry, welcomes back a former Far East champion and Pacific track record holder in Danny Galvin, Class of 2016, who will help coach the Panthers after running for four years at Iona.

“It feels weird being back,” Galvin said. He’ll help mentor seniors Alan and Kale Weigand and Kohana Thai, juniors Hinkley Frost, Chloe Cunningham and Willow Rose and freshman Zenko Heinrichs.

Zama is hopeful of another strong performance from senior Liliana Fennessey, second in Far East D-II, and senior teammate Ann Marie Steele Flores, 10th a year ago. Two other seniors join them, Avery Pilch and Olivia Parish.

E.J. King has a full girls team for the first time in many years, along with four boys starters. They’re led by seniors Kai Sperl, Joe McGrath, Madelynn Hays, N.J. Reed and Axel Lachica, along with sophomores Jude Cutler and Rosie McGrath.

Robert D. Edgren’s ranks are somewhat thin, but the boys show promise starting with coach Tim Schwehr’s son, Andrew, a junior. Three freshmen have come aboard, Aaden Mulhall and baseball coach Brett Lehner’s sons, Aidan and Luke.

Edgren resumes its customary role of hosting the Far East meet, Oct. 23-24 at Misawa Air Base’s Gosser Memorial Golf Course.

An unusually hot August has brought black-flag conditions at most bases, forcing cross country, tennis and even volleyball teams in non-air conditioned venues to practice later in the day.

Volleyball

E.J. King did lose two key pieces in middle hitters Liz Turner (playing Japanese club ball) and Madylynn O’Neill (transferred to Washington). But enough veterans remain that the Cobras can continue their success of the last two years, senior Maliwan Schinker said.

“We still have a strong foundation,” said Schinker, whose Cobras swept three matches from Kinnick last weekend to open the season. “We’re good defensively and mentally. We have good chemistry. I think if we focus on what we need to do, we’ll have a good season.”

Stepping into the key middle role is sophomore Mila Nishimura-Reed. Joining Schinker as returners are senior Katelyn Mapa, juniors Sarah Goleman, Kalee Mapa and Allyson Dacasin and sophomore Kaley Albian.

Zama also could challenge in D-II. Seniors Kierstyn Aumua and Deborah McClendon populate the middle, joined by senior setter Lyndsey So and juniors Emma Sakamoto-Flack, Juliet Bitor and Isabella Rivera Munoz. The Trojans swept their two season-opening tilts with Robert D. Edgren.

Former Far East D-II Most Valuable Player Grace Bryant and former two-year setter Remi Sherratt are along for the ride as assistant coaches.

Yokota returns a core of three starters from 2022, senior middle Trinity Stegall, senior outside hitter Malia Hutchins and junior middle Erica Haas. They split their two season-opening matches with Perry.

That Samurai team has taken its lumps the past couple of years, but brings back a wealth of senior experience in Towa Albsmeyer, Jessica Griffin, setter Kahana Pelletier and middle Raelin Reyes. They rallied from two sets down to win Friday’s opener in five sets.

“My goal is for us to pay solidly to get ready for Far East,” Perry coach Tige Tarleton said.

Kinnick is going through a building phase, having lost two-year starting setter Jillian Stevens to graduation. Coach Tony San Nicolas is training up senior Sophia Laron and Amelia Sinski. Seniors Kotone Turner and Jah’lilah Brice and junior Leona Turner return.

Edgren is also enduring rebuilding with its fourth coach in four years, Lindsey Worthen. Seniors Alyssa Marrero and Milan Bean return along with sophomores Jeniya Nelson and Saige Whitmore. Losing setter Samara Whitmore (graduation) and middle Kaitlyn Willets (transfer) hurt.

The Far East tournaments are scheduled for Oct. 23-25, D-I at Humphreys and D-II at Yokota.

Tennis

Edgren also welcomes its third tennis coach in three years, Rachel Billups, though longtime assistant Jack Mahoney - whose two daughters played for the Eagles - remains. And the Eagles’ girls team opened solidly at Zama over the weekend.

Seniors Alyssa Singletary and Hannah Lee return to anchor the girls lineup. The boys bring back two seniors, Charles Avery and Bryce Dries.

For the third straight year, King has as its top two girls singles players - twin sisters Moa and Miu Best - coach McKinzy Best’s daughters. They also have four veteran boys in seniors David Axsom and Joseph Barrett and juniors Amin Alipourkashki and Neo Purificacion.

“The starting squad is stronger than last year, especially the boys,” the elder Best said.

Another strong girls team can be found at Kinnick, in seniors Aiisha Lashley, Alise Walker and Alice Trautman and juniors Olivia Laron and Momoka Kerwin. Three newcomers, Shobu Deeter and brothers Aaden and Noah Otteson, join an already experienced boys team.

After two years away, Tommy Palmer returns to coach Yokota, which welcomes a lifelong tennis player in freshman Ryunosuke Roesch. But it’s a veteran-laden Panthers team, featuring the likes of seniors Tommy Vogeley, Kai Patton, Julia Morioka and Malia Okamoto as well as junior Jai Bailey.

Perry also features veterans, including last season’s All-DODEA-Japan mixed doubles champions in Julie Apperson and Layne Mayer. Senior Nina Altig and juniors Aiana Bulon and Sasha Malone also return. “We have a strong girls team and a good top four in boys,” coach Mark Lange said.

And veterans also dot Zama’s lineup, including seniors Gabe Rayos and Jessie Teegarden. They also return junior Kai Fredenhall and sophomores Sean Simpkins, Jolie Nguyen and Hannah Bolin.