Obviously the football game at 11:00am is at the forefront of most fans' minds tomorrow but I wanted to bring some attention to the XC teams - specifically the Men who will be racing tomorrow morning.
Iowa State Competes tomorrow at 10:10 CST for the program's 1st national title since 1994. Iowa State comes into the national championship as the number two ranked team in the country only behind Oklahoma State. Iowa State and Oklahoma State were paired in the same regional qualifier meet last week where OSU edged ISU 38-41. Both schools sat 1-2 of their runners projected to compete tomorrow in Columbia, MO for the title race in hopes of have a fresher lineup.
Iowa State has already raced at the Gans Creek Course where they will be racing 10 kilometers tomorrow back on Sept. 26th - taking the win in the 8k race with 47 points to second place Virginia's 107 points. Iowa State's projected lineup for tomorrow is headlined by 3 returning All-American (top 40 placers): Sanele Masondo, Joash Ruto, and Robin Kwemoi Bera from the 2024 national championships in Wisconsin where Iowa State placed 2nd. Iowa State came within 13 points of a title last year despite a mid-race fall by Ruto that many thought had it not happened would have very likely led to an ISU title over BYU.
Iowa State looks to re-establish themselves as NCAA Champions tomorrow, but are projected to be in a close race against conference rival; Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State themselves are looking to have a better showing at the national stage after coming in with title hopes last fall as being the #2 ranked team coming in and falling to finish 8th. New Mexico is the only other team expected to be in the immediate running for the team title on the men's side. With Central Missouri having a similar week of weather to what we've seen this week in Iowa, the course is soggy which in cross country, can shake up the competition as footing becomes soft and favors some running styles more than others. The conditions combined with competing in a 2nd 10k race in just 7 days will be sure to test the fitness and determination of all athletes competing.
The jump to the 10k distance the final two weeks has many choosing Iowa State as the favorite for the meet, as they have in previous years, progressed well to the longer 10k distance at the end of the season. While Iowa State likely will not have any runners in contention for the individual title, look for top 20 placings from the top 3 runners on the team to put them in contention for the team title. Kimutai and Watts will factor as the key runners to determine Iowa State's title chances as the 5th and 6th runners. With teams scoring their top 5 runners, Iowa State opted to rest both last week in Stillwater in hopes of them having a big day tomorrow.
Iowa State Men's Projected Lineup:
1. Robin Kwemoi Bera (SO)
2. Joash Ruto (SO)
3. Sanele Masondo (SR)
4. Rodgers Kiplimo (JR)
5. Meshack Kimutai (FR)
6. Ryan Watts (JR)
7. Devan Kipyego (JR)
The women return to the national meet after failing to qualify as a team last fall. This team has shown glimpses of being a top 5-10 caliber team this year headlined by their performance at the competitive Nuttycombe Invite held in Wisconsin where they placed 3rd in a field with 18 ranked teams. They will be led by a strong top 4, and if their 5th runner has a strong day could be looking at placing solidly inside the top 10.
Iowa State Women's Projected Lineup
1. Mercyline Kirwa (FR)
2. Mercy Kibet (FR)
3. Maelle Porcher (SR)
4. Betty Kipkore (FR)
5. Riley Beach (SR)
6. Maya Ledesma (FR)
7. Ruby Hughes (SO)
Race Times
Women: 9:20 AM
Men: 10:10 AM
TV: ESPNU
Live Timing:
PTTiming
As always go Cyclones!
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