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*** Cross Country 2025 Season Thread - Men #1 Women #19 ***

BoxsterCy

BoxsterCy

Living the Dream
Sep 14, 2009
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Thought our teams maybe needed a general thread for this season. Men are currently ranked #1 and the women moved up to #19 and #2 in the Midwest.


From Cyclones.com

cyclones.com

Cyclone Women Climb in Coaches Poll, Men Remain No. 1 - Iowa State University Athletics

AMES, Iowa – Following an impressive showing at the Gans Creek Classic, the Iowa State women's cross country team climbed eight spots in the USTFCCCA coaches...
cyclones.com cyclones.com

Cyclone Women Climb in Coaches Poll, Men Remain No. 1​


AMES, Iowa – Following an impressive showing at the Gans Creek Classic, the Iowa State women's cross country team climbed eight spots in the USTFCCCA coaches poll to No. 19. The men stayed in the top spot after a dominant team win in Columbia.

The Cyclone women finished seventh at Friday's meet with three top 20 individual finishers, including Mercyline Kirwa, Betty Kipkore and Maelle Porcher. All three runners finished the 6K race in under 20 minutes. Four of the Cyclones' top five finishers were freshmen and sophomores (Ruby Hughes, Sydney Morrell). Iowa State also moved up to No. 2 in the women's Midwest Region rankings, announced by the USTFCCCA on Monday afternoon.

The Iowa State men remained the nation's favorite after a decisive team victory at Gans Creek, posting 47 points to runner-up Virginia's 107. Joash Ruto led the Cyclone effort with a runner-up individual finish while the next four ISU runners (Sanele Masondo, Robin Kwemoi Bera, Rodgers Kiplimo, Meshack Kimutai) were also top 20 individually. All Cyclones finished in the top 75 and the average pace for the top five finishers was 22:51.0 for the 8K race, faster than all but eight individual finishers, per USTFCCCA.

Up Next

Following a three-week training block, Iowa State travels to Madison for the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitation on October 17. The women's 6K is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. with the men's 8K to follow at 11:10 a.m.

​

 
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The quality of the 6th and 7th runners is often underappreciated. Even when they aren't counting and covering for one of a team's top 5 runners who is having a bad day or is sick or injured, they can bump and add points to opponent teams by beating a team's last scoring runners.
 
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Oklahoma State and New Mexico will be VERY tough to beat. The Big 12 currently has four of the top six teams in the nation. Last year's NCAA meet was so close to a title - if Ruto hadn't fallen, we would have won it.

The staff has developed some young studs in Watts, Kipyego, Bonnesen, and Clevenger. The current freshmen and the committed recruits also show much promise.

Sudbury has some young talent waiting
 
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CY9008 said:


Men didn’t fare as well, but according to the meet primer
Click to expand...

The men did not have the top men run for some reason. I believe the top 5 didn't run, but could be wrong on the amount.

If those 5 ran the same times as the meet at Missouri, they would have finished 1,2,3,5,6 i think. I know the courses are different and such, but it appears they just wanted to get the younger men experience.
 
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charlie_B said:
The men did not have the top men run for some reason. I believe the top 5 didn't run, but could be wrong on the amount.

If those 5 ran the same times as the meet at Missouri, they would have finished 1,2,3,5,6 i think. I know the courses are different and such, but it appears they just wanted to get the younger men experience.
Click to expand...

Big 12 is in 11 days so maybe resting the guys for real NCAA running? Or maybe if they all weren't 100% it didn't make sense to run the first team.

Still, a bit odd to me since the women ran their best and freshman Mercyline Kirwa finished #5. Another freshman, Betty Kipkore, finished #14. Women might have a good young team. Still a little different, the gals are building and the guys are looking to finish the NCAA at #1 after just missing last year.
 
BoxsterCy said:
Big 12 is in 11 days so maybe resting the guys for real NCAA running? Or maybe if they all weren't 100% it didn't make sense to run the first team.

Still, a bit odd to me since the women ran their best and freshman Mercyline Kirwa finished #5. Another freshman, Betty Kipkore, finished #14. Women might have a good young team. Still a little different, the gals are building and the guys are looking to finish the NCAA at #1 after just missing last year.
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I heard a rumor that some of the top guys didn't run as some might have run different races to help them qualify for their national teams.
 
Ruby Hughes (So.) ran a 20:47.5 (42nd) at Midwest Regionals last year and 20:45.6 earlier this year at the Gans Creek Classic. I think the hope would be that is closer to where she is.

Also, Bella Heikes (R-Sr.) didn't run at either Gans Creek or Nuttycombe but was in our top three runners all of last year with a top 20 finish at Midwest Regionals. Not sure what her status is.
 
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drlove said:
I heard a rumor that some of the top guys didn't run as some might have run different races to help them qualify for their national teams.
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Sanele Masondo didnt run Nuttycombe because he just ran his South African XC trials on Oct 3

in Suds i trust but i wish our guys would run more than 1 regular season meet at full strength

some of the guys may only run 3 xc meets all year (Gans, Big 12s, NCAA)
but hey, if it leads to a trophy
 
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charlie_B said:
The men did not have the top men run for some reason. I believe the top 5 didn't run, but could be wrong on the amount.

If those 5 ran the same times as the meet at Missouri, they would have finished 1,2,3,5,6 i think. I know the courses are different and such, but it appears they just wanted to get the younger men experience.
Click to expand...
On the ranking write up they said that 6 of the top 7 runners for ISU MXC didn't compete. Not a bad showing out of the 8-11 runners. Good experience for them as well.

Note that ISU received all 11 first place votes - a perfect ballot. Nice that there are at least a few polls out there with informed voters. Voters in the BB and FB polls would have seen ISU place so low at the last meet and not have any idea that ISU just sent their B squad to the meet.

2025 NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4 ::: USTFCCCA

2025 NCAA DI Men’s Cross Country National Coaches’ Poll – Week 4
www.ustfccca.org www.ustfccca.org
 
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KennyPratt42 said:
Ruby Hughes (So.) ran a 20:47.5 (42nd) at Midwest Regionals last year and 20:45.6 earlier this year at the Gans Creek Classic. I think the hope would be that is closer to where she is.

Also, Bella Heikes (R-Sr.) didn't run at either Gans Creek or Nuttycombe but was in our top three runners all of last year with a top 20 finish at Midwest Regionals. Not sure what her status is.
Click to expand...

How about getting Paityn Noe to transfer back to her home state as a senior next year and be part of a national champ team. ;)
 
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Messi said:
Sanele Masondo didnt run Nuttycombe because he just ran his South African XC trials on Oct 3

in Suds i trust but i wish our guys would run more than 1 regular season meet at full strength

some of the guys may only run 3 xc meets all year (Gans, Big 12s, NCAA)
but hey, if it leads to a trophy
Click to expand...
Hopefully, they also run at regionals. Or else I don't see regionals going well.
 
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