Nov. 10, 2003
THIS WEEK – The University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross country teams travel to Stillwater, OK, Saturday to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on the campus of Oklahoma State. The women’s 6,000-meter race will begin at noon (CT) and the men’s 10,000-meter race will begin at 11 a.m. (CT) at the OSU Cross Country Course.
IOWA AT THE 2002 CHAMPIONSHIPS – The Iowa men captured the first Regional Championship in school history in 2002. Iowa returns four of its seven runners from last season’s team, including top finisher Matt Esche.
NATIONAL POLLS – The United States Cross Country Coaches Association sponsored by MONDO rank the Hawkeye men 30th nationally and third in the Midwest Region.
CONFERENCE HONORS – Junior Tony Rakaric and sophomore Brian Rae earned second team all-Big Ten honors at the Big Ten Championships November 2. Rakaric and Rae finished 11th and 13th, respectively.
HAWKEYE COACH Larry Wieczorek – Larry Wieczorek is in his 17th season as Iowa men’s head cross country coach. In the past five years, Iowa has placed no lower than sixth at the NCAA Regional, including a first place finish at the 2002 NCAA Regional, the highest finish in school history. Wieczorek was a two-time Big Ten champion and a member of Iowa’s last Big Ten track championship team in 1967. Wieczorek owns Iowa records in the outdoor 5,000-meters and the indoor two mile.
QUOTING COACH WIECZOREK – “Though we enter this week ranked third in our region, we’re going in as the defending champions and our goal is defend our title. I feel we can do just that if we run as well as we did at the Big Ten Championships.”