Nov. 2, 2003
East Lansing, MI – The University of Iowa cross country team competed at a rain soaked Big Ten Championships Sunday afternoon on the campus of Michigan State. The men’s team turned in a solid fifth-place performance.
The Hawkeyes finished fifth overall with a combined team score of 144. Junior Tony Rakaric was Iowa’s top finishing individual, placing 11th overall with a time of 24:33. Sophomore Brian Rae finished the 8,000-meter course in 24:45 and placed 13th overall. Sophomore Matt Esche finished 27th with a time of 25:02 while junior Dan Trainor and sophomore Adam Roche finished 46th and 47th, respectively. Ben Lloyd and Chris Jensen rounded out the Hawkeye lineup with 52nd and 53rd place finishes.
Wisconsin won the team championship for the fifth consecutive year, capturing the crown with 40 team points. Wisconsin’s Simon Bairu won the individual title. The sophomore was the only competitor to break the 24-minute mark, finishing in 23:58. The Badgers were followed in the standings by second-place Michigan (57) and third-place Indiana (90). Ohio State (93) and Iowa rounded out the top five.
The Iowa squad will now prepare for the NCAA Regional Championships, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 15, in Stillwater, OK.