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THIS WEEK– The women’s cross country team will compete at the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, IN Monday, November 19. The women will be running a 6K at 11:58 a.m. (CST) at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course located at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center. There will be a $5 admission fee and gates will open at 9 a.m.
WOMEN’S LAST TIME OUT–Senior Diane Nukuri became the midwest region champion for the second year in a row, beating the next runner by nearly 30 seconds and tying the school record with a time of 19:37. Nukuri was the 2006 championwith a time of 20:34; she is the only Hawkeye to win two regional titles. This was her fourth individual title this season. Senior Meghan Armstrong (5th, 20:07), sophomore Jolly Burke (19th, 20:57), senior Jessica Schmidt (40th, 21:29), freshman Lauren Hardesty (49th, 21:38), sophomore Krista Anderson (62nd, 21:48), freshman Amanda Hardesty (99th, 22:24) also ran for Iowa. Armstrong and Burke received all-Region honors. This is Armstrong’s third all-region honor and Burke’s first. Two Hawkeyes had personal bests.
CY-HAWK SERIES– The regional meet counted towards the Hy-Vee Cy Hawk Series, as the Hawkeyes faced Iowa State for the first time this season. The schools competed for two points. Iowa beat Iowa State with 111 points to the Cyclones 208 points. Iowa State is currently leading the fourth annual series, 10-3.
THE RANKINGS–The United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has released its seventh rankings for the 2007 season. The Hawkeye women are ranked 19th nationally and third in the midwest region.
HAWKEYE WOMEN’S COACH Layne Anderson — Layne Anderson is in his fifth year as head women’s cross country coach at Iowa. In his four years with the cross country team, the Hawkeyes have made strong strides toward recapturing the program’s success of the 1980’s. The program took a major step in that direction in 2007, qualifying for the NCAA Championships as a team for the second time in 15 years and tying its highest Big Ten finish (sixth) under Anderson and highest since 1993. The Hawkeyes also tied their highest finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional meet (third) under Anderson. Iowa has improved its finish at the NCAA Midwest regional nearly every season under Anderson, placing ninth in 2003, seventh in 2004, sixth in 2005, third in 2006 and third in 2007.
QUOTING COACH ANDERSON–“We made it to nationals for the second year in a row and, as a program, we are excited because the NCAA meet is where you want to be on November 19. Our goal is to become a nationally recognized program and to be able to compete at a national level. I think we are beginning to achieve that goal.”
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