Nov. 19, 2009
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch (2009-10 season)
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
- Hawkeye Harriers web site
2009 SEASON REVIEW — The University of Iowa’s cross country season is officially over following last weekend’s NCAA Midwest Regional meet. Despite strong All-Regional performances by sophomore Brooke Eilers, freshman Jeffrey Thode, and junior Mark Battista, Iowa failed to earn any individual at-large bids for the NCAA Championships. In the final US Track & Field and Cross Country Association Poll of the season, the women’s team is ranked fifth in the Midwest Region, while the men are ranked sixth.
Eilers’ All-Region finish (13th, 21:14.3) at the Midwest Regional capped off a remarkable season for the Holland, MI, native. Eilers led the Hawkeyes in three out of the five meets she competed in. She earned a spot in the Iowa recordbooks for her 3,000-meter performance in the season-opening Hawkeye Invitational, finishing 3rd with a time of 10:24.51 which ranks fifth all-time at Iowa. In the two meets Eilers wasn’t in the front, it was sophomore Betsy Flood, who in those two finishes earned spots on Iowa’s all-time lists in the 3,000-meters (3rd all-time, 10:20.25) and 6,000-meters (9th all-time, 21:29). The team as a whole performed well, with the women’s team placing in the national rankings for the majority of the season. Their highest placement was at 23rd, a spot they held for two weeks.
Thode didn’t waste any time this season making a name for himself. He was Iowa’s top finisher in five of the six races this season, only trailing senior Jesse Luciano in the Big Ten Championships. Thode didn’t waste any time getting his name in the Iowa record books either. His first place, 18:21.70 finish in the season opening 6,000-meter race ranks second all-time at Iowa, and his Wisconsin Inter Regional finish (2nd, 23:55) ranks seventh in Iowa’s all-time 8,000-meter times. Up until this latest USTFCCCA poll, the men were ranked seventh in the Midwest Region all season and cracked the national ranks for the week two and week three polls.
IOWA LOOKS TO INDOOR SEASON — With the cross country season officially over, Iowa will look forward to the upcoming indoor track and field season, which will be kicked off by the annual Intrasquad meet on Sunday, Dec 6 at 4:00 P.M. at the University of Iowa Recreation Building.
Iowa will host a total of three meets during the indoor season. After the Intrasquad meet, Iowa will host the Iowa Open on Jan. 16, 2010 at 11:00 A.M and the Iowa Invitational on Feb. 19 at 5:00 P.M.