XC Notebook: NCAA Regionals

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THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross country teams travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to compete at the 2019 NCAA Regionals on Friday. The women’s 6,000-meter race begins at 10:30 a.m. (CT). The men’s 10,000 meters begins at 11:30 a.m. (CT). The race is held at Oklahoma State University Cross Country Course.

OSU CROSS COUNTRY COURSE
Home course to the Pokes, The OSU Cross Country Course underwent a recent multi-million dollar renovation in preparation for the 2019 Midwest Regional and the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Construction began in June 2018
and was completed in late July 2019. The course was lengthened to 10K and offers four different loop configurations for the runners: 8K, 6K, 5K and 2K.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Results are posted on the Iowa cross country Twitter account: @Iowa XC_TF and online at www.flotrack.org

HAWKEYES CONTINUE TO FIGHT
The women’s team placed ninth at the Big Ten Championship on Nov. 3. Freshman Leah Kralovetz was the top finisher for the Hawkeye women, placing 42nd. The men finished 10th. Senior Nathan Mylenek led the men’s team for the fifth straight week and finished 10th earning All-Big Ten Honors. Junior Elyse Prescott and junior Noah Healy earned Big Ten Sportsmanship honors for the 2019 season.

IN THE RANKINGS
The women rank 10th in the USTFCCCA Week 6 polls behind fellow Big Ten teams Illinois (1) and Minnesota (3). Iowa ranks above Nebraska (11). The men rank ninth in the polls. They trail Nebraska (6) and Minnesota (7) and rank above Illinois (10) within the Big Ten conference. The men’s team received a vote in the national polls on Oct. 8 for the first time since 2009.

MYLENEK NAMED BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
After leading Iowa to a first-place finish at the Hawkeye Invitational on Sept. 6, Nathan Mylenek was named Big Ten Athlete of the Week. The Big Ten weekly honor is the first of Mylenek’s career, and the first by a Hawkeye men’s cross country runner since Jeff Thode won the award in 2010.

TOP HAWKEYE FINISHER
Senior Nathan Mylenek has been the men’s top finisher nine races in a row. Mylenek surpasses Jeff Thode’s record of eight straight races in 2010-11 and behind Kevin Herd with 12 straight wins in 1993-94.

MEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Senior Nathan Mylenek returns this week as the men’s top finisher from the 2019 Big Ten Championships on Nov. 3. He placed 10th overall, earning All-Big Ten honors. Mylenek holds the school record for the Hawkeyes in the 10,000 meters (29:53), set at the 2017 NCAA Regionals. Senior Brandon Cooley is the men’s second top returner, recording a 30:29 in the 10,000 meters at the 2017 NCAA Regional meet. Cooley ranks ninth on the Top 10 All-Time Best list. The men finished seventh last year at the NCAA Regional meet. Micah VanDenend was the last person for Iowa to win the NCAA Regional meet in 2006.

WOMEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Freshman Leah Kralovetz led the Hawkeye women at the Big Ten Championships on Nov. 3. She recorded a personal best (21:16) in the 6,000 meters, placing 42nd. Senior Megan Schott returns with the top 6,000 meters time (21:02) from the 2018 Bradley “Pink” Classic. The women finished 12th out of 34 teams at last year’s NCAA Regional meet on Nov. 9, 2018.

HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
Freshman Leah Kralovetz was the women’s top finisher at the Big Ten Championships. She finished 42nd with a new career best in the 6,000 meters. Junior Elyse Prescott finished in the Hawkeye’s third spot with a 56th place finish and a new personal best (21:28) in the 6,000 meters.

NEXT UP FOR THE HAWKEYES
The Hawkeyes will wait to see who advances to the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. The last time the men’s team went to the NCAA Championships was in 2006. Their highest place (13th) was in 2004. The women’s
team went to the championship in 2008 and placed 10th in 2007.

LINK UP WITH THE HAWKEYES
For an inside look at the Iowa cross country program and to access exclusive coverage, “like” The University of Iowa Cross Country and Track & Field Facebook page and follow @IowaXC_TF on Twitter.

 

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