THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross country teams hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Ann Arbor, Michigan on Friday for the Big Ten Preview. The meet is hosted by Michigan at the U-M Golf Course. The women’s 6,000-meter race begins at 8:30am CT, while the men’s 6,000-meter race starts at 9:15am CT. Live results will be found at pttiming.com.
IN THE RANKINGS
The University of Iowa men’s cross country team is ranked No. 14 in the USTFCCCA Midwest Region preseason polls. The Hawkeyes are one of three Big Ten teams ranked in the Midwest top 15, including No. 4 Minnesota and No. 15 Illinois. Seven additional Big Ten teams are ranked in their respective regions, including Wisconsin, Michigan State, Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, and Penn State. The University of Iowa women’s cross country team is ranked No. 14 in the USTFCCCA Midwest Region preseason polls. The Hawkeyes are one of five Big Ten teams ranked in the Midwest top 15, including No.2 Illinois, No. 4 Northwestern, No. 5 Minnesota, and No. 11 Nebraska. The remaining nine Big Ten teams are also ranked in their respective regions.
LAST TIME OUT…
The University of Iowa cross country teams opened their season with a sweep of the competition at the 2022 Hawkeye Invite at the Ashton Cross Country Course.
In the women’s 4,000-meter race, Iowa used nine PRs and had the top five finishers to claim the victory with 15 points. Senior Emma Gordon led the way with a PR of 14:12.9. Junior Kelli Tosic finished second with a time of 14:38.3, while senior Maddie Block came in with a PR of 14:40.3. Junior Amber Aesoph (14:50.3) and freshman Jalyssa Blazek (14:51.0) rounded out the perfect top five finishers for the Hawkeyes. On the men’s side, the Hawkeyes claimed the title with 21 points in the 6,000-meter race. Iowa had three finishers inside the top five and six within the top 10. Freshman Miles Sheppard made his debut and led the Iowa finishers with a time of 18:46.4, good for third overall. Junior Aidan King was right behind in fourth with a PR of 18:47.6. Freshman Will Ryan rounded out the top five with a time of 18:53.4. Freshman Hayden Kuhn and Sophomore Ian Geisler wrapped up Iowa’s top five with times of 18:55.0 and 18:57.8, respectively. Sophomore Eli Ward set a PR with a time of 20:56.9.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following the season opener, the Hawkeyes will have six regular season meets including a pair of meets that will preview the NCAA postseason sites. This week’s Big Ten Preview in Ann Arbor will give the Hawkeyes a look at the course for the Big Ten Championships (October 28). The Gans Creek Invite (Sept. 30) at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri, will give the Hawkeyes a look at the course that will play host to the NCAA Midwest Regional. The Weis-Crockett Invite (Oct. 15) at OSU Cross Country Course will serve as a preview meet of the 2022 NCAA Championships (Nov. 19) site in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The Big Ten Championships will be hosted by Michigan in Ann Arbor on Oct. 28 and the NCAA Midwest Regional will take place Nov. 11 back in Columbia, Missouri. Teams and student-athletes that advance past the Midwest Regional will compete at the 2022 NCAA Cross Country Championships.
NEXT UP FOR THE HAWKEYES
The Hawkeyes head to Normal, Illinois, to compete at the Redbird Invite on Friday, September 16th.
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 the Hawks on Twitter (@IowaXC_TF) and Instagram (@iowaxctf). Follow live results at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive.