THIS WEEK
University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross country wraps up its regular season on Friday at the Bradley Pink Classic in Peoria, Illinois. The Men’s White 8,000-meter race starts at 1:30 p.m. (CT) followed by Women’s White 6,000-meter race at 2:15 p.m., at the Newman Golf Course. Competition continues with the Men’s Red 8k race at 3 p.m. and followed by the Women’s Red 6k race starting at 3:45 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross country teams set eight new personal records at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri, on Sept. 27. The women placed 12th and the men placed 13th in the meet.
WOMEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Miriam Sandeen is the leading runner for Iowa in 2024. The senior from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has been Iowa’s top finisher in the Hawkeye Invite and Big Ten Preview. Freshman Elena Torres finished as Iowa’s top runner at Gans Creek classic. Junior Rowan Boulter and senior Amber Aesoph combined to score on for Iowa’s first three meets of the 2024 season.
MEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Juniors Will Ryan, Miles Sheppard, Brayden Burnett, and Carson Houg have been Iowa’s point scorers this season. Ryan was named to the Big Ten’s Preseason Watch List. Sophomore Miles Wilson has been a consistent top five runner for Iowa in the past three meets.
HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
Iowa has seen impressive performances from its freshman class this season. On the women’s side, Elena Torres has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice, following her performances at the Big Ten Preview and Gans Creek Classic. Torres was awarded Iowa’s September Woman Athlete of the Month. In addition, Marissa Long, Hillary Trainor have placed in the top five of Iowa’s runners in Iowa’s first two races. For the men, Kyle Montgomery has finished in the top five among Iowa runners in all of Iowa’s races this season.
LOCAL FOCUS
Of the 31 athletes on the Hawkeyes’ cross country team, 23 hail from the state of Iowa. Ian Geisler, Cameron Kalaway and Audra Soderlind come to the Hawkeye State from Illinois. Two Hawkeyes – Marissa Long and Miriam Sandeen – are Minnesota natives. Armaan Chopra (Virginia), Kyle Montgomery (Indiana) and Elena Torres (Colorado) represent their respective states in 2024.
FAST START
The University of Iowa cross country team kicked off its 2024 season at the Hawkeye Invite at the Ashton Cross Country Course. The women took second with 39 points in the 4,000-meter race and the men got third with 79 points in the 6,000-meter race. The women finished the evening with three top-10 finishes. Senior Miriam Sandeen and junior Rowan Boutler both set personal records at 14:20.4 and 14:41.5, respectively.
2023 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Junior Max Murphy placed 69th at the NCAA Championships in Charlottesville, Virginia, with a 30:13.9 personal best in the 10,000-meter race. Murphy’s time moved him to fifth in program history. The Bettendorf, Iowa, native was Iowa’s first NCAA qualifier since 2019. Murphy’s finish is the highest since 2010, when Jeff Thode placed 30th. Murphy saved his best race for last, with an average 1,000-meter split of 2:57.4. As he has done all season, the Hawkeye junior kept pace and climbed toward the front of the pack with each passing split. Out of 236 runners, Murphy broke into the top 100 at the 6K mark and continued to push forward to his personal best finish.
NEXT UP FOR THE HAWKEYES
The Hawkeyes will head to the Big Ten Championships in Champaign, Illinois, on Nov. 1.
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 Hawkeyes on X (@IowaXC_TF) and Instagram (@iowaxctf). Follow live results at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive.