XC Notebook: Joe Piane Invite

THIS WEEK
University of Iowa cross country travels to the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational Friday morning at the Burke Golf Course in Notre Dame. The women’s 5,000-meter race kicks off competition at 8:50 a.m., with the men’s 8,000-meter race to follow. Admission is free.

LAST TIME OUT
The Hawkeyes traveled to Minneapolis where the women took fourth place with 140 points at the Roy Griak Invite. The team was led by sophomore Elena Torres, who finished 15th with a time of 22:13.5. Iowa’s men finished sixth with 182 points and were led by redshirt sophomore Luke Knepp, who crossed the line with a time of 26:06.7 in the 8,000 meters. 

B1G HONORS
Elena Torres was the Big Ten Women’s Athlete of the Week following her performance at the Hawkeye Invite, where she won the 4,000 meters in a personal-best 13:44.6. Luke Knepp won the men’s edition of the award two weeks later after leading the Iowa men at the Roy Griak Invite in 26:06.7 in the 8,000 meters.

WOMEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Sophomore Elena Torres has led the group in both races so far this season. Senior Jalyssa Blazek finished third at the 2025 Hawkeye Invite and has finished top two for the Hawkeye women in the last two meets. She is tied for 8th all-time at Iowa. Sophmore Hillary Trainor set a new personal record to secure seventh at the Hawkeye Invite and came in as the third finisher for the Hawkeye women at the Roy Griak Invite.  

MEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Redshirt sophomore Luke Knepp has led the men’s group in each of the first two races. Freshman Elias Arbuckle placed sixth in the 2025 Hawkeye Invite with a time of 18:09.0, ranking him fifth all-time at Iowa in his very first collegiate race. Arbuckle has finished in the top ten among freshmen at both meets this season. Kyle Montgomery was seventh in the opener with a time of 18:11.3 moving him into seventh all-time at Iowa. He also was the second Hawkeye men’s runner to finish at the Roy Griak Invite. 

HAWKEYE NEWCOMERS
This season, Iowa welcomes four newcomers to the 2025 roster. Freshmen Owen Wolfe, Spencer Alf and Elias Arbuckle join the men’s team this fall. The women’s team added one new freshman in Emma Magallan. These four look to have just as big of an impact as last year’s newcomers. Last season, Iowa relied on several newcomers. On the women’s side, Elena Torres was recognized twice as Big Ten Freshman of the Week, earning the honor for her performances at the Big Ten Preview and Gans Creek Classic. She was also named Iowa’s September Woman Athlete of the Month. Additionally, Marissa Long and Hillary Trainor placed among Iowa’s top five runners in the team’s first two races. The men’s team also saw strong performances from its then-freshmen. Kyle Montgomery and Ethan Eichhorn were key contributors, finishing among Iowa’s top five at multiple meets. Montgomery excelled at the Hawkeye Invite, Gans Creek Classic, and Bradley Pink Classic, while Eichhorn secured top-five finishes at the Hawkeye Invite, Big Ten Preview and Bradley Pink Classic. 

LOCAL FOCUS
Of the 23 athletes on the Hawkeyes’ cross country team, 15 hail from the state of Iowa. Audra Soderlind comes to the Hawkeye State from Illinois. Two Hawkeyes - Marissa Long and Miriam Sandeen - are Minnesota natives. Spencer Alf (Wisconsin), Armaan Chopra (Virginia), Ella Magallan (Texas), Kyle Montgomery (Indiana) and Elena Torres (Colorado) represent their respective states in 2025.

JOE PIANE INVITE 2023
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invite back in 2023. Junior Max Murphy led the Hawkeye men against a loaded field, finishing in the top-20 of the five-mile race. The women’s team finished in 15th place and earned 381 points, Jalyssa Blazek was the top Iowa finisher for the first time in her career, clocking a 17:56.2 and crushing her previous best by over 90 seconds.

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.

UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return to action on Saturday, Oct. 18 at the Pre-National meet in Columbia, Missouri. Races begin at 10:00 a.m. (CT).