Notes: Big Ten Championships

THIS WEEK
Iowa cross country heads to Madison, Wisconsin, for the Big Ten Championships on Friday. The women’s 6,000-meter race begins at 10:35 a.m. with the men’s  8,000-meter race to follow at 11:35. The meet will take place at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. 

LAST TIME OUT
Third-year Kyle Montgomery set the program’s sixth-fastest 8,000-meter time and a personal record in 23:40.1 at the Bradley Pink Classic, taking 11th overall. Fourth-year Luke Knepp (24:05.0) secured 30th place and a new best. Fifth-year Will Ryan and sophomore Elias Arbuckle took 56th and 62nd, with times of 24:24.1 and 14:28.7, respectively. First-year Reed Robbins (24:33.1) also posted a personal best, helping the men to a sixth-place finish with 204 points.  For the women, third-year Hillary Trainor took 19th overall, posting a career best of 20:49.6. Next in were fifth-year Miriam Sandeen (20.59.2) and third-year Elena Torres (21:15.7), finishing 31st and 45th. Fourth-year Clare Kelly set a lifetime best of 21:41.4, while freshman Avery Rump (21:47.5) also recorded a new personal record. The women finished eighth with 252 points. 

B1G HONOR FOR MONTGOMERY
Third-year Kyle Montgomery was named the Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Oct. 21. Montgomery led Iowa to a sixth-place finish at the Bradley Pink Classic on Oct. 16. He paced the men’s team for the fourth time this season, running a personal best of 23:40.1 in the 8,000-meter race and finishing 30th overall. His new lifetime best ranks sixth all-time at Iowa. He was the first Hawkeye to win a weekly Big Ten award this season. Luke Knepp was the most recent Hawkeye to win the award, taking home the honor on Sept. 24, 2025.

2025 B1G CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Iowa women collectively ran one of their best races of the season at the 2025 Big Ten Championships in East Lansing, posting six season bests and two personal records. Elena Torres led the way with a 21:34.4 with Hillary Trainor following in 21:46.1. Marissa Long was third among Hawkeyes. Elias Arbuckle is Iowa’s top returning finisher from a season ago, finishing the 8,000-meter race in 25:04.4. The Hawkeyes’ top runner this season, Kyle Montgomery, ran 25:28.0 and was the fourth Hawkeye to cross the line. Both teams finished 14th in the team race.

WOMEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Third-year Hillary Trainor was selected for the 2026 Big Ten Runners to Watch list, and is off to a strong start, winning the 4K at the Hawkeye Invite with a personal best. She set a personal best at the Bradley Pink Classic and finished 19th. Fifth-year Miriam Sandeen leads the way as the veteran of the group and led Iowa in the 6K at the Redbird Invite and Gans Creek Classic. Elena Torres finished first for Iowa in every race last season. She also ran multiple personal best times, ranking third all-time at Iowa and earning Big Ten Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors. 

MEN’S TOP RUNNERS
Third-year Kyle Montgomery got off to a strong start, leading the Iowa men to a team title at the Hawkeye Invite. He’s led Iowa in all four races this season. Montgomery was the Big Ten Athlete of the Week on Oct. 21. Fourth-year Miles Wilson made his return to the course and turned in a nice performance in the opener, placing third overall. Wilson was Iowa’s second finisher at the Redbird Invite. He was tabbed as Iowa’s B1G Runner to Watch heading into the season. Fourth-year Luke Knepp led the men’s group in three races last season and set a lifetime best at the Bradley Pink Classic. His performance in the 2025 Hawkeye Invite placed him second all-time at Iowa, also earning Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week later that year. Second-year 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. 

INSTANT IMPACT
On the men’s side, newcomers Slader Buckheister, Reed Robbins and Aaron Yarbro have impressed, with Buckheister and Yarbro providing scoring at the season-opening Hawkeye Invitational. Buckheister also scored at the Redbird Invite, finishing 11th overall. Robbins scored with a personal best at the Bradley Pink Classic. All three freshmen posted personal bests at the Gans Creek Classic. For the women, freshmen Avery Rump and Noella Ross added points in their first collegiate race, finishing fourth and fifth for the Hawkeyes. Most recently, Rump picked up a lifetime best in the 6K at the Bradley Pink Classic. 

LOCAL FOCUS
Of the 19 athletes on the Hawkeyes’ cross country team, 11 hail from the state of Iowa. Spencer Alf and Aaron Yarbro come to the Hawkeye State from Wisconsin. Two more Hawkeyes, Marissa Long and Miriam Sandeen, are Minnesota natives. Ella Magallan (Texas), Kyle Montgomery (Indiana) and Elena Torres (Colorado) represent their respective states in 2026.

LINK UP WITH THE HAWKEYES 
For an inside look at the Iowa cross country program, “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 look to qualify for the NCAA Championships at the NCAA Midwest Regionals on Nov. 13 in Ames, Iowa.