Flying under the radar in the national rankings is no longer an option for the ISU women’s cross country team.

Flying under the radar during a race is a whole different story.

The Cyclones stayed quiet for the first portion of the Bulldog 4K Classic on Aug. 29. They formed a pack of four and scoped out the field before making their attack later in the race.

“We always like to lay off the opening pace a little bit and kind of work through it as a group,” said ISU head coach Andrea Grove-McDonough. “That’s kind of our thing.”

The strategy was not by mistake. Grove-McDonough said after the meet that she was surprised how little time it took the team to move to the front of the race.

Composure is another key element to the team’s success during races.

“I like to have them show good poise early and good execution,” Grove-McDonough said.

The game plan worked for the Cyclones as they took the top four spots in the event, and it would not be surprising to see Iowa State attempt to execute a similar kind of strategy when it travels to Minneapolis for the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 27.

Once the team forms a pack as they did at the Bulldog Classic and escapes from the remaining competition, there is no telling who is going to place first. 

Grove-McDonough said that at the end of the race, it is each runner for herself, even if she is racing against her own teammates.

“It’s kind of unspoken,” said redshirt sophomore Julie Wiemerslage. “At the end, everyone just went. We just stuck together, and then whatever you had left, put it out there.”

While the “under the radar” strategy has carried Iowa State to the top of the national rankings, the high expectations have not overwhelmed the team.

The Cyclones were ranked ninth in the national coaches poll and first in the Midwest region poll before the Bulldog Classic. 

It is just the third time in school history that the team cracked the top-10 in the preseason polls.

“We’re getting to be a program where being ranked in the top-15 is very common,” said ISU volunteer assistant coach Samantha Bluske. “There’s really no pressure there.”

With a strategy in place, Iowa State will attempt to cross into unfamiliar territory. 

The team will have the opportunity to become the first current Big 12 member to win four-straight conference championships Nov. 1.