The top runners for the ISU women’s cross country team will take a back seat at Aug. 29’s Bulldog 4k Classic.

Instead, some of the redshirt freshmen, sophomores and maybe a few juniors who didn’t get to race in the postseason will lead the team, said ISU volunteer assistant coach Samantha Bluske.

Aug. 29’s focus for the team includes getting runners in the race environment and preparing to kick off the season.

Redshirt sophomores Colleen Riley and Taylor McDowell along with redshirt junior Andrea Toppin are three of the runners expected to race at the Bulldog Classic. Each runner finished just outside of the scoring at the Big 12 outdoor meet last season.

“Some of these girls haven’t raced in a long time,” Bluske said. “We just want to give them the opportunity to knock out any early season jitters and get them excited.”

The team enters the season ranked No. 1 in the Midwest Region Coaches Poll and No. 9 in the National Coaches Poll. The high expectations have become more of the norm rather than a focal point of the team’s mindset.

“We’re getting to be a program where being ranked in the top 15 is very common,” Bluske said. “There’s really no pressure there. Last year, we got a little caught up with rankings after Wisconsin, and I think that hurt us a little bit going into the national meet.”

The team returns five of its top seven runners from last season. It also adds transfers Margaret Connelly and Katherine DeSimone from Brown University. Connelly finished in the top 100 at nationals two years ago.

The depth of this year’s squad is expected to play an important role again this season. Junior Crystal Nelson and sophomore Bethanie Brown both return after placing in the top 40 at last year’s NCAA Championships. The duo along with Connelly and redshirt senior Katy Moen expect to be four of the top leaders on this year’s team.

“The women have great chemistry right now and are working really well together,” Bluske said. “Bethanie, Crystal, Katy and Margaret are all really strong leaders in different ways. Together they’re going to be able to work really well up front for us.”

After the Bulldog Classic, the Cyclones will compete in two invitationals before competing in the Big 12 Championships on Nov. 1.

“We obviously want to go out and have a really solid performance [Aug. 29],” Bluske said. “The championship season isn’t for almost two months, so this is just very small in comparison to the season as a whole.”