Injuries affect every team each season. But the ISU women’s cross-country team suffered a blow last week that other teams may not have to deal with.

Samantha Bluske, fifth year senior and team captain, fell victim to a foot injury in practice last week, and has been in a boot ever since.

“I had been having some small foot pain for a few weeks. It was nothing bad and I was still running fine,” Bluske said. “But on a long run, I stepped in a hole and tweaked it. I couldn’t really run after that.”

Bluske transferred from Illinois State and joined the Cyclones in 2011, and redshirted that season. She earned second team Academic All-Big 12 honors last season, and finished ninth at the Big 12 Championships. Bluske was also one of the top Cyclones to finish at the NCAA Championships last fall.

Since it is her fifth and final season, the injury is that much worse.

“I’ve worked so hard for this season, and it’s really a huge bummer that this had to happen,” Bluske said. “But it isn’t the end of the world. I still have this spring. I’m just trying to make the best of it.”

Bluske has an appointment later this week to determine officially what the injury is. At this point, however, the team is treating it as a stress fracture, which can sideline a runner for about four to eight weeks.

The Chaseburg, Wis., native hasn’t just been watching from the sidelines this last week though. Bluske has been doing physical therapy and has been running on underwater treadmills to rebuild the strength in her foot.

“We really don’t know what is wrong yet,” said head coach Andrea Grove-McDonough. “We’re expecting the worst right now, but hoping for the best.”

The No. 25 Cyclones now have to find a way to replace Bluske. Last week, they took fifth at the Griak Invitational, one of the largest cross-country meets in the nation.

“It’s really too bad, but we still have to move forward,” Grove-McDonough said. “I certainly hope that she makes it back because she is a tremendous asset. But from this point, we have to act like Sam won’t be competing for us this fall.”

Whether Bluske will get to run again this season or not, she is determined to still make an impact on the team.

“I am still going to do my part for this team, whatever that may be,” Bluske said. “Part of my duties as a captain are to be there and support the girls. Whether I’m running or watching from the sidelines, that’s what I’m going to do.”