Brothers on the men’s cross-country team have a chance this season to race together, something they have never had an opportunity to do before.

Redshirt senior Nick Schulze’s younger brother, Jordan, is a freshman on the cross-country team this season.

Last Friday, the two of them ran their first race together at the Bulldog 4K Classic in Des Moines.

“With collegiate running you have nerves,” Jordan said. “It’s nice to have somebody that you’re really close to here. I ran with him all summer, so I’m comfortable running with him. He motivates me to get to another level not just at races, but during our workouts.”

The Schulzes formed a pack and finished their first race together, placing fourth and fifth.

“Our first race was fun,” Nick said. “I kept looking back over my shoulder to make sure he was there, which I really shouldn’t do, but it wasn’t a real tough race.”

Nick did not start running until the fall of his junior year in high school. The following spring, his younger brother also took up the sport.

“Nick started running his junior year, and I was in seventh grade,” Jordan said. “Obviously, he progressed a lot faster than I did just because of his maturity level, so it was cool to see him have a lot of success. It motivated me.”

Nick decided to come to Iowa State for the engineering program, and with that, he was given an opportunity to run for the cross-country team.

“It just kind of happened,” Nick said. “I didn’t want to run when I initially was looking at schools, but when I started it, I got better at it.”

Five years later, Jordan followed in his older brother’s footsteps, without any pressure.

“He really tried to stay out of my college decision as much as he could,” Jordan said of his brother. “I knew it was the right fit for me, my brother and I have very similar personalities. I knew how much he enjoyed ISU, and he fit in so well, that made me want it.”

The Schulze’s father was also a cross-country runner, both in high school and college. Jordan said their parents have had fun watching them progress as runners and also watching them compete together for the first time.

It is still too early in the season to know if the two will be able to race together again. The Bulldog Classic is a race for the developing runners, and there are not any other races like it.

Even though they are uncertain of whether or not they will be able to race together again, Jordan appreciates having his older brother on his team to look after him.

“It’s always nice to have him there, especially for the support if I have a bad race,” Jordan said. “Even if I have a good race, I have him there to make sure that I keep working and don’t become content.”