For all those who thought Lisa Koll had done it all, you were wrong.

The senior distance runner from Fort Dodge came to Iowa State as a redshirt freshman and was not highly recruited by former coaches Dick Lee and Scott Roberts. Now, five years later, her accomplishments cannot be stated without pausing for a breath, or two.

During her time sporting the cardinal and gold, Koll has proven time and time again how much she can achieve, both on and off the track.

Her list of athletic accomplishments include: four-time NCAA Champion, 11-time All-American, nine-time Big 12 champion, holder of the NCAA Collegiate Record for the 10,000-meter run and three Big 12 meet records. She has also received an astounding list of awards — including yesterday’s Honda Sports Award for track and field — that only add to the realization of how talented Koll is on the track.

What some don’t notice is the success Koll achieves off the track.

Currently a student at Iowa State in the college of veterinary medicine, she continues to dedicate herself to a life not completely consisting of time on the track. In a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Koll said the time since her successful stint at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championship has been spent recovering.

“I actually haven’t done much working out wise since Nationals,” Koll said. “I’m going to do a tune-up workout today and then be ready to go Thursday.”

What Koll is referencing is the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships beginning Thursday at Drake Stadium in Des Moines. Koll is seeded second in the 10,000 behind only Olympian Amy Yoder Begley.

Thursday evening will be a different kind of race, though, with stakes higher than at the NCAA meet earlier this month. Koll is 1 of 30 women vying for the title of 10-kilometer champion.

“It’s not a race that’s necessarily mine to lose. I’ve just got to be on the ball,” she said.

Although this is her debut at the USA championships, Koll realizes what tweaks she’ll have to make to come out on top. The experience level is deep amongst Koll’s competitors, and the overall pace of the race will be quicker. The unfamiliar feeling of being surrounded by other runners will be another aspect of Thursday’s race.

“You just have to know going into [the race] there are probably going to be more people around you,” Koll said.

She’s confident that the second half of the race will be her time to pull away from the pack and show why the 10K is her race.

A long season of indoor and outdoor racing holds a minor place in the back of Koll’s mind, but confidence coming off her victory at the NCAA meet puts any fear aside.

“Any time you go to the start line, it’s kind of like a fresh start,” she said.

Although Drake Stadium is Iowa State’s neighbor to the south, many Cyclones consider the Bulldogs’ blue track as their home stadium, including Koll.

Koll has fond memories of earlier races on the blue track during high school meets.

“It will be exciting to run at Drake,” Koll said. “The crowd is always good there. I’ll be really comfortable [running] there.”

Koll plans to drive to the stadium the afternoon of her debut. The only question left for those cheering her on: What does a hopeful USA champion listen to during a drive to Des Moines?