Daily Staff

Cyclone seniors Guor Marial and Lisa Koll have been chosen as this week’s Big 12 Cross Country Runners of the Week.

In the Roy Griak Invitational, Marial finished with a runner-up time of 24:50, leading the Cyclones to the tournament title.

Koll also led the ISU women to a championship finish with her second-place time of 21:12. The team is the first Big 12 team to take the Roy Griak title.

The Roy Griak Invite was the first competition for Marial since last year’s NCAA Cross Country Championships, and for Koll, it was her first race since the 2007 NCAA Championships after her redshirt season last year.

The Cyclone women’s cross country team soared 20 spots in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) to the No. 8 spot in the poll.

Iowa State jumped into the top 10 after claiming the title at the Roy Griak Invitational. Senior Lisa Koll’s runner-up finish led the Cyclones to a total of 31 points, enough to claim the title and mark an all-time team low score. Iowa State is ranked third in the Midwest region behind Illinois and Minnesota.

The Cyclone men jumped to No. 16 in the USTFCCCA poll, after being ranked No. 25 in the preseason poll. Iowa State sits at No. 3 spot in the Midwest regional poll after claiming the Roy Griak Invitational title last weekend.