There’s nothing like a weekend of male bonding in the mountains.

That’s what the ISU men’s cross country team will be doing at the Wyoming Invitational in Laramie on Friday.

Since a majority of the runners are newcomers to Iowa State, the invitational will serve as an opportunity for the team to get to know each other better.

Freshman Richard Newton from Preston, England, said he is looking forward to racing for Iowa State and hanging out with his new teammates.

“We haven’t really been together long,” Newton said.

Freshman and California native Brandon Rooney said he agrees.

“It’ll be fun to get to know the team better and get things rolling,” said Rooney. “We don’t know what the course is like. We’re going to get out there, have fun and hope for the best.”

John Ricardi, freshman from Montana, said he looks at the meet as a learning experience.

“Wyoming’s a low-key meet,” Ricardi said. “We’ll start to see how we could adjust.”

Men’s coach Corey Ihmels said the team has trained through this week and is using this meet to see where the team stands.

“We’re just going to get our feet wet,” he said. “We’re not really geared up for it. It’ll be a chance for the young guys to get some competition in and point them in the right direction.”

As of Thursday, Ihmels said he wasn’t completely sure who will race and who will not. That decision will be made once the team arrives in Wyoming, he says.

Most of the returnees and a handful of the eight freshmen, will compete.

“David Rotich has a cold right now, so he’s not 100 percent,” Ihmels said. “As of right now it looks like everybody will be able to run. The only reason to sit anyone is to be cautious [of their health].”

After Friday’s meet, Ihmels said he will have a better view of how the team is looking.

A run with the Wyoming team Saturday will give the Cyclones an even tougher challenge with the altitude.

“It’s pretty high altitude,” he said of the Laramie course. “We’re going to be tired. But it’ll give us an idea of where we’re at.”

At the ISU Open, next weekend’s home meet, the team will be more solidified at the top seven or eight spots after Friday’s meet, Ihmels said.

“This will be a good experience for us. Some of the guys have never been west of Iowa, so in that sense, it’ll be fun as well.”

Senior Dan Taylor, one of the Cyclones’ top runners, will redshirt this season but will run unattached at the ISU Open next weekend.