Finally, men’s cross country coach Corey Ihmels has a team he can call his own.

“This year’s special because these are all guys I’ve recruited and brought in,” Ihmels said. “When you make the calls and visit with their mom and dad, these are the kids that want to be here and want to get better. It solidifies the team as a group.”

The 2005 team is a younger version than teams in the past, with over half of the team consisting of incoming freshmen.

The eight-man recruiting class will join a team that expects everyone back for 2006.

Because the season has just started, the roster has not been completely finalized.

The decision to redshirt senior Dan Taylor is final. Taylor is taking a year off and is expected to run next year, his fifth at Iowa State.

Seniors Jon Reis and Kyle Rasmussen are expected to fall into leadership roles. Despite being a newcomer to cross country, junior David Rotich is also expected to be a leader, Ihmels said.

“It’s key that those three try not to do anything out of the ordinary and just do what they do well and be workmanlike about it,” he said.

Of the three, Rotich may surprise the most, Ihmels said.

“He’s not known as a cross country guy; he’s primarily known as a track guy,” he said. “He’s going to surprise some people.”

Previously unknown because of injuries, junior Ricky Reusser could emerge this season as well.

“If he stays healthy, he could be really good,” Ihmels said. “It’ll take a lot of work, but he could be in our top five all year.”

Reis is coming off an injury-free summer after struggling with stress fractures for the past two years.

“I averaged 70 miles per week, which is more than I’ve ever done,” Reis said.

With a young team, Reis is expected to lead by example.

“If they see an upperclassman do something, they’ll be more apt to do it,” he said. “I’ll help so they don’t make a mistake they otherwise might.”

Of the eight freshmen, Ihmels said he sees an abundance of talent that is equally distributed.

“It’s a tremendous group who were very successful at the high school level,” he said. “It’s tough to say one guy stands out. They all have a chance to make an impact.”

John Ricardi finished 50th overall as the top American at the World Mountain Running Championships in Sauze d’oulx, Italy and was the Montana state cross country champion in 2002 and 2004.

Ricardi’s goal for the season is to stay healthy and be patient.

“We’ve got a lot of potential, but we’ve got a long way to go,” he said.

“We have to have patience and if we are 75 percent fit and 100 percent healthy, it gives us a chance at meets to run well.”

A native of Tehachapi, Calif., Brandon Rooney finished fourth at the California state cross country meet. Rooney said he isn’t sure what to expect, but he’s using this season as a springboard for the future.

“I want to build up and get stronger for the years to come,” he said. “I’ll use this season to get used to the collegiate level.”

Kiel Uhl, from Des Moines Roosevelt High School, was the 2004 Iowa state cross country champion and finished second at the 2003 state cross country meet. At the 2005 8k U.S. Junior Cross Country Championships, he placed 20th with a time of 26:48.

Uhl said he has high goals for the team. He said he’d like to see Iowa State finish in the top two or three in the Big 12 and make the nationals the following year.

“I’ve never had competition like I’ll see now,” Uhl said. “We have a lot of good recruits and a lot of experience and success at the high school level. Now we have to see if we can do it at the next level.”