Behind Grant Shadden’s seventh-place run, the ISU men’s cross country team finished sixth at the Big 12 Cross Country Championships in Topeka, Kan., on Saturday.

Shadden, who clocked in at 24:53.68, was followed by Alfred Singoei (25:42.36) in 35th place and Dan Taylor in 44th.

Both the Colorado men’s and women’s teams won the conference meet.

Coach Corey Ihmels said that the team could have finished higher — although some had Iowa State picked to finish 11th or last in the Big 12.

“We probably ran a lot better than we were picked coming in, but I was disappointed,” Ihmels said. “I think third or fourth was there for the taking.”

Ihmels said Taylor was tripped and fell during the race.

“That probably was a 40-point swing for us,” Ihmels said.

Even with Taylor getting tripped, Ihmels said the rest of the team didn’t step up enough.

“I came down hard on the team after the race,” he said. “They realized it was there for the taking, and they lost an opportunity.”

The team didn’t perform well overall, Shadden said.

“In every race, there’s a point where you have to ask, ‘Is it worth it to dig deep and hurt a little more?'” Shadden said. “I don’t think we did that. Hopefully, at regionals we will.

“That willingness to hurt a little longer is what we need to get to the next level.”

The women’s team finished 11th and was led by Jenny Mockler, who clocked in at 23:20.36.

Mockler ran the best race of the season so far, but said she could have done better and still has room for improvement for regionals.

“The first few meets were tough, coming off of track [this summer in England],” she said. “I’m getting stronger and stronger. I can knock 20 to 30 seconds off for the next meet.”

Mockler said the first 3K was completely up and down, which was hard for her. She said she prefers flat surfaces.

The team was disappointed in how it finished, she said, because it had aimed for eighth place.

“The teams that finished eighth through 11th will be at regionals,” she said.

“Hopefully, we’ll beat some of them in two weeks.”