It is said to be the best, you have to beat the best. Last weekend, the ISU men’s cross country team was presented a chance to do just that, as 35 of the nation’s top squads were on hand in Bloomington, Ind., for the NCAA Pre-meet.

And while the Cyclones were only able to defeat 1 of the 15 ranked teams there, they gained valuable experience that they hope will be crucial to their success in the upcoming Big 12 Championships.

Coach Kevin Bourke had mixed feelings following the meet on Saturday, wondering if maybe a change in the scheduling wouldn’t have benefited the ISU runners a little more.

“Overall, we came out OK,” said Bourke. “I had a higher hopes, but I felt that we just weren’t quite recovered from last weekend’s home meet.”

Bourke continued by taking the blame for the poor scheduling. “Having a home meet a week before the NCAA Pre-meet wasn’t a wise choice on my part,” he said. “I really think that we would’ve run better with another week of training.”

However, the short time between meets did not affect the performance the Big 12 Cross Country Runner of the Week Mike Mwangong. The fabulous freshman continued his strong campaign by placing 29th out of 239 competitors. His time of 24:51 was good enough for tops on the ISU squad and was easily one of his strongest efforts this season.

The native of Eldoret, Kenya covered the challenging terrain in fine fashion by averaging a five minute mile over the 8K course.

Bourke had nothing but good things to say about his Mwangong’s strong performance.

“I was very pleased with how Mike ran, his performance in Indiana certainly bodes well for his NCAA chances,” Bourke said. “He went out to win the race, and even though he paid for it later, he showed the determination and courage it takes to be the best.”

The second half of Iowa State’s fearsome one-two combination, Daniel Kinyua, finished in his familiar spot behind Mwangong.

The transfer from Mt. St. Mary’s was able to finish 97th overall even though he battled pain in one of his knee’s most of the afternoon. Kinyua has finished close behind Mwangong in every meet this season and has provided Coach Bourke with the consistency he has craved for most of the year.

Rounding out the top five for the Cyclone men were Matt Williams, John Sainna, and Tait Steines.

They finished 151st, 157th, and 209th respectively. Bourke was pleased in that they ran similar times to the ISU Memorial, even though they were short a week of recuperation and practice.

Coach Bourke and his harriers now turn their attention to the ever important Big 12 Championships Oct. 30 in College Station, Texas. His goal of a top three finish will require much hard work, but Bourke has the time and talent to get the job done.

“Training has been going well so far,” Bourke said. “Our young men are staying positive and upbeat and are doing their best to focus on the race ahead.

“The team can perform so much better than what we have done, it is only a matter of time before we come out and show everyone what we are capable of accomplishing,” Bourke said.