Iowa State is gearing up to host the NCAA Cross Country Championships on Monday, Nov. 20. Preparations are already underway to prepare the course for the influx of runners and spectators that will converge on it.

The ISU men’s and women’s cross country teams are also preparing for the national championships. Both teams qualified by placing second at the NCAA regional in Tulsa on Saturday.

The women’s team has experienced a remarkable turnaround this season. Spurred by several outstanding young runners, the women find themselves running at nationals for the first time since 1990.

“A classic understatement would be we are excited to be running next Monday at nationals,” women’s head coach Dick Lee said. “It’s been our goal all year. We started from the first day of practice, talking about ‘we want to run in Ames on November 20.'”

Two freshmen who have made an immediate impact to the team are Jana Peterson and Emily Martini.

Peterson, from Webster City, started the season in very impressive fashion, winning the UNI Open in only her second collegiate meet of her career. This accomplishment helped her earn Big Eight Runner of the Month honors for the month of September. Peterson struggled through the middle part of the season, after being diagnosed with a case of anemia, but came on strong at regionals, finishing a team-high third for the Cyclones.

Martini, from Emmettsburg, was earlier named the Big Eight women’s cross country newcomer of the year. Martini showed steady improvement throughout the season and capped off the Big Eight season with a top 15 finish at the conference championships.

The men’s team is no stranger to nationals, having won national championships in 1989 and last season.

They came into the season with national championship expectations, but have been forced to lower these after injuries to key runners. Saul Patla and Simon O’Connor were poised to be ISU’s third and fourth runners at nationals.

“Those two guys made us a pretty strong team,” men’s head coach Bill Bergan said. “We have a decent team even without those two. I don’t know if we can place in the top 10 (at nationals), maybe in the top 15 is more realistic.”

Dmitry Drozdov has been the most consistent runner for the men throughout the season. The senior from Penza, Russia finished second at regionals and is looking to improve on his 12th place finish at last season’s national championships.

Another runner the Cyclones will be counting on to bring the team points at nationals is junior Corey Ihmels. Ihmels came back from a fall at regionals to finish 14th. He finished right behind Drozdov at last season’s nationals at 13th.

The men will start their race at 11 a.m., with the women running at noon.