Senior Ezekiel Rop and the No. 9 ranked Cyclones were able to obtain another first-place finish in the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri. Iowa State competed in the Men’s 8k Division I race Friday morning.

Rop leads the charge once again

Rop was able to finish the race in first place with a time of 23.34.2; his second first-place finish this year for the Cyclones. Rop, a transfer from Eastern Kentucky, showed just how good of a runner he can be with this incredible showing. He continues to be a vital piece for Iowa State as they look to make a name for themselves and hope to move up in the rankings.

Cyclones showing why they are one of the top teams in the country

Rop may have been the star of the group finishing first in the entire race, but the rest of the team finished strong as well. Eight out of the 13 Iowa State runners finished in the top 20. The Cyclones were able to finish with a combined team score of 26 points. The next closest team was the University of Illinois with 120 points. Senior Gable Sieperda finished in third place for a second time with a time of 23.43.0; a very strong showing from him. Seniors Titus Winders and Chad Johnson were able to finish fifth and sixth respectively to round out the Cyclones who finished in the top 10.

Looking Ahead

The men’s team will get a break to rest up and look to finish first yet again as they prepare to head to Madison, Wisconsin and participate in the Nuttycombe Invitational on Oct.14.