Ames, Iowa, is set to host the Big 12 Cross Country Championship on Saturday.
The Cyclones are finishing their fall campaign with a home meet of sorts. The Big 12 Cross Country Championship is on a rotation for hosts, and it is Iowa State’s turn.
The Cyclones will look to continue their dominant season, as both the men’s and the women’s teams checked in at No. 17 in the rankings prior to the meet.
Iowa State is coming off a tough meet in Madison, Wisconsin, where the men finished 13th and the women finished 11th at the Nuttycombe Invitational.
The Nuttycombe Invitational was loaded with talent on both sides. Placing in the top 15 was a tall task for both the men and the women.
The men’s cross country team, ranked No. 23 at the time, finished in 13th in a field that sported eight ranked teams in the top 10. The top three consisted of No. 1 NAU, No. 3 BYU and No. 6 Syracuse.
The women’s cross country team was in a similar boat. Ranked No. 13 at the time, the Cyclones came out of the meet in 11th place, with nine ranked teams above them. The top was loaded, with No. 2 NAU taking the title and No. 1 NC State following close behind.
The outcome of the Nuttycombe Invitational saw the men rise to No. 17 and the women fall four spots to the same ranking. Along with those rankings, both the men and the women held steady as a top-three team in the Midwest region throughout the season.
The most success for both teams came in the first two meets of the season, where the men picked up a first-place finish at the Cyclone Preview and a fourth-place finish at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational, and the women placed first in both.
The Cyclone women also finished top-10 in the third meet of the season, placing sixth at the Virginia Invitational. The women were ranked just outside the top 25 at the time but bumped out two top-15 teams and No. 5 Colorado to jump up the board.
The Cyclones will have their work cut out for them in the Big 12 Championship, as they host a group of strong competitors.
On the men’s side, the top teams in the conference are also the top teams in the nation. Iowa State is the fourth-highest-ranked team in the conference, sitting behind No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. 3 BYU and No. 6 Texas.
The women’s team has it slightly easier, as they fall into the third-highest ranking spot in the national poll. No. 4 BYU and No. 6 Oklahoma State still sit above the Cyclones and could be tough teams to beat.
Home-field advantage will have to come into play for Iowa State if it wants a chance at making the top three.
The Big 12 Cross Country Championship kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday with the men’s 8K race. The women’s 6K race will follow at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Both races will start at the same starting point at the ISU Cross Country Course. The starting point is at the corner of Hayward Avenue and Mortensen Road.
The course maps can be found here.
The event will be streamed live on ESPN+, and live stats can be accessed here.
