The Iowa State Cyclones competed in the 12 Championships in Waco, Texas, on Friday. Both teams finished in the top 10, earning honors as a result.
Men’s podium
Iowa State secured a podium finish in the men’s race. Strong finishes from freshman Robin Kwemoi Bera, senior Said Mechaal and freshman Joash Ruto propelled the Cyclones to a third-place finish.
A finish of 22:06.91 from Oklahoma State’s Brian Musau led the pack, which was good enough to secure a second-place finish for the Cowboys. BYU (41) and Oklahoma State (52) outscored the Cyclones, finishing first and second.
Iowa State was followed by Texas Tech, Colorado, TCU, Kansas, Cincinnati, Arizona, and Houston in the top 10. Houston, Arizona State, Kansas State and Baylor rounded out the last four places.
Iowa State was led by Bera, with a time of 22:16.64 in fourth place. Mechaal and Ruto followed close behind with finishes of 22:35.51 and 22:43.72. The Cyclones finished the race with eight runners in the top 25.
Mechaal, Ruto and senior Sanele Masondo were all named Big 12 Honorees at the conclusion of the race. Ruto’s honor comes in his first race with the Cyclones after a 13th-place finish.
Women’s Top 10 finish
The Iowa State women finished in seventh place, behind sixth place Colorado and fifth place Texas Tech. The team standings were dominated by BYU (41), West Virginia (60) and Utah (86).
The Cyclones were led by junior Maelle Porcher in ninth place at 19:58.18, redshirt junior Bella Heikes in 40th at 20:51.17 and redshirt junior Riley Beach in 41st with 20:51.65. Freshman Ruby Hughes and sophomore Sheridan Wheeler rounded out the top 50 with respective times under 21:30.00.
West Virginia’s Celli McCable led the standings with 19:02.60, 56 seconds ahead of Porcher. Porcher was the only Cyclone from the women’s team to earn All-Big 12 Honors, the second of her career.
The Cyclones were rounded out by Wheeler in 50th, senior Taylor Briggs in 52nd and senior Kiki Connell in 61st.
Both teams will prepare for the competition on Nov. 15 in the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship hosted by Illinois State. The men’s race is set for 10 a.m. and the women’s at 11:00 a.m. in Peoria, Illinois. Podium finishes will clinch the Cyclones a bid to the NCAA Championships.
Men’s finishers:
Bera: 22:16.64
Mechaal: 22:35.51
Ruto: 22:43.72
Masondo: 22:51.15
Graduate student Gable Sieperda: 23:01.33
Sophomore Devan Kipyego: 23:08.19
Senior Timothy Sindt: 23:08.86
Junior Rodgers Rotich: 23:12.77
Senior Silas Winders: 23:21.68
Redshirt sophomore Ryan Watts: 23:34.02
Women’s finishers:
Porcher: 19:58.18
Heikes: 20:51.17
Beach: 20:51.65
Hughes: 21:06.42
Wheeler: 21:09.91
Briggs: 21:10.89
Senior Kiki Connell: 21:27.00
Redshirt sophomore Aspen Fulbright: 21:27.32
Freshman Becca Heitzig: 21:33.36
Junior Ashlyn Keeney: 21:41.10
