Aside from being mistaken as Australian, ISU women’s cross-country runner Becky Straw, a native of Birmingham, England, has had an ISU experience that has exceeded her expectations. 

The fall weather hasn’t been too hot or too cold, her teammates have been welcoming, she’s enjoyed her classes and her British accent has been a hit on campus.  

“The other day, I went to get a cup of tea and I just said to the man at the café, ‘Can I get a cup of tea, please?’ I think I must have done it in a very British accent because he just laughed at me,” Straw said.

While some people think Straw’s accent is Australian, and others find it hilarious, Straw said she has met people who don’t even understand what she is saying.  

“Lots of people think I’m from Australia, which I find kind of mad,” Straw said. “I don’t understand that connection. I’ve been just really surprised at how many people can’t understand what I’m saying. We all speak English, but my accent apparently throws people off more than I thought it would.”

The women’s cross-country team, however, couldn’t care less about Straw’s accent or lack there of. For her teammates, Straw couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

ISU women’s cross-country coach Andrea Grove-McDonough decided to shut down her best runner, Crystal Nelson, after finding out Nelson has a heart condition that will prevent her from competing, at least for this season. 

Grove-McDonough is relying on Straw — who finished first at the 2015 Midland Cross Country Championships with a 17:23 time in Nottingham, England — to be a leader for this year’s team.

“As of right now, [Straw’s] definitely our frontrunner and our leader,” Grove-McDonough said. “She’s got a lot of experience in cross-country, so I don’t expect her to have any problems with the transition. For being a Brit, they have some pretty serious cross-country, so it’s pretty tough conditions. I don’t think there’s really a whole lot that that will faze her.”

Grove-McDonough credits the recruitment of Straw mostly to former ISU assistant coach Will Palmer, but takes some for herself.   

“Will Palmer met [Straw] first,” Grove-McDonough said. “He went over to do some recruiting in England for us. He does a really good job of making me sound good and selling the Iowa State program, so he really got the ball rolling there. 

“I flew over to Birmingham around Christmas time this last year. Naturally, I charmed her and her family.”

Straw first began to receive offers to run in the United States when she was 17, but wasn’t ready to leave home.

After dealing with an injury the next year, Straw decided it was time to change courses. 

“I have progressed and gotten faster,” Straw said. “But it’s the same run, it’s the same training grounds, it’s the same coach … it’s almost the same group [in Birmingham].”

Despite being notorious for its cold winters, Iowa proved to be the right destination for Straw. 

“I’ve been really well welcomed by everyone,” Straw said. “The girls on the team, they’re just my kind of people. People ask me, ‘Why are you going to Iowa? It’s cold in the winter. You could have gone to Florida.’ I’ve had a blast so far.”

A little more than a week removed from her season debut at the Greater Louisville Classic in Louisville, Ky., Straw is ready to be a difference maker for this year’s team. 

Grove-McDonough has high expectations for the first-year runner, and Straw has confidence in living up to the hype. 

“I think if I stay healthy and I work hard, I can [finish in the top 20 at NCAAs]. And I want to do that for my team,” Straw said.