5things to watch for from Crystal Nelson, Bethanie Brown at the Wisconsin Invitational

Crystal Nelson, left, races to a third-place finish at last year’s Roy Griak Invitational.

Kyle Heim

1. Junior Crystal Nelson will attempt a fourth consecutive top-10 finish at a regular season invitational, dating back to last year.

2. Nelson will also have a chance to lead the team in scoring for her seventh consecutive event, dating back to last season.

3. Sophomore Bethanie Brown is dealing with tendonitis issues on a day-to-day basis, but expects to run at the Invitational.

4. If Brown competes, she will attempt a second consecutive top-20 finish after placing 16th at the Roy Griak Invitational on Sep. 27.

5. If Brown misses the event, redshirt sophomore Taylor McDowell will be a potential replacement.

Grove-McDonough said that while she expects Brown to compete on Friday, she will not risk any further injuries for the second-year runner.

The Wisconsin Adidas Invitational is the final competition before the Big 12 Championships begin on Nov. 1, and Grove-McDonough said it is very important for the team to have Brown healthy for the postseason.

Expected starting seven runners for Iowa State at the Wisconsin Invitational

  • Junior Crystal Nelson
  • Redshirt senior Katy Moen
  • Sophomore Bethanie Brown
  • Graduate Margaret Connelly
  • Sophomore Perez Rotich
  • Redshirt freshman Erin Hooker
  • Redshirt junior Colleen Riley

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