Iowa State Prepped for Wisconsin Pre-Nationals

The Iowa State cross country teams travel back to Madison this weekend to wrap up the regular season with the Wisconsin Pre-National meet. It marks the second time during the regular season the Cyclones will compete on the course following the annual Nuttycombe Invitational that took place on September 27^th.

2024 Wisconsin Pre-Nationals

Saturday, October 19, 2024

Women's 6K | 10:00 a.m. CT

Men's 8K | 10:40 a.m. CT

Live Results | Meet Information

Last Time Out

The then-No. 5 Iowa State men claimed a runner-up finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational three weeks ago, their best finish since winning the meet in 2021. Robin Kwemoi Bera impressed with a fifth-place individual finish in his first collegiate meet. ISU had three other runners finish in the top 30, including Said Mechaal (19^th), Silas Winders (22^nd) and Gable Sieperda (29^th). The performance boosted Iowa State's national ranking one spot in the USTFCCCA coaches poll the following week.

The women finished 20^th overall as a team as Maelle Porcher led the way for the Cyclones with a 16^th-place individual finish. Riley Beach (94^th) and Bella Heikes (95^th) were also top 100 finishers for ISU.

The Field at Pre-Nationals

19 of the top 30 teams on the men's side will be competing at Pre-Nationals this weekend, including seven of the top 10. No. 3 Arkansas enters as the highest-ranked team ahead of meet day followed by No. 4 Iowa State, No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 6 NAU, No. 8 New Mexico, No. 9 Stanford and No. 10 Wisconsin.

The women's side includes 20 of the top 30 teams in the latest USTFCCCA coaches poll and all of the top 5. NAU, the top-ranked team in the country, leads the women's 6K race followed by No. 2 BYU, No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Notre Dame and No. 5 NC State.

A full list of participants can be found here.

The Course – Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course

Spectator and Parking Information

There is no spectator parking at the cross country course or University Ridge. Spectator parking will be located at Reddan Soccer Park.

Reddan Soccer Park is located in northern Verona off Cross Country Road. A map of the parking layout is available here.

Reddan Soccer Park
6874 Cross Country Rd.
Verona, WI 53593

Spectator shuttles are available for transportation to the course. One accessible shuttle will be available. The shuttle service begins at 9 a.m. and concludes one hour after the final race has finished. Fans are encouraged to arrive early so you don't miss any of the action!

Parking is not allowed on County Highway PD or County Highway M near the Zimmer Course. Any vehicles violating this will be subject to ticket and tow at the owner's expense.

What to Watch For

Iowa State's two 2023 All-Americans are set to make their highly-anticipated return to action on Saturday. Sanele Masondo (16^th) and Rodgers Rotich (37^th) led the Cyclones to a fifth-place team finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships but have not competed yet in 2024.
Masondo and Rotich should add to a loaded roster with Kwemoi Bera, Mechaal, Winders, Sieperda, Devan Kipyego and Ryan Watts.
Maelle Porcher has been a steady presence atop the Cyclone women's lineup since she made her Iowa State debut last August.
Iowa State has been known recently for packing runners into the top 100 and has potential to do so again this season with Porcher and other returners Beach and Heikes to lead the group.

Up Next

Following the conclusion of the regular season this weekend, Iowa State gears up for the Big 12 Championships on November 1^st. The conference meet will be held in Waco, Texas, this season and hosted by Baylor.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Riley Beach

Robin Kwemoi Bera

Bella Heikes

Rodgers Kiplimo

Devan Kipyego

Sanele Masondo

Said Mechaal

Maelle Porcher

Gable Sieperda

Ryan Watts

Silas Winders

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