Completed Event: Cross Country versus Cyclone Preview on August 29, 2025 , , Men: 1st, Women: 1st
Final
Cross Country
Cyclone Preview
Men: 1st, Women: 1st
Iowa State University Athletics
Cyclones Head to Big 12 Championship
10.29.2009 | Cross Country
AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State Cyclone cross country teams will travel with confidence to Columbia, Mo., Saturday for the 2009 Big 12 Cross Country Championships. The women's 6,000-meter race will begin at 10 a.m. (CT), while the men's 8,000-meter championship will be held at 11 a.m. (CT). The Al Gustin Golf Course will serve as the Big 12 Championship stage for the second time in its history, as Missouri plays host to its first conference meet since 2002.
"We've had a great two weeks of training since the Pre-Nationals meet," head coach Corey Ihmels said. "I really feel like we are at a good place on both the men's and women's sides."
The Cyclone women are ranked 19th nationally heading into the Big 12 Championships, and will be running against nationally ranked Big 12 opponents Colorado (3), Texas Tech (14) and Baylor (26). The women's team is coming off a solid performance at the Pre-Nationals meet in Terre Hautte, Ind. The Cyclones finished seventh overall, six spots behind Colorado. Senior Lisa Koll finished eighth overall in Terre Haute, covering the 6,000-meter course in 20:40.
The last time Koll and Grace Kemmey ran at the Big 12 Championships was in 2007, when they finished third (20:11) and fifth (20:32), respectively. Ihmels hopes that both will have similar success in this upcoming meet.
"We definitely want Lisa and Grace to have a performance like they did in 2007," Ihmels said. "I think they understand what the Big 12 meet is all about. They are going to give us great leadership as we move forward."
Sophomore Meaghan Nelson and Dani Stack led the Cyclone women to a ninth-place finish at last year's conference meet, finishing 33rd (22:13) and 36th (22:15), respectively. Senior Paige Ties finished 45th (22:27).
The Iowa State men are ranked 23rd in the nation and will be competing against nationally ranked Big 12 opponents Oklahoma State (3), Colorado (4) and Oklahoma (20). The men are also coming off a solid performance at the Pre-Nationals meet in Terre Hautte, Ind. in which they finished eight sports behind Colorado. Senior Guor Marial led the Cyclones with a 16th-place finish (24:06).
Marial finished sixth overall (24:15) at the 2008 Big 12 Championships, while junior Hillary Bor and sophomore Rico Loy finished 11th (24:39) and 21st (25:05), respectively. Sophomore Joel Limo finished 22nd (25:05) and sophomore Yonas Mebrahtu finished 30th (25:20).
"We're going to have a great race upfront with Guor (Marial), Hillary (Bor) and Yonas (Mebrahtu)," Ihmels said. "It's going to be a challenge this weekend; we're going to need a (fourth-place finisher) and a (fifth-place finisher) to step up. Jory Zunich has done a great job this season so far, and I expect him to be in that fourth or fifth spot."
Results of the Big 12 Championships will be posted on cyclones.com.
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