Cross Country Earns Best NCAA Dual Finish Since 1990

Monday, November 23

Terre Haute, Ind.

11:00 AM

Iowa State

NCAA Championships

Cross Country Earns Best NCAA Dual Finish Since 1990

11.23.2009 | Cross Country

By: cyclones.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? Iowa State's men cross country team improved its NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships national standing for the third straight year with a 16th-place effort and Lisa Koll earned All-America honors in cross country for the third time to lead the ISU women to a 17th-place overall national finish Monday on the LaVern Gibson cross country course at the Wabash Family Sports Center.

The Iowa State effort marked the first time that both Iowa State teams finished among the top 17 schools nationally in the same year since 1990, when the men placed second and the women 14th. ISU's men's finish was its best since placing 15th in 1997. The Cyclones were 17th last season and 30th in 2007. The ISU women's finish was its best since 1990 and marked Iowa State's first women's national team appearance at the NCAA meet since 1996. It was the first time both teams competed at the NCAA meet in the same year since 1995.

Hilary Bor led the Cyclone men with a 37th-place finish in a field of 250 runners. Bor, a junior, covered the 10,000-meter course in 30:25. Teammate Yonas Mebrahtu was Iowa State's second-finisher, placing 40th in 30:28. Rounding out the finishers on a perfect day for cross country, were Guor Marial (103rd), Jory Zunich (109), Joel Limo (141), Clayton Carper (143) and Ben Murphy-Baum (175).

“Both programs continue to reach levels of achievement that have not been realized at Iowa State for a long time,” Ihmels said. “This has been accomplished through the hard work of our athletes. It does not come easy. Needless to say we are excited about the future.”

Koll finished 11th in the women's field of 254 runners, covering the 6,000-meter course in 20:16. Freshmen Aliphine Tuliamuk and Betsy Saina finished 68th and 114th, respectively for Iowa State. Semehar Tesfaye was 116th, Grace Kemmey 137th, Paige Ties was 149th and Meaghan Nelson was 158th.

Women's finishers
MEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1. Oklahoma State 127; 2. Oregon 143; 3. Alabama 173; 4. Northern Arizona 190; 5. William and Mary 226; 6. Colorado 315; 7. Wisconsin 321; 8. New Mexico 350; Iona 350; 10. Stanford 354; 11. Villanova 359; 12. Oklahoma 386; 13. Portland 394; 14. Syracuse 405; 15. Virginia 408; 16. IOWA STATE 430; 17. BYU 468; 18. Washington 470; 19. Arizona State 472; 20. Providence 482; 21. Ohio State 483; 22. Georgetown 485; 23. Louisville 490; 24. Minnesota 493; 25. Auburn 504; 26. Arkansas 535; 27. North Carolina State 539; 28. Texas 605; Duke 605; 30. Florida State 612; 31. Michigan State 654.

IOWA STATE MEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Samuel Chelanga, Liberty, 28:41.3; 37. Hillary Bor, IOWA STATE, 30:25; 40. Yonas Mebrahtu, 30:28; 103. Guor Marial, 31:13; 109. Jory Zunich, 141. Joel Limo, 31:38; 143. Clayton Carper, 31:39; 175. Ben Murphy Baum, 32:16.

WOMEN'S TEAM RESULTS
1. Villanova 86; 2. Florida State 133; 3. Washington 188; 4. Texas Tech 191; 5. Princeton 251; 6. West Virginia 259; 7. Florida 260; 8. Duke 272; 9. Oregon 276; 10. Minnesota 310; 11. Providence 349; 12. Illinois 365; 13. New Mexico 368; 14. Penn State 375; 15. Virginia 391; 16. Stanford 408; 17. IOWA STATE 446; 18. Syracuse 450; 19. BYU 453; 20. Colorado 458; 20. Colorado 458; 21. Georgetown 495; 22. UTEP 500; 23. Notre Dame 519; 24. Arizona State 520; 25. SMU 581; 26. Michigan State 601; 27. Michigan 637; 28. Baylor 666; 29. Ohio State 673; 30. Arizona 682; 31. Indiana 716.

IOWA STATE WOMEN'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
1. Angela Bizzarri, Illinois 19:46.8; 11. Lisa Koll, IOWA STATE 20:16; 68. Aliphine Tuliamuk, 21:12; 114. Betsy Saina 21:36; 116. Semehar Tesfaye, 21:37; 137. Grace Kemmey, 21:50; 149. Paige Ties; 158. Meaghan Nelson 22:02.