Cross Country To Open Season At Hawkeye Invitational

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State men's and women's cross country teams are set to open the 2015 season Friday at the Hawkeye Early Bird Invitational in Iowa City. The race will feature competition from Iowa, UNI and Illinois State.

Both the men's and women's team open the season ranked in both the regional and national polls. In the Midwest Region, the Cyclone women are the top-ranked program, with the men coming in at No. 2.

Andrea Grove-McDonough's women's team also opens the season as No. 1 team in the nation, marking the first time in program history that the Cyclones have been ranked atop the NCAA Coaches' Poll. Iowa State is joined in the nation's top 30 by three fellow Big 12 members, No. 10 West Virginia, No. 28 Baylor and No. 30 Oklahoma State.

The Cyclone men, coached by Martin Smith, are also nationally ranked for the second consecutive preseason, opening the season at No. 25. Prior to the 2014 campaign, when Iowa State was ranked No. 26, the program had not appeared in the preseason national rankings since 2010. Smith's squad is the second-ranked team in the Big 12, behind No. 4 Oklahoma State.

2015 also marks the second-consecutive year that both the men's and women's teams open the season ranked in the national poll, a feat that had previously not been accomplished since 2010.

The Hawkeye Early Bird Invitational will be held at the Ashton Cross Country Course in Iowa City, Iowa. The women's 3,000-meter race is set for 6 p.m. CT, followed by the men's 6,000-meters at 6:30 p.m.

For more coverage of Iowa State Cross Country, including updates on competitions, follow @CycloneTrackXC on Twitter.

Iowa State University Athletics

Cross Country To Open Season At Hawkeye Invitational

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