Cyclone Cross Country Set For Roy Griak Invitational

AMES, Iowa – The No. 10 Iowa State men's cross country team is set to open its 2021 campaign this weekend at Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis. The women, ranked No. 30, fresh off a season-opening team title at the Hawkeye Invitational on Sept. 3, will also run at the Griak.

This year marks the first time the Cyclone women have run at the Roy Griak Invitational since 2017. The ISU men have not competed at the Griak, held annually at Les Bolstad Golf Course, since 2016.

Roy Griak Invitational Meet Info
When: Friday, Sept. 24
Where: Minneapolis, Minn. – Les Bolstad Golf Course
Field: BYU, Georgia Tech, Gonzaga, Grand Canyon, Illinois-Chicago, Iowa State, Liberty, Michigan State, Milwaukee, Minnesota, Nevada, North Dakota, North Dakota State, Pepperdine, Portland State, Santa Clara, South Dakota, South Dakota State, St. Thomas, Tennessee, UC San Diego, Wyoming
Men's Race: 8k, 10:30 a.m.
Women's Race: 6k, 11:15 a.m.
Live Results: Prime Time Timing

For more Iowa State Cross Country information and final results, "like" the Iowa State Track & Field and Cross Country page on Facebook and follow @CycloneTrackXC on Twitter and @cyclonetrackxc on Instagram.

Women's Cross Country Notebook
- The Cyclone women opened the 2021 campaign by taking first place at the Hawkeye Invitational, finishing with 33 points.
- Iowa State had three runners finish in the top four, and four total in the race's top 10 at Ashton Cross Country Course.
- Junior Janette Schraft took home Big 12 Runner of the Week honors after finishing second with a time of 13:51.2 in the women's 4k race in Iowa City.
- Iowa State moved up to No. 3 in the Midwest Region following its season-opening victory, while remaining at No. 30 nationally.
- Friday's Griak meet will provide a step up in competition for the Cyclones, with No. 6 Michigan State and No. 10 Minnesota in the field, along with Georgia Tech and Liberty, both of which are receiving votes in this week's USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll.
- Amy Rudolph is in her fourth year as the leader of the Iowa State women's cross country program. She helped the Cyclone women once again finish atop the conference, claiming the 2020 Big 12 title, followed by a 25^th-place finish at the NCAA Championship meet.
- Iowa State is one of 16 schools to have both its men's and women's cross country programs ranked in the USTFCCCA NCAA Week 2 Coaches' Poll.
- Senior Cailie Logue successfully defended her Big 12 crown in 2020 and is a three-time Big 12 champion in cross country, tied for the most individual XC titles in conference history (Sally Kipyego – Texas Tech).
- Rudolph has been named the Big 12 Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year in two of her three seasons at the helm of the program.
- The Cyclone women return four All-Big 12 performers from a season ago in Logue, Brenna Cohoon, Winrose Chesang and Dana Feyen. Cohoon was named the 2020 Big 12 Women's Newcomer of the Year.
- The Cyclone women have dominated the Big 12 over the past 10 seasons. During that stretch, ISU has won eight of the last 10 conference championships and has had 40 All-Big 12 finishes individually.

Men's Cross Country Notebook
- The No. 10-ranked Cyclone men are set to open their 2021 season against a strong field in Minneapolis, which will include No. 3 BYU and No. 26 Michigan State.
- Iowa State Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jeremy Sudbury is in his first year as the director of the Cyclone program. He helped guide Iowa State to five consecutive NCAA Championship appearances – the second-longest streak in school history – as an assistant coach.
- Iowa State opens its season as the No. 10 team in the country and ranked No. 3 in the Midwest Region by the USTFCCCA Coaches Poll.
- The Cyclones are coming off an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in March, led by All-American Wesley Kiptoo's third-place finish.
- Kiptoo is undefeated in regular season meets during his Cyclone career, having taken home individual titles at the Bob Timmons Classic, Cowboy Jamboree and the FSU Winter Classic, in addition to the Big 12 Championship a season ago.
- Iowa State returns five of its top six finishers from the squad that finish eighth at the 2021 NCAA Championships, including Kiptoo, Festus Lagat, Thomas Pollard, Chad Johnson and Ezekiel Rop.
- The Cyclone men also return four All-Big 12 performers from a season ago in Kiptoo, Lagat, Pollard and Johnson.
- Pollard is one of just two runners in Iowa State history to be a four-time All-Big 12 Cross Country performer. He joins Milo Greder, his teammate from a season ago, with that distinction.

Cyclone Cross Country Set For Roy Griak Invitational

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Players Mentioned

Winrose Chesang

Brenna Cohoon

Dana Feyen

Milo Greder

Chad Johnson

Wesley Kiptoo

Festus Lagat

Cailie Logue

Thomas Pollard

Ezekiel Rop

Janette Schraft

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Iowa State University Athletics

Cyclone Cross Country Set For Roy Griak Invitational

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Winrose Chesang

Brenna Cohoon

Dana Feyen

Milo Greder

Chad Johnson

Wesley Kiptoo

Festus Lagat

Cailie Logue

Thomas Pollard

Ezekiel Rop

Janette Schraft

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