Iowa State Media Relations
MADISON, Wis. – For the second time in four years, the Iowa State men are NCAA Cross Country Runners-Up. The Cyclones had four runners earn All-America status, the most since 1994.
Iowa State, ranked fourth nationally entering the 10K Championship race, got out to a solid start as Robin Kwemoi Bera and Joash Ruto both ran with the top five runners through the first 3K. ISU was third as a team at the checkpoint, as Said Mechaal, Sanele Masondo and Gable Sieperda ran between 24th and 86th to keep the Cyclones within striking distance.
Between the 4K and 5K checkpoints, Ruto was tripped up and fell 70 spots from 13th to 83rd place. Kwemoi Bera and Mechaal remained in the top 20, but ISU needed runners to step up with key finishes behind its leaders to ensure a podium finish.
Ruto rallied, surging from 83rd at 5K, to 51st at 6K and 36th at the 8K check. Masondo also steadily climbed from 40th at the halfway mark to 26th at 8K. With 1K to go, the Cyclones had four runners in the top 30 and Sieperda, ISU’s fifth scorer, was gaining as well, picking off over 20 runners between 7K to 9K to move into the top 60.
But the nation’s top-ranked team and Big 12 foe, BYU, held its team lead to the end and kept Iowa State from its first team title since 1994. The Cougars claimed two top 15 finishes and bested ISU by 13 points, 124-137.
All seven Iowa State runners finished in the top 100 while Mechaal, Masondo, Ruto and Kwemoi Bera earned All-America honors. It is the first All-America awards for Mechaal, Ruto and Kwemoi Bera and the second for Masondo after his 16th-place finish in Charlottesville a year ago.
Team Results
1. No. 1 BYU, 124; 2. No. 4 Iowa State, 137; 3. No. 3 Arkansas, 202; 4. No. 7 Wisconsin, 212; 5. No. 6 NAU, 237; 6. No. 10 North Carolina, 246; 7. No. 14 Wake Forest, 256; 8. No. 2 Oklahoma State, 256; 9. No. 5 New Mexico, 272; 10. No. 13 Notre Dame, 337; 11. No. 17 Syracuse, 342; 12. No. 9 Stanford, 356; 13. No. 19 CBU, 376; 14. No. 15 Oregon, 387; 15. No. 16 Villanova, 416; 16. No. 12 Washington, 436; 17. No. 24 Furman, 462; 18. No. 8 Alabama, 467; 19. No. 28 Colorado, 477; 20. No. 21 Butler, 481; 21. No. 11 Virginia, 487; 22. No. 23 Utah State, 554; 23. No. 25 Georgetown, 571; 24. No. 18 Princeton, 587; 25. No. 27 Ole Miss, 593; 26. No. 26 Virginia Tech, 597; 27. No. 21 Harvard, 598; 28. No. 30 Tulane, 691; 29. No. 19 Eastern Kentucky, 698; 30. No. 29 Wyoming, 707; 31. Tulsa, 754
Individual Results
1. Graham Banks, Harvard, 28:37.2; 10. Said Mechaal, Iowa State, 28:59.8; 23. Sanele Masondo, Iowa State, 29:16.8; 34. Joash Ruto, Iowa State, 29:22.4; 37. Robin Kwemoi Bera, Iowa State, 29:23.9; 49. Gable Sieperda, Iowa State, 29:31.7; 93. Devan Kipyego, Iowa State, 29:51.9; 94. Tim Sindt, Iowa State, 29:52.4
MADISON, Wis. – For the second time in four years, the Iowa State men are NCAA Cross Country Runners-Up. The Cyclones had four runners earn All-America status, the most since 1994.
Iowa State, ranked fourth nationally entering the 10K Championship race, got out to a solid start as Robin Kwemoi Bera and Joash Ruto both ran with the top five runners through the first 3K. ISU was third as a team at the checkpoint, as Said Mechaal, Sanele Masondo and Gable Sieperda ran between 24th and 86th to keep the Cyclones within striking distance.
Between the 4K and 5K checkpoints, Ruto was tripped up and fell 70 spots from 13th to 83rd place. Kwemoi Bera and Mechaal remained in the top 20, but ISU needed runners to step up with key finishes behind its leaders to ensure a podium finish.
Ruto rallied, surging from 83rd at 5K, to 51st at 6K and 36th at the 8K check. Masondo also steadily climbed from 40th at the halfway mark to 26th at 8K. With 1K to go, the Cyclones had four runners in the top 30 and Sieperda, ISU’s fifth scorer, was gaining as well, picking off over 20 runners between 7K to 9K to move into the top 60.
But the nation’s top-ranked team and Big 12 foe, BYU, held its team lead to the end and kept Iowa State from its first team title since 1994. The Cougars claimed two top 15 finishes and bested ISU by 13 points, 124-137.
All seven Iowa State runners finished in the top 100 while Mechaal, Masondo, Ruto and Kwemoi Bera earned All-America honors. It is the first All-America awards for Mechaal, Ruto and Kwemoi Bera and the second for Masondo after his 16th-place finish in Charlottesville a year ago.
Team Results
1. No. 1 BYU, 124; 2. No. 4 Iowa State, 137; 3. No. 3 Arkansas, 202; 4. No. 7 Wisconsin, 212; 5. No. 6 NAU, 237; 6. No. 10 North Carolina, 246; 7. No. 14 Wake Forest, 256; 8. No. 2 Oklahoma State, 256; 9. No. 5 New Mexico, 272; 10. No. 13 Notre Dame, 337; 11. No. 17 Syracuse, 342; 12. No. 9 Stanford, 356; 13. No. 19 CBU, 376; 14. No. 15 Oregon, 387; 15. No. 16 Villanova, 416; 16. No. 12 Washington, 436; 17. No. 24 Furman, 462; 18. No. 8 Alabama, 467; 19. No. 28 Colorado, 477; 20. No. 21 Butler, 481; 21. No. 11 Virginia, 487; 22. No. 23 Utah State, 554; 23. No. 25 Georgetown, 571; 24. No. 18 Princeton, 587; 25. No. 27 Ole Miss, 593; 26. No. 26 Virginia Tech, 597; 27. No. 21 Harvard, 598; 28. No. 30 Tulane, 691; 29. No. 19 Eastern Kentucky, 698; 30. No. 29 Wyoming, 707; 31. Tulsa, 754
Individual Results
1. Graham Banks, Harvard, 28:37.2; 10. Said Mechaal, Iowa State, 28:59.8; 23. Sanele Masondo, Iowa State, 29:16.8; 34. Joash Ruto, Iowa State, 29:22.4; 37. Robin Kwemoi Bera, Iowa State, 29:23.9; 49. Gable Sieperda, Iowa State, 29:31.7; 93. Devan Kipyego, Iowa State, 29:51.9; 94. Tim Sindt, Iowa State, 29:52.4
