The Hawkeyes struggled at the Big Ten Championships but believe they can improve.
By Connor Sindberg
In the championship stage of the season, teams always want to perform at the peak of their ability. The Hawkeye women’s cross-country team got its first crack at championship season at the Big Ten Championships Sunday.
Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, they did not perform at their best. They struggled, finishing 10th among 14 teams in the meet. The results were disappointing after riding positive momentum in the previous races in the previous weeks.
“Most of us were not happy with our race at the Big Ten Championships,” junior Carolyn Newhouse said.
Given the lack of experience on the team going into the tournament, the Hawkeyes knew it would be tough, but they had a feeling that they could compete and finish in the middle half of the standings. They certainly didn’t expect to finish in the bottom half of the conference.
Team captain Tess Wilberding wasn’t satisfied with her performance or with the team’s performance. But she believes the team can learn from the mistakes that were made.
“Individually, I am not satisfied with my race, and the feeling is to learn from the race and take that and use it for the regional meet to have a better outcome,” she said.
Head coach Layne Anderson agreed, saying he wasn’t impressed with how his team performed.
“Besides Andrea Shine, no one ran with confidence or stuck to the game plan,” he said.
Anderson was surprised the harriers didn’t run with the same confidence they gained from the previous Bradley Pink Classic race.
“I want to see more of the ladies running with confidence and running aggressively,” he said. “I don’t want to see runners starting in the back of the pack at the start of the race and not giving themselves a chance right off the bat.”
Even with all the negatives that came from the Big Ten race, there was one bright spot for the Hawkeyes.
That glimpse of light came from sophomore Madison Waymire, who finished with a race time of 21:01:8. Waymire’s time was the 10th-fastest in school history.
“Getting the 10th fastest time in school history means so much to me,” Waymire said. “I have been a Hawkeye fan since I was born. It’s a great feeling being able to chalk my name up there with some of the greatest girls to ever run at Iowa.”
Waymire has been quite the success story this season, finishing as the top runner for the team in each race this season.
“She’s [Waymire] physically fit and in fantastic shape,” Anderson said. “She’s had great workouts. There’s a real chance for her to run under 21 minutes going forward.”
Even after a disappointing Big Ten race, the Hawks know they can do better. This week, they are continuing to prepare for the Nov. 13 NCAA Midwest Regional.
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