By Adam Hensley
The Hawkeyes competed at the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 24 in Minneapolis, but unlike their previous two races this season, the results differed — and not in a positive light.
The men and women finished 15th and 24th.
One reason for Iowa’s decline in Minneapolis lies in the box score. Michael Melchert and Madison Waymire came into the meet as two of the top runners in the program. The pair placed in the top-10 in both the Hawkeye Invitational and the Illinois State Invitational. At Griak, Melchert finished 53rd, and Waymire came in at 146th.
“I didn’t have a good race, and I didn’t help the team out,” Melchert said. “I believe my fitness is there. I just didn’t get a lot out of my legs because the course was so soft, and I have been doing very high mileage.”
Waymire said she needs to stay focused for the entire 6,000 meters.
“Our team is strong enough that even if some of us have bad days, we will still find a way to power through,” she said.
Waymire was the fourth Hawkeye to cross the finish line on the women’s side, coming in behind Tess Wilberding, Andrea Shine, and Lauren Opatrny.
Melchert ended 19 spots behind Iowa’s top finisher, Ben Anderson.
The meet was the first time the women competed in the 6,000-meters this season and the second time the men ran 8,000. Melchert ran 25:23.56 in the 8K at the Illinois State Invitational.
Poor weather, off-days, crowded fields — whatever the reasons for disappointment — the Hawkeyes took note, because the Griak won’t be the last time the Hawkeyes compete in Minneapolis.
Melchert noted that while both teams failed to compete as they would have liked, they will need to improve on their times and places come the Big Ten Championships, which will be held in Minneapolis on Oct. 30.
Tough competition
The Hawkeyes faced their toughest competition so far this season on Sept. 24. On the men’s side, eight teams (of 29) ranked in the nation’s top 30.
The women’s field proved to be even more challenging; nine ranked squads made up the 34-team field. However, only three of those nine teams cracked the top-10.
Until the Griak, the toughest team the Hawkeyes faced was in their season-opener, when both units squared off against Iowa State (No. 15 in the nation on the men’s side and 23rd on the women’s).
“It was definitely our biggest competition of the season so far,” senior Wilberding said. “I think it was a good experience. We know what to expect now in those competitions, and we have a lot to improve on.”
Update on the regional rankings
Following the Griak, both the men and women moved in the Midwest Regional rankings. The men’s team moved up one spot to 12th in the region, while the women fell one position to 13th; the teams essentially flip-flopped in the rankings.
A factor in the men’s slight bump in the polls lies with one team they defeated: Oklahoma. The Sooners entered the meet ranked No. 19 in the country and No. 4 in the Midwest Region.
“It’s good to beat a team like that, but it’s a small victory at best,” Melchert said. “We know we need to be much better, and we are going to train that way.”
