Top-Ranked Cyclones Look to Defend Regional Title

AMES, Iowa - The Iowa State cross country teams continue post-season action this weekend at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in DeKalb, Ill. The Cyclone women, fresh off of a Big 12 championship, will look to defend their 2010 regional team title. Iowa State's women have been ranked first in the Midwest for 19 straight weeks. The Cyclone men enter the weekend ranked fifth in the Midwest after a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships Oct. 29.

The top-two finishing teams will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Ind. In addition to that, the top-four individual finishers not on an already qualifying team will advance to the NCAA Championships Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Ind.

The Iowa State women will be led by senior Dani Stack and juniors Meaghan Nelson and Betsy Saina, all of whom finished in the top-15 at the Big 12 Championships. Saina was also the runner-up at the 2010 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships.

The men will look for leadership from senior Rico Loy and sophomore Martin Coolidge, both of whom competed at the 2010 NCAA Midwest Regional. Loy earned All-Big 12 honors at this year's conference meet, finishing 12th, while Coolidge led the Cyclone men earlier in the season as the team's top finisher at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational.

The men's 10,000-meter race is scheduled to begin at noon CDT. The women's 6,000-meter race will start immediately after the men's race around 1:15 p.m. Results will be posted on cyclones.com at the conclusion of the meet.