While the Iowa Intercollegiate was an opportunity for the Iowa women’s cross-country team to boost its reputation around the state, the team was unable to finish as well as it expected.

The meet, hosted by Iowa State on Sept. 19, pitted 12 teams from across Iowa, ranging from Division-I programs to community-college competition.

Although no scores were kept at the meet, Iowa head coach Layne Anderson said Iowa State had the most top finishers, and the Hawkeyes did not finish as well as he “would have liked.”

The sixth-year coach opted to withhold his top runners and run women who don’t regularly race for Iowa.

The Hawkeyes’ best finisher, freshman Kelsey Hart, placed ninth of the 98 other runners with a time of 19:23 for the five-kilometer race. Senior Kelsey Stueland ended as the second highest finisher for Iowa, finishing in 22nd place.

“I felt like it was a great opportunity to run against the level of competition that was right at the same ability and position as this group of [women],” he said. “But I was perplexed when we began falling behind. I would say it was a good experience for these [women] to run not behind [women] who lead the Hawkeye pack.”

Hart said she was pleased with her performance in what was only her second collegiate meet, adding she was able to overcome most of the challenges the course presented to her.

“The beginning of the course was shorter than I would have liked, and there were some big hills,” Hart said. “I wish the last mile had gone better, but I think at this point in the season, it was hard for me to have a really good finish.”

Sophomore Jordan Williams agreed, noting the course was challenging for her as well. She said Iowa State was able to finish on top because the Cyclone runners were familiar with the topography.

“We didn’t even walk the course before we ran it, so we didn’t even know what we were expecting,” the Council Bluffs native said. “They definitely had home-court advantage because they knew the terrain, and they knew what to expect and how to pace for it.”

Iowa State also didn’t run its top women either, Anderson said, made it interesting to see how the Cyclones’ less-experienced runners matched up with the Hawkeyes.

He said his women are usually able to stay together better and finish stronger because they run as a “pack.” That did not seem to be the case on Sept. 19, though.

“We were right at the front of the pack in the beginning, and we had a nice pack running at the front, but we could not keep it together,” Anderson said. “They didn’t appear strong, and they didn’t pass people. That was a little disappointing because we’re definitely a team that trains together and trains finishing strong.”

The team members said the race was a good experience and weren’t discouraged by the results, citing that it’s too early in the year to let one meet determine the fate of the season.

“A lot of where we stand right now is based on where we were this summer,” Williams said. “Some of us didn’t come in as strong, but I think as the season progresses, you’ll see a more even playing field.”