The Iowa women’s cross-country team turned in a crushing performance at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational on Oct. 1.

Six Hawkeyes turned in top-10 finishes, and with the Black and Gold turning in a team score of 27, Iowa took first place, beating 44 other teams.

Freshman standout Kayla Beattie led the team with a third-place finish and a time of 17:29 — three seconds shy of second place and 21 seconds behind the leader. Seniors Brooke Eilers, Betsy Flood, and McKenzie Melander followed close behind in fourth, fifth, and sixth place respectively. The trio posted times of 17:30, 17:33, and 17:37.

Junior Kelsey Hart and sophomore Megan Ranegar — who both stepped up to fill holes for the Hawkeyes when Beattie, Flood, and Melander weren’t participating earlier in the season — rounded out the pack in ninth and 10th place, both with a time of 17:39.

The Hawkeyes won’t compete again until the Wisconsin Inter-Regional in Madison, Wis., on Oct. 14.

The Black and Gold haven’t qualified for nationals since 2008, and Anderson said he’s confident his team can easily end that drought this year if it reaches its full potential by November.

— by Eldon Giannakouros