By Adam Hensley
Madison Waymire finished as Iowa’s best cross-country runner in all six races last season.
In her eyes, what separates herself from the competition is not a physical quality but psychological one.
“I like to think that mentally I’m stronger than most of the people I run against,” she said.
On Friday, the junior will put her strengths to the test when Iowa hosts its first meet of the year, the Hawkeye Invitational.
With the start of the season in his sights, Iowa cross-country head coach Randy Hasenbank looks forward to seeing what Waymire can do not just in the home-opener but the season as a whole.
“She’s really motivated and would like to get herself in a position to earn one of those coveted spots in the national meet,” Hasenbank said.
In the 2015 Early Bird Invitational, Waymire placed fifth in the 3,000-meters with a time of 10:29.20. Her success continued when she snagged her best time in the 5,000-meters (17:22.7) at the Notre Dame Invitational and 6,000-meters at the Big Ten Championship.
Her time at the conference championship of 21:01.8 was 10th-best in school history.
During the indoor track and field season, she led the team in the mile (4:58.60) with her fifth-place finish at the Big Four Duals. She redshirted for the outdoor season but finished second in the 3,000-meters at the Musco Twilight while running unattached.
She’s still hungry for more.
“She had phenomenal summer training,” Hawkeye Tess Wilberding said. “She’s one of the hardest workers I’ve seen.”
Hasenbank knows this as well. Just a few weeks into being at the helm of the Hawkeyes, Waymire’s work ethic sparked his attention.
“If anyone’s going to beat her from our roster, they’re going to have to work really hard,” he said.
Waymire remains unfazed with the daunting task of adding to last season’s accolades. It’s just business as usual for her.
“Pretty much, [I will] do what I’ve been doing — just making sure my head’s in it when I step on the line,” she said.
Keeping her thoughts in line before meets is key. Her focus hones in on embracing the race environment and competition.
“All the excitement takes care of itself,” she said. “I love competing, and I love being a competitor.”
Aside from being one of the team’s most competitive athletes, Waymire is hailed by many as the leader of the pack.
She aims to instill her leadership among her fellow Hawkeyes, and the first step in doing so is being there for her teammates on and off the course.
“There have been hard days, and she’s just a teammate you want next to you,” Wilberding said.
Come Friday, the Ashton Cross-Country Course will be stocked with athletes, coaches, and fans, but Waymire vows to tune out the distractions.
“I like to just tell myself that I’m the only one that can dictate how my race goes, and I think a lot of people base their race on other people,” she said. “I’m the only one who can change [my race].”
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