By Adam Hensley
A year removed from being promising freshmen, sophomores Ian Eklin, Bailey Hesse-Withbroe, and Daniel Soto are ready to step up and become key pieces of the Hawkeye cross-country program.
The men’s team has displayed progress in its first two meets this season. In their season-opener, the Hawkeyes placed second. They went on to win their next meet, the Illinois State Invitational.
In 2015, the team focused on pack running, but not all athletes were able to stick together consistently. It’s been a different story so far this year.
“Last year was more about getting out there and sticking my toe in the water,” Soto said. “It was more about getting through the race, as opposed to competing. This year, I think I’m stronger. I have a whole year of experience under my belt.”
At the Illinois State Invitational, the trio closed the gap between Iowa’s top runners, paving the way for the men’s first team victory in a meet since the 2014 Illinois State Invitational.
Soto claimed 11th place (25:40.43), Eklin followed at 14th (25:45.30), and Hesse-Withbroe came in at 24th (26:04.45).
Compared with the same meet a year ago, each runner’s place improved, and both Soto and Eklin shaved time.
“The biggest thing for me was learning how to pace myself,” Eklin said. “Last year, I came out [at the Hawkeye Invitational] and did pretty well, and then I didn’t really duplicate the success I had [there] in later races.”
Eklin ran unattached at the 2015 Hawkeye Invitational and placed third overall. Hesse-Withbroe and Soto did the same, finishing 17th and 18th.
However, the competition only increased as the season went on, and at times, the three runners came face-to-face with tough times.
“At the Big Tens, I actually ended up falling down,” Eklin said. “They say you learn more when you fall down than when you finish the race, and I think I took away a good lesson there.”
The shift from 5,000 meters to 8,000 challenged all three runners last season, and the three acknowledged that it was a daunting task at first.
Aside from an increase of 3,000 meters, Hesse-Withbroe noted that the physicality of college cross-country was something he had never experienced.
“There’s a big pack and a lot of guys; it gets physical,” the Stillwater, Minnesota, native said. “[It’s all about] realizing that it’s going to thin out eventually and that I’m capable and I have the fitness to stay up in the pack with Iowa.”
Growing pains were expected, especially with 14 true freshmen on the roster last season.
The 2015 season showcased the different fitness and experience levels throughout the team, with the veterans leading the way in almost every meet.
Now, as these three runners are tightening the gap between themselves and Iowa’s leaders, they’ve taken on the initiative to help their team not just during races but off the course as well.
“It’s not very hard for me to look back and say ‘I was directly in those shoes,’ ” Soto said. “I made mistakes every freshman makes, so I can definitely help guide them.”
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