The Iowa men’s and women’s cross country teams are gearing up to begin their season on Sept. 1.

Both squads will start competition in the annual Hawkeye Invitational, a local tournament hosted in Iowa City at the Ashton Cross Country Course. The men and women finished first in the Hawkeye Invitational last season.

Both squads will also be returning most of their runners who placed in last year’s Big Ten Championship.

Women’s team

The Iowa women are set to have yet another solid season under the guidance of distance head coach Randy Hasenbank.

The Hawkeye women gained lots of much-needed experience last season, as eight of the top 10 finishers during the 2022 Big Ten Championships were underclassmen.

The Hawkeyes strung together a couple of solid performances, including finishing seventh out of 24 teams in the Gan’s Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri.

Key Returners

Junior Brooke McKee is set to be the biggest returner for the Hawkeyes in 2023. McKee was Iowa’s second finisher in three events in 2022 including the 6,000-meter race at the outdoor Big Ten Championships.

In the 2023 indoor season, McKee ran season bests in the mile at the Hawkeye Invite, 3,000 meters at the Larry Wieczorek Invite, and 5,000 meters at the Music City Challenge.

With two previous years of experience under her belt, McKee is poised to be a leader this season.

Impactful Newcomer

Incoming freshman Cameron Kalaway from Mount Prospect, Illinois, comes onto the team with several accolades.

While attending Prospect High School, Kalaway was a four-time all-conference recipient, two-time all-regional honoree, and state team champion in 2022. She also earned all-state honors her senior year and was a two-time Nike Cross Country Midwest Regional qualifier.

Men’s team

The Iowa men’s cross-country team is hoping to continue to build from last season.

Last year’s team found a good amount of success, including a seventh-place finish in the Big Ten Championships.

Despite the success of last year’s team, the Hawkeyes will be without star runner Nick Trattner, who was Iowa’s top finisher in three events last season.

Even with the loss of Trattner, Iowa is set to return seven of their top 10 finishers from last year’s Big Ten Championships.

Key Returners

Sophomore Max Murphy is poised to fill the hole left by Trattner.

Murphy had a breakout season last year for the Hawkeyes. The Bettendorf, Iowa, product recorded top-10 finishes in both the Gan’s Creek Classic and the BIG 10 Preview, placing fourth and ninth, respectively.

Murphy was also Iowa’s second finisher in both the Weis-Crockett Invite and Big Ten Championships.

Impactful Newcomer

Incoming freshman Miles Wilson comes into the 2023 season after a successful high school career. Hailing from Cedar Rapids, Wilson was one of the top runners in his class.

While running for Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School, Wilson was a two-time first-team all-conference nominee, district champion, and an elite all-state member as a senior.

Wilson also graduated as class valedictorian.

Schedule Preview

The Hawkeye men and women will both travel to border rival Wisconsin, Illinois State, Notre Dame, and Bradley this season.

The Big Ten Championships are set for Oct. 27 in Madison, Wisconsin, with the Midwest Regional starting on Nov. 10 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  The NCAA Championships will take place on Nov. 18 in Charlottesville, Virginia.