Iowa State is your opportunity to test yourself against the best World-class education Big 12 athletics competition Top shelf training & competitive facilities Incredibly loyal and loud fans Click through these pages to learn more.
Iowa State University ... is a stimulating research institution with eight colleges –– Agriculture, Business, Design, Engineering, Human Sciences, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Veterinary Medicine and Graduate –– offering more than 200 fields of study.
Academic mission Our mission at Iowa State University is to create, share and apply knowledge to make the world a better place. That innovativeness is documented in the fact that ISU ranks second nationally in licenses granted on its inventions.
Iowa State is... more than 25,000 students benefitting from an enriching academic curriculum, a renowned faculty and a funloving school spirit. And, within six months of receiving their degrees, approximately 95% of ISU graduates find jobs or continue their education.
How we rank? U.S. News & World Report says that Iowa State University ... • is one of the Top 50 Public Universities in the United States. • is home to one of the Top 25 learning communities in the nation.
Difference makers • The world’s first digital computer was invented at ISU by John Atanasoff. • Lipitor, the biggestselling drug in history, was developed by alum Bruce Roth. • Carrie Chapman Catt (League of Women Voters founder) graduated from Iowa State. • George Washington Carver (pictured) is a world renowned plant scientist, who earned two degrees from ISU.
Academic facilities The Hixson-Lied Student Success Center (pictured) was opened in 2007. It includes space for academic tutors, a resource library, computer labs and study rooms. The Rod & Connie French Athletics Academic Center (second floor of the facility) is dedicated for student-athlete use only. It is conveniently located for easy access.
Ames is home ... to Iowa State University, a prestigious institution of higher learning and a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. The city’s friendly hometown personality is annually ranked among the top small cities in the nation to live, work and play.
A great place to live With a population of more than 50,000, Ames is revered for its friendliness and its varied entertainment and cultural opportunities. Main street often bustles with parades and festivals (below) and Campustown (right) is full of shops and eateries, popular among students.
Beauty of Iowa State ISU has one of only three campuses nationally to earn a medallion (for its beauty) from the American Society of Landscape Architects. Its more than 2,000-acre campus includes 200 buildings, many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Campanile on central campus is pictured.
Centralized location Iowa State is located minutes from an interstate exchange meaning that it is less than a day’s drive from Minneapolis (204 miles), Kansas City (208), Omaha (131), St. Louis (295), Milwaukee (290) or Chicago (307). The state capital -- Des Moines (pictured) -- is 30 minutes from central campus. Located in the heart of the midwest, Ames boasts of a small-town charm with large city amenities nearby.
Factually Speaking • Ames is the second mostlivable “Small City” in the U.S. according to the New Rating Guide to Life in American Small Cities. • Ames is the 20th best place to live in America according to Men’s Journal.
The great outdoors If you enjoy the outdoors, Ames offers the nationally acclaimed, 14-acre Reiman Gardens, 33 woodland parks and 55 miles of bike and pedestrian trails. The opportunities are limited only by your imagination.
Leisure time ISU students love to congregate on central campus and the Memorial Union (right). Entertainment options range from Big 12 athletics to Broadway shows; pop artists to comedy acts and dance recitals to operas. Iowa State has played host to acts like Kenny Chesney (pictured), Billy Joel, the Rolling Stones, Elton John and many others.
The Big 12 is big time Iowa State is a member of the prestigious Big 12 and it participates on both a national and league basis in 18 Division IA intercollegiate sports. If you want to test yourself against the best, then the Big 12 is for you. Bowls. Tournaments. Olympians. Future pros. NCAA Champions. Academic All-Americans. Challenge yourself at ISU.
Cyclone Spirit • ISU’s student spirit was ranked No. 1 nationally in an ESPN.com survey. • Cy was voted the nation’s most intimidating mascot as well as mascot of the year in consecutive seasons.
Faithful following Pre-game spirit, a great band, an award-winning mascot and a renowned student section are all part of a memorable gameday experience. Cyclone Nation loves its student-athletes. Join our family and wear the cardinal and gold proudly.
Support services Support units for Iowa State Athletics create specialized programs to benefit each individual Cyclone as it relates to their personal needs and desires in the areas of: • • • • •
Academic Support Strength & Conditioning Sports Medicine Media Training Video Analysis
Giving back ... is part of playing for the Cyclones. Iowa State studentathletes, through the work of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), are active in the community and love that opportunity to give back.
Cyclone success • • • • • • •
18 NCAA championships 122 conference champs 52 Olympians 6 Olympic gold medalists 115 NFL draft picks 33 NBA draft picks 8 WNBA draft picks
Homes for the Cyclones Competition and training facilities for Iowa State studentathletes are among the finest in the region.
• ACADEMICS––The Association of American Universities is a collection of the 60 most noteworthy institutions of higher learning in the U.S. Iowa State University was accepted into the AAU in 1958. • ATHLETICS––Being a Cyclone means you’ll be challenged by the nation’s finest competition in front of fan bases that are among the loudest and most knowledgeable in the nation. • AMES––A community that offers small-town charm and big city amenities within a short driving distance.
Iowa State Track and Field and Cross Country is Big 12 Conference Dedicated Coaches Academic Excellence First-Rate Facilities Click through these pages to learn more.
The Big 12 The Big 12 Conference has claimed 31 team and 385 individual NCAA titles. The Big 12 Conference is made up of 4,600 athletes in 21 different sports. In cross country and track and field, the Big 12 Conference has had 154 individual NCAA Champions and 12 NCAA Team Championships.
Corey Ihmels In 2007, Ihmels, who was already ISU’s men’s cross country head coach, was named Director of Track and Field/Cross Country. Ihmels graduated as one of the most decorated Iowa State runners in school history. Ihmels had 6 AllAmerican honors, and placed on the 1994 NCAA XC Championship where the ISU squad won it’s second NCAA title in five years. On the track, Ihmels set two individual school records including a clocking of 3:59.70 in the mile. Ihmels was also the Big 12’s inaugural track MVP in 1997 after winning the mile and 1000 at the indoor championships.
Coaching Staff In only his third season as head coach of cross country and track and field, Ihmels led the cross coutnry teams to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 1995. Both men’s and women’s teams were in the USTFCCCA Top-20 all season. Ihmels has coached several AllAmericans during his tenure at Iowa State, including seven-time All-American Lisa Koll, the American collegiate record holder in the 10,000-meters. In 2009, the track and field team qualified 15 athletes for the regional meet, and five more for the NCAA Championship meet.
Building A Program
Travis Hartke Distance and Middle Distance
Pete Herber Jumps and Multi-Events
Nate Wiens Sprints and Hurldes
Grant Wall Throws
Kristy Popp Distance
Cyclone’s in the Olympics In each of the last 7 Olympiads, Iowa State track and field athletes have showcased their abilities on the world’s biggest sporting stage. Leading into the 2008 Beijing games, thirteen former Cyclones had gone on to compete in the games 21 times. ISU’s remarkable Olympic success serves as the foundation for many future Cyclone Olympians.
Strength and Conditioning Iowa State athletes train in an athlete-only Olympic weight room with specialized strength coaches for individual event groups. Athletes have access to chiropractic care, massage and ART (Active Release Technique) specialists, and state of the art facilities to assist their elite level training regimens.
Top Notch Facilities Thanks in large part to the efforts of Bill Bergan, in October 1995 ISU’s cross country program dedicated a $250,000 cross country course, the first course in the nation designed exclusively for competitive cross country racing. In its tenure, the course has hosted the NCAA D-I Cross Country Championships in fall of 1995 and 2000. It has also played host to a number of other major cross country meets, including the 2008 Big 12 Cross Country Championships. A site has been secured for a new championship outdoor track, with an eye toward a new outdoor facility capable of hosting the Big 12 and Midwest Regional Championships.
The 13-million dollar Lied Recreation Center offers firstrate, year-round practice facilities fully equipped with a 300-meter track, four pole vault runways, two jumping pits, a large training and fitness center and an unparalleled sports medicine center. The indoor track is the largest track in the nation. As a host of six annual indoor collegiate meets, the ISU Harry Hoak Track produces nearly 20% of the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship field every season. The track ranks in the top two tracks in the nation for qualifying marks for the NCAA Indoor Championship
First Class Education ISU’s student-athletes have many tools at their disposal to assist in their academic pursuits. In 2007 Iowa State completed the state-of-the art Hixson-Lied Student Success Center, in which resides the Rod and Connie French Athletics Academic Center. This center offers studentathletes customized academic programs, study groups, tutoring, mentoring, computer labs, study lounges and a wide range of other amenities.
First Class Education Under Ihmels’ direction, the men’s track team saw the largest single semester GPA increase on campus. In the first year alone, 17 track and field athletes were named academic all-Big 12. The men’s and women’s cross country teams earned the highest grade point averages of any ISU athletic squad in their respective gender for the first time in school history. The track and field squads also maintained high academic standards. The women’s and men’s teams earned cumulative grade point averages of 3.42 and 3.17 respectively.
Campus Life
Jack Trice Stadium
Memorial Union Lake LaVerne Student Section at Hilton Coliseum
Ames Community
Stephens Auditorium Ada Hayden Park
Bandshell Park
V.E.I.S.H.E.A. Celebration