In 1989, the team led by John Nuttall and Jonah Koech won their third consecutive Big Eight Conference championship and continued to the national meet with high hopes.

In 1994, the team, led by Ian Robinson, was once again Big Eight Conference Champions and was expected to contend for the national title.

Although the meet was held on the home course of the defending champions, Arkansas, Iowa State captured the national title for the first time since 1989.

Martin Smith was hired in 2013 to replace Corey Ihmels as the new Director of Track & Field / Cross Country.

Martin was hired from Oklahoma, where he led the men's cross country team to their highest finish ever at the 2012 NCAA XC National Championships.

Those aboard were Burton Watkins of Ames, pilot of the airplane; Ron Renko, Head Coach of the ISU women's track and cross country teams; Stephanie Streit, student trainer for the Athletic Department; and cross country team members Susan Baxter, Julie Rose, and Sheryl Maahs.

Iowa State Men's cross country has had 40 All-Americans since 1975 as well as two NCAA champions in John Nuttall, Jonah Koech in 1989 and 1990 and Edwin Kurgat in 2019 respectively.

Iowa State Women's cross country has had 36 All-Americans since 1975 as well as three national champions in Peg Neppel-Darrah, Dorthe Rasmussen, and Betsy Saina in 1975, 1981, and 2012 respectively.

The convenience of the course's location provides Iowa State University's distance runners a significant training advantage.