On Friday night and into Saturday morning, rumors circulated online about disciplinary action being taken within the Iowa State men’s cross country team. The Stride Report confirmed these rumors with Director of Cross Country & Track and Field Jeremy Sudbury.

A university spokesperson confirmed the suspensions to CITIUS MAG with a brief statement on Monday, October 27th:

“A few of our men's cross country runners have been suspended for violating team rules. The Iowa State men's cross country team is looking forward to competing at the Big 12 Championships this week. We will have no further comment at this time.”

What You Need To Know:

The identities of the suspended athletes have not been disclosed.

The specific nature of the infractions has also not been revealed.

It remains unclear whether the suspended athletes will return after the 2025 cross country season.

The Team’s Most Recent Results

At the 2025 Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin, Iowa State competed without its top five runners: Joash Ruto, Sanele Masondo, Robin Kwemoi, Bera Rodgers Kiplimo, and Meshack Kimutai.

In their absence, Seth Clevenger delivered a breakout performance with a 19th-place finish. Sudbury praised Clevenger’s race execution and mentioned that Clevenger is now a frontrunner for the team’s NCAA Championship lineup. He told Cyclones.com: “As we still try to figure out who's our top seven to run at nationals, he's definitely put himself in a situation where it's hard not to think that guy's going to be representing us at the NCAA Championship. So really excited for him.”

The other finishers from the team included: Hanibal Haile (63rd); Isaac Rivera (181st); Quinton Orr (188th), and Emanuel Galdino (208th).

The No. 1 Team In The Country

Despite finishing 27th at Nuttycombe with a B-squad, Iowa State was still ranked No. 1 in the USTFCCCA Coaches Poll released on Oct. 21st. Coaches appear to be weighing early-season performances more heavily, especially ISU’s dominance at the Gans Creek Classic where the full roster competed. Iowa State received 11 first-place votes from coaches.

Oklahoma State, the 2023 NCAA Cross Country champions, was ranked No. 2 despite limited recent racing. New Mexico is ranked No. 3 after a commanding Nuttycombe win led by Habtom Samuel.

What’s Next

Iowa State is set to race next at the Big 12 Championships on Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas on Friday, Oct. 31st. The men’s 8K is scheduled for 10 a.m. The women’s 6K follows at 11 a.m.

Despite internal turmoil, unless the suspensions hit the team’s top runners, the Cyclones are still viewed as national contenders heading into conference championships weekend. The team’s lineup at Big 12s may shed more light on its active roster and true potential for the 2025 NCAA DI Cross Country Championships, slated for November 22 in Columbia, Missouri.

Who Is On The Roster?

As of Monday morning, the following athletes were listed on Cylones.com as members of the men’s cross country roster.

Matthew Shelly (Fr.) – From Bentonville, Ark. 🇺🇸

Aiden Monistere (Fr.) – From Baton Rouge, La. 🇺🇸

Meshack Kimutai (Fr.) – From Baringo, Kenya 🇰🇪

Robin Kwemoi Bera (So.) – From Kitale, Kenya 🇰🇪

Allen Bonnesen (So.) – From Danville, Iowa 🇺🇸

Isaac Rivera (So.) – From Kansas City, Mo.🇺🇸

Joash Ruto (So.) – From Nakuru, Kenya 🇰🇪

Devan Kipyego (Jr.) – From Warwick, R.I. 🇺🇸

Seth Clevenger (Jr.) – From Haddonfield, N.J. 🇺🇸

Emanuel Galdino (Jr.) – From Houston, Texas 🇺🇸

Ryan Watts (R-Jr.) – From Hamel, Ill. 🇺🇸

Nathan Pestka (Sr.) – From Phoenix, Ariz. 🇺🇸

Rodgers Kiplimo (Sr.) – From Kondabilet, Kenya 🇰🇪

Hanibal Haile (Sr.) – From Phoenix, Ariz. 🇺🇸

Riley Simpson (Gr.) – From West Plains, Mo. 🇺🇸

Sanele Masondo (Gr.) – From Utrecht, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Quinton Orr (R-Sr.) – From Humboldt, Iowa 🇺🇸

This post will be updated with more information as the story develops.