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Plot Thickens as Calendar Turns By Chris Brewer I owa's first two races of the season were not, by definition, preseason competitions. Kevin Docherty's first-place finish in his college debut is documented in the record book. Kevin Lewis' personal record at the Black and Gold Invitational is listed on the all-time leader board. "The whole environment is crazy," said Docherty, a native of St. Paul, Minn., and a four-time prep competitor at the Griak. "I remember when I first raced my freshman year of high school, it was like being in a giant swarm. You have no idea what's going on. It's chaos. One thing you can do is make sure you get out and get in the right place." Both meets count, just not in the same context as the next event. Wieczorek said in a field this size, the Hawkeyes must run with perspective. "The last week of September starts the counting for at-large consideration for the NCAA Championships," said UI head coach Larry Wieczorek. "If we start accumulating wins over national teams, those wins are taken into consideration during the NCAA at-large selection process." "Some guys are used to running at the front of the pack, but now all of the sudden you're in 50th place with a sea of people all the way around you. That's disconcerting and it throws you off," said Wieczorek. "One of my sayings is, 'race where you're at,' because you could be 50th and racing very well. You can't lose concentration and lose focus of what you're doing." That means if Iowa wants to think about making a postseason run, the planning starts Sept. 28 at the Roy Griak Invitational. The star-studded field includes schools and athletes that contend for national crowns every year, and Wieczorek doesn't want his team star-struck by the college football-esque environment that borders every step from start to finish at the Les Bolstad Golf Course. "It's an all-day event for the fans," said Wieczorek. "They're everywhere, and they're loud. It's a big mass of humanity." To prepare for the spotlight, he's turned to video evidence. The Griak is the first of four "countable" races before the NCAA Championships on Nov. 23. An exceptional performance won't guarantee anything. A sluggish performance won't end the season. Wieczorek says the important thing is Iowa learns from the experience. "It's important to develop," said Wieczorek. "We would like to go there and do some good for ourselves. We'd like to beat some teams and set ourselves up with some at-large points, but really we need to develop, because I think we're set up for a pretty good era of Iowa cross country." "That's why I want our guys to see this video (of the 2012 race)," Wieczorek said. "This meet is on another level." The Hawkeye men and women will compete at the Roy Griak on Sept. 28. The women travel to Madison for the Inter-Regional on Oct. 19, while the men compete in the Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 20. The top five finishers from each school count toward that team's point total. Iowa has four upperclassmen with Griak experience, and the No. 5 scorer could come from a freshman — a freshman who has seen the course more than any other Hawkeye. Championship season begins when the calendar turns to November. Purdue hosts the Big Ten Championship on Nov. 3. The NCAA Regional is Nov. 15 in Ames, Iowa, and the NCAA Championships are Nov. 23 in Terre Haute. 15