Iowa State's Nelson seeks national 10K title

DES MOINES - Meaghan Nelson.

Elite distance runner.

Still a mind-blowing combination?

 “I'm starting to think more that I can compete with all these really talented girls, which I think helps my confidence,” said Nelson, a former Xavier standout and rising Iowa State star who will compete in Thursday's 10,000-meter run in the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships at Drake Stadium. “It still kind of floors me to think about competing - to be in the top three, or top one at Nationals. Hopefully things are going well and I feel good. I'm definitely getting more used to it, but I don't think it's something anyone could ever get completely used to, to be honest.”

 The meet begins today at noon and concludes Saturday.

 Texas A & M enters as the three-time defending champ on both the men's and women's sides, but Aggies Coach Pat Henry said history matters little to his youth-driven teams that rank No. 1 (men) and No. 4 (women) nationally.

 “It's a start-over every year,” Henry said. “This is a good competitive group, but as (other coaches) will tell you, what you did to get here was great, But you've got to do it here. So that's the challenge. And making a mistake is going to be part of that. And doing something better than you did all year is also going to be a part of that.”

 Nelson's not alone among former Gazette-area athletes expected to scratch up top performances in Des Moines.

 Jordan Williams of Monticello will compete for UNI in the discus.

 Iowa's Matt Banse, a former Starmont standout, throws the hammer.

 Nebraska's Ashley Miller, who won an unprecedented 15 state track titles at Tipton and recently set a Drake Relays record in the 1,500-meter run, competes in that event, which is slated for 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

 She'd savor a title, but running means more to her than medals.

 “It's definitely a part of my life,” she said during Relays week. “I run because of the way it feels.”

 Nelson, a junior, has felt a deep sense of humility as her prospects on the track spiked.

 She's well-positioned on a relatively long list of contenders in the 10K, which is scheduled to begin at 8:45 p.m. Thursday.

 “If I compete well I'll be happy with it,” Nelson said. “I'd like to be in the top eight, get that all-American (honor) and obviously if the opportunity is there I'm going to try to give it a shot to win.”

Nelson finished fourth in the 5K at the 2012 NCAA Indoor Championships and said ISU's tradition of excellence in distance events has helped her blossom - even if the concept of being among the best continues to “floor” her.

 “That benefit, you can't really put into words,” said Nelson, who already has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the event. “Being able to have Betsy (Saina, who is redshirting) and Dani (Stack) to train with the entire year has really made me so much stronger as a runner and allowed me to make my transition - being able to be confident and compete well with the best people in the country.”

 Nelson owns the second-best time this season in the event, a 32:14.27 achieved in late April at Palo Alto, Calif.

 She said the key Thursday will be remaining among the front-runners, even though it's a long race.

 “You definitely have to try to stick with that top group and counter any moves that are made,” Nelson said. “If you lose contact with the front group you can get lost.”