Former Ankeny Centennial standout Emma Gordon raced to a victory on her home course Friday as the University of Iowa cross country teams opened their season with a sweep of the competition at the 2022 Hawkeye Invite at the Ashton Cross Country Course.
Gordon, a senior, posted a time of 14:12.9 in the 4k race to set a personal record. It was her first win since the 2016 state qualifying meet at DMACC, when she also ran on her home course for the Jaguars.
Gordon finished more than 25 seconds ahead of teammate Kelli Tosic. The Hawkeyes recorded nine PRs and had the top five finishers.
“Overall, I feel that we have a fit bunch,” said Iowa associate head coach Randy Hasenbank. “I was impressed with Emma, Kelli and (third-place finisher) Maddie (Block). Emma was very impressive; that was one of the better performances of her career.”
Up next for the Hawkeyes is the Michigan Open in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Friday.