COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Iowa men’s and women’s cross country teams set eight new personal records at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri, on Friday morning. The women placed 12th and the men finished 12th in the meet.
On the men’s side, juniors Brayden Burnett (23:59.7), Will Ryan (24:05.4) and Carson Houg (24:49.5) set personal records in the 8,000-meter race. For the women, freshman Elena Torres (21:07.4) and sophomore Clare Kelly (22:31.6) posted personal records in the 6,000-meter race.
Burnett led the men’s team, finishing 43rd, followed closely by Ryan in 49th place. Finishing in the top five for Iowa, sophomore Miles Wilson placed 56th (24:11.8), followed by junior Miles Sheppard in 107th (24:40.4) and freshman Kyle Montgomery in 130th (24:47.3). The men’s team scored 368 points to start the day.
For the women, Torres, the B1G Freshman of the Week, paced the Hawkeyes, placing 51st. Seniors Amber Aesoph, Miriam Sandeen and freshman Hillary Trainor scored for Iowa, finishing in 82nd (21:27.3) 97th (21:33.9) and 102nd (21:35.6), respectively. Junior Rowan Boulter finished 1267th (21:49.3) to wrap up Iowa’s top 5 finishers. The women’s team scored 422 points.
During the men’s open 8,000-meter race, freshmen Jaxson Plumb (25:00.4) and Armaan Chopra (25:34.3) set new personal bests. In the women’s open 6,000-meter race, junior Aleah Tenpas broke her personal record by crossing the finish line in 22:33.1.
Plumb and Chopra participated in the men’s 8,000-meter open race, placing 32nd and 82nd, respectively. Wrapping up the day, for the women’s 6,000-meter open race, Tenpas and Abby Ryon (23:22.6) placed 36th and 78th, respectively.
UP NEXT: The Hawkeyes head to the Bradley Pink Classic in Peoria, Illinois, on Oct. 18.
HEAR FROM COACH HASENBANK
“The women competed very well today. We were led by freshman Elena Torres who raced with a lot of confidence, again, and is not afraid to attack the races from the start. Miriam (Sandeen) and Amber (Aesoph) competed well in the 2-3 spots with another freshman, Hillary Trainor right on their heels. Rowan Boulter had another very solid race finishing in the five spot. We had about a 40 to 45 second spread from 1 to 5, so I think we can tighten that up.
The men had a solid performance today but I think this group has a lot more to give. It was great to have Brayden (Burnett) and Will (Ryan) in the line up. Brayden had a terrific performance while he may have gone out a little too hot, the way he races is exactly what this team needs. Miles Wilson and Miles Sheppard continue to show consistency at a high level so that is very encouraging and very important. The team goal was to compete at a high level against these NCAA Midwest teams. We did not hit on all cylinders but competed well in a large field.”
HAWKEYE RESULTS
Men’s 8,000 meters
43. Brayden Burnett – 23:59.7, PR
49. Will Ryan – 24:05.4, PR
56. Miles Wilson – 24:11.8
107. Miles Sheppard – 24:40.4
130. Kyle Montgomery – 24:47.3
135. Carson Houg – 24:49.5, PR
154. Ethan Eichhorn – 25:01.0
202. Yohana Yual – 25:27.9
215. Ian Geisler – 25:32.6
226. Hayden Kuhn – 25:37.3
Women’s 6,000 meters
51. Elena Torres – 21:07.4, PR
82. Miriam Sandeen – 21:27.3
97. Amber Aesoph – 21:33.9
102. Hillary Trainor – 21:35.6
127. Rowan Boulter – 21:49.3
136. Jalyssa Blazek – 21:56.0
158. Lara Kallem – 22:06.4
160. Cameron Kalaway – 22:08.2
194. Clare Kelly – 22:31.6, PR
Men’s 8,000 meters (Open)
32. Jaxson Plumb – 25:00.4, PR
82. Armaan Chopra – 25:34.3, PR
Women’s 6,000 meters (Open)
36. Aleah Tenpas – 22:33.1, PR
78. Abby Ryon – 23:22.6