RedTail Cross Country Teams Run to Strong Showings at Les Duke

The Hawkeye Community College men's cross country team put five runners in the top 40, including a 12^th from David Thompson, as it ran to a fourth-place finish at the 20-team Les Duke Invitational in Grinnell on Saturday. The RedTails' women's squad was also strong, placing sixth in a field of 16.

Thompson led the way for the men with a time of 27 minutes, 22 seconds, while Johnny Smith, Peter Torkelson, Payton Bahl and Konner Roth followed closely in 19^th, 23^rd, 29^th and 40^th. The RedTails were the top community college, trailing only Central College, Grinnell College and Simpson College in the standings.

The women's team was also tops among community colleges, finishing behind Grinnell, Central, Simpson, Park University and Monmouth College. Joanna Topham led the RedTails by finishing fourth with a personal-best time of 23:32. Madison Larsen placed 10^th overall in 24:50, while Carly Hasken (27^th), Becca McDermott (51^st) and Bianca Malone (54^th) rounded out the scoring.

The men's and women's teams next compete in the Dan Hudson Invite on Saturday, September, 29 in Waverly.