Heat slows women’s cross country at Roy Griak Invitational

Crystal Nelson, left, races to a third-place finish at last year’s Roy Griak Invitational.

Kyle Heim

High temperatures reached the mid-’80s at the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 27. After running the 6-kilometer race, many runners were gassed when they reached the finish line.

Redshirt freshman Erin Hooker’s Iowa State debut was limited by cramping. Hooker, the 2010 Colorado 5A High School runner-up in cross country and 2013 Colorado High School 5A 3200-meter state champion, will be back for the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational on Oct. 17.

“It was unfortunate Erin Hooker got a cramp early in the race and was kind of out of it from the start,” said ISU head coach Andrea Grove-McDonough. “I would have liked to have had her show everyone what she’s capable of.”

Temperatures should cool off for the Wisconsin Invitational on Oct. 17 in Madison, Wis.