Michigan
Spartan Invitational
Gordon Paces Michigan to Third Place at Spartan Invitational
9/11/2026 12:23:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Forest Akers East Golf Course)
Event: Spartan Invitational
U-M Team Result: 3rd of 24 (81 points)
Top U-M Individual: Penelopea Gordon, 3rd (21:08.3)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 25 -- Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite (Chicago, Ill.), 10 a.m. ET (9 a.m. CT)
» Penelopea Gordon moved from seventh after the opening kilometer to third at the finish, leading the Wolverines with a 21:08.3 performance.
» Freshman Mikita Barry was Michigan's third scorer in her collegiate debut, finishing 22nd in 21:39.2.
» Sophomore Caroline Beiting ran a career-best 21:41.1 over six kilometers, improving her previous best by more than 16 seconds.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's cross country team placed third with 81 points at the Spartan Invitational on Friday morning (Sept. 11) at Forest Akers East Golf Course.
Penelopea Gordon never left the top 10 throughout the race, moving from seventh after the first kilometer into the top three by the finish. Senior Hannah Pricco followed with a time of 21:22.7 to finish 11th.
Freshman Mikita Barry was Michigan's third scorer in her collegiate debut, finishing 22nd in 21:39.2. Sophomore Caroline Beiting followed in 23rd with a career-best 21:41.1, while senior Brooke Johnston rounded out the Wolverines' scoring five in 26th at 21:42.6.
Jadyn Zdanavage crossed the finish line less than three seconds later, placing 29th in 21:45.0. Maya Markowska also made her collegiate debut, finishing 39th in 22:02.4.
Michigan State (40 points) and Toledo (42) claimed the top two team spots, while Hillsdale College's Allison Kuzma topped the individual leaderboard in 20:43.7.
The Maize and Blue will continue the 2026 campaign at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invite on Friday (Sept. 25) in Chicago. The race is set to begin at 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. ET).
