SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Freshman phenom Penelopea Gordon hit the track Thursday evening as she took on her staple event, the 800m, in the NCAA First Round. 
 
Racing took place at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, with Gordon's event starting just before 8 PM.
 
OFF TO THE RACES
Gordon featured in heat two of six of the 800m, racing in on the outside of the track in lane eight. Gordon got off to a solid start, as she moved to the back of the pack to draft off her opponents on the opening lap. 
 
As the field began to open up on the second lap, Gordon tried her best to match her competitor's pace. She gave it everything she had coming down the final stretch, as she crossed the line in 7^th with a time of 2:09.31. 
 
Although the freshman was unable to qualify for Saturday's quarterfinals, her first season at Saint Mary's was one to remember. With rapid improvement and a personal best time that lands her inside the top-20 fastest freshman in the country, Gordon will surely be back to break more records when the track season begins once again next spring.
 
KINSEY QUOTES
"Penelopea has had such an unbelievable season and it's been a joy to watch. Her rapid improvement has been truly amazing, and for her to be in the top-20 fastest freshman in the country is something she should be incredibly proud of. She's just getting started and I'm excited to see where her talents take her because the sky's the limit!"
 
Full results from the 800m and all other events from the NCAA First Round can be found HERE.