Freshman Rebekah Topham of Griswold has been named the Gatorade Iowa girls cross country runner of the year.

Topham raced to the Class 1-A individual state championship in the fall in 13:59, winning by 32 seconds to help the Tigers finish third. That was the fastest time ever run at the state meet by a freshman. Topham went undefeated in Iowa high school races this season and placed eighth at the Nike Cross Nationals Heartland regional championship.

"Rebekah is an incredible runner," Tigers coach Jane Chaillie said. "Her running mechanics are near perfect, making her efficient and fun to watch."