Former Hawkeye Track Star Earns Olympic Medal in 200m Dash

A former track star at the University of Iowa found herself on the medal stand Tuesday at the Paris Summer Olympic Games!

Brittany Brown ran track at the University of Iowa from 2014 to 2018 according to HawkeyeSports.com. She was an 11-time All-American and a Big Ten Champion. She set school records for the outdoor 100m and 200m and was on 17 relays that rank in the top 10 all-time best performances in Iowa Hawkeye track and field history! On Tuesday in Paris, Brown found herself in the finals for the women's 200-meter dash.

The former Hawkeye did not disappoint! The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Brown finished with a time of 22.2 seconds which earned her the bronze medal in the 200-meter dash! She was less than one second behind the winning time of fellow American Gabby Thomas' gold medal-winning time of 21.83. This was Brown's first-ever appearance in an Olympic games.

The win was a historic one. Brittany Brown became the first woman in Iowa track and field history to win an individual Olympic medal according to the Gazette. She is the Hawkeye's first Olympic medal winner, men's or women's, since the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. The Gazette reports that Brown is the second athlete from the University of Iowa to medal at the Paris Summer Games. Eve Stewart earned a bronze medal for Great Britain in rowing.

Congratulations to Brittany Brown for her amazing Olympic performance and for representing the University of Iowa and the United States of America!