Atlantic, Athlete
IATC Hall of Fame, 2025
Attack the hurdle. Don’t be afraid. Those are things commonly said by hurdle coaches to young hurdlers.
If the younger version of Jordan Mullen was given those instructions, he took them to heart, because NO ONE attacked the hurdle like the older model. Absolutely no fear.
His high school career began at Griswold, where Coach Gary Bergstrom played a big part in his falling in love with Track and Field.
After winning 1A state meet gold in the 4×1 and 4×2 and earning a medal on the Medley in 2006 while a freshman at Griswold, Jordan transferred to Atlantic for his Sophomore year. He had great success there, but it wasn’t always easy. In his first season as a Trojan he qualified for the Drake Relays as one of the state’s very best high hurdlers and finished 22nd out of 24. It was a very humbling moment, but also a turning point in his career. That was the last time he lost a high hurdle race in high school.
While the 400H was not his specialty, Coach Josh Rassmussen told him during his senior year in 2009, that they needed to find another race for him, to go along with the Highs and the 200 where he was 2-time medalist, so they could score more points at state. That event ended up being the 400 hurdles and Mullen was not too excited about it. At first, he said “absolutely not” but Coach made a deal with him. He only had to run it once every 2 or 3 meets. He ended up running them 5 times and won the state title in one of his favorite races ever. He ran 52.82 to upset Keaton Rickels from Iowa Falls-Alden, who ended up being his roommate at the University of Iowa 3 of his 4 years there.
Jordan held the All Time best of 13.80 in the 110 Highs for 10 years. He won 3A High Hurdle gold in 2007, 08 and 09 and two Drake Relays Flags with titles in the highs in ’08 and ’09.
Despite battling injury throughout his career, he was a 4-time letterwinner at Iowa; an Indoor and Outdoor All American in the High Hurdles and a Big 10 champion in the 60 hurdles and the 4×1. He sits #5 on the Hawkeyes 60M hurdles All Time list at 7.70.
After a very successful start to his coaching career at Atlantic, and a stop in Waukee as an Assistant, Mullen is now the Head Boys Coach at Ankeny, leading the Hawks to the last two 4A team titles.
Jordan takes great pride in being a well-rounded coach, but he will be the first to admit that the hurdles will always be his baby. When Ankeny won the Shuttle Hurdle Relay title last spring in 56.06, setting the All Time Best and overall state meet record, it left an all-time mark on his heart as well.
Jordan and his wife, Gina, an outstanding high jumper in her own right, are the proud parents of their son Huck.