Jan. 24, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
THIS WEEK — The Iowa men’s track team will compete at the Carle-Alliance Health Invitational Saturday in Champaign, IL. Events are scheduled to begin at noon in the University of Illinois Armory. The Hawkeye women’s team will compete at the Panther Classic Friday and Saturday at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls. Friday’s start times are 3 p.m. while Saturday’s are 10 a.m. for field events and multi-events and 1:10 p.m. for running events.
LAST WEEK — The men’s and women’s teams competed at the Gold Country Classic in Minneapolis, MN, last weekend. Four Hawkeyes recorded NCAA provisional qualifying marks, the teams won a combined nine events and sophomore Peaches Roach broke the women’s 22-year-old school high jump record.
Roach improved her previous NCAA provisional qualifying mark with a collegiate-best jump of 6-0 1/2. Former Hawkeye Mary Mol set the previous record of 6-0 in 1983. Senior Andy Banse won the shot put with a collegiate-best and NCAA provisional qualifying 58-5 3/4. Sophomore Adam Hamilton won the weight throw with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 63-4 1/4. Senior Chris Voller also provisionally qualified in the weight throw with his runner-up throw of 62-10 3/4. Other event winners for the women’s team were freshman Kineke Alexander (200 meters), sophomore Tiffany Johnson (60-meter hurdles) and senior Kamesha Marshall (shot put). Other event winners for the men’s team were senior Zach Digney (60 and 200 meters) and freshman Matty Gorman (long jump)
MEN’S TEAM CAPTAINS CHOSEN — Seniors Ken Kemeny, Juan Coleman and Bill Neumann are tri-captains for the 2005 season. Kemeny is a five-time NCAA qualifier in the shot put, the 2004 Drake Relays champion in that event and has led the team in the shot put each of the last three years. Coleman is a four-time NCAA qualifier in the 1,600-meter relay, and ran the lead leg on the 2001 Big Ten Outdoor Champion 400-meter relay. Neumann is a two-time all-American and Big Ten Champion in the javelin. He won that event in five of six meets in 2003, and is the school record holder.
2005 SIGNINGS — The Hawkeyes inked four recruits during the early signing period in November. The men’s team signed sprinter David Chaplin of Stone Mountain, GA, and thrower A.J. Curtis of Brodhead, WI. The women’s team signed Jamaican sprinters Jodyann Powell and Annabella Reid.
Chaplin is a National Elite Youth All-American and was one of Georgia’s nominees for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Trophy. He helped his Redan High School team to the 2004 state title. His best times are 10.42 in the 100 meters and 21.25 in the 200 meters. Curtis won the Division II state discus title for Brodhead High School with a personal-best 180-7, which ranks sixth among returning prep discus throwers in the nation. He was also state runner-up in the shot put with a throw of 59-7, which ranks 11th among returning prep shot putters in the nation. Powell, from Mandeville, Jamaica, will join the team as a sophomore. Her personal bests include 11.52 in the 100 meters and 24.20 in the 200 meters Reid is enrolled at Whitefish Bay High School in Milwaukee, WI, this year and will join the Hawkeyes as a freshman. Her best 400-meter time is 53.56. She will also run the 200 meters at Iowa.
HAWKEYE COACHES — Head Coaches Larry Wiezcorek and James Grant are in their ninth seasons at the helm of the Iowa men and women’s track, respectively.
During his career at Iowa, Wieczorek has coached 23 all-Americans and 35 Big Ten Champions. Iowa’s highest conference meet finishes during his tenure is second at the 1999 outdoor meet and fourth at the 1997 indoor meet. As a runner, Wieczorek was a six-time Big Ten champion for Iowa, winning four track and two cross country titles. He was also a four-time all-American. In 1998, Wieczorek was inducted into the National Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
The Hawkeyes crowned two individual champions and recorded their highest placing under Grant (third) and their highest team point total (89) in school history at the 2004 Big Ten indoor championships. During his career at Iowa, Grant has coached nine all-Americans and 18 Big Ten Champions. As a runner, Grant captained Eastern Michigan University’s 1970 and 1971 track teams. He earned all-America honors while specializing in the 400-meter dash, 400-meter hurdles and the mile relay.
NEXT COMPETITION — The Iowa men’s team will be one of nine teams to compete in the co-ed Panther Classic February 5, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Field events will start at 9 a.m. and running events at 11 a.m. The Hawkeye women’s team will compete at the Sevigne Husker Invitational, February 4-5 in Lincoln, NE. Events start at 1 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. Nineteen teams will compete in the co-ed meet at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.