Hawkeyes To Compete At Messersmith Invite

April 4, 2005

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

THIS WEEK — The Iowa men’s and women’s track teams will compete at the Mark Messersmith Invitational Saturday in Cedar Falls. All events will be held at the Mark Messersmith Outdoor Track Complex on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Admission is free. Field events will start at 11 a.m. and running events will begin at 1:30 p.m.

LAST WEEK — The men’s team qualified four competitors for the 2005 NCAA Midwest Regional at the Cal State Northridge Eight-Way Meet in Northridge, CA. Iowa’s qualifiers were seniors Andy Banse and Ken Kemeny (shot put), senior Chris Voller (hammer throw) and junior Tim Brodersen (discus). Banse, who has already qualified for the regional in the discus, won the shot put with a collegiate-best throw of 61-11 1/2, which is over a foot more than his previous best mark recorded last month. He also placed third in the discus (160-0). Kemeny placed second in the shot with a throw of 60-5 3/4. Brodersen, who had already qualified in the discus, improved his qualifying mark with a collegiate-best 177-7. He also placed sixth in the hammer (168-4). Voller placed second in the hammer with a collegiate-best 197-8. Iowa’s other event winner was senior Matt O’Hollearn in the 800 meters (1:52.59).

NCAA REGIONAL QUALIFIERS — Iowa has qualified five student-athletes for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, which will be held May 27-28 in Norman, OK. The top five student-athletes in each event from each of the four regions will then advance to the NCAA Championships, scheduled for June 8-11 in Sacramento, CA. The qualifiers, their events, marks and national rank are listed below.

Name – Event – Mark – NCAA Rank
Andy Banse – Discus – 165-10 (50.56 m) – 40th
Andy Banse – Shot Put – 61-11 1/2 (18.88 m) – 6th
Tim Brodersen – Discus – 177-7 (54.13 m) – 12th
Dan Haut – 5,000 meters – 14:08.90 – 27th
Tiffany Johnson – Triple Jump – 40-4 3/4 (12.31 m) – 18th
Ken Kemeny – Shot Put – 60-5 3/4 (18.43 m) – 10th
Eric MacTaggart – 5,000 Meters – 14:04.79 – 16th
Chris Voller – Hammer – 197-8 (60.26 m) – 21st

IOWA MUSCO TWILIGHT VII — Iowa will host the seventh annual Iowa Musco Twilight Meet, April 23, at Francis X. Cretzmeyer Track in Iowa City. Competing teams in the co-ed scored meet are Drake, Minnesota, Missouri and Iowa. Start times are 3 p.m. for field events, 4 p.m. for running event “B” sections and 5:30 p.m. for running event finals. KGAN-TV will do a live broadcast from the meet from 6:30-7 p.m.

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 teams, 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 men’s team will send split squads to the Tom Botts Invitational in Columbia, MO, April 15-16 and the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, CA, April 15-17. The women’s team will send competitors to the Mt. SAC Relays and the UNI Invitational in Cedar Falls, IA, April 16.