April 18, 2005
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THIS WEEK — Iowa will host the seventh annual Iowa Musco Twilight Meet, Saturday, 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. Admission is $3 for adults and students, and free for children ages five and under.
ON THE AIR — KGAN-TV will do a live telecast of the meet from 6:30-7 p.m. The telecast will showcase some events live, as well as several features on the Hawkeye men and women’s track teams.
NCAA REGIONAL QUALIFIERS — Iowa has qualified 15 student-athletes in 10 individual events and two relays 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 rankings in the nation, midwest region and Big Ten Conference are listed below.
Name – Event – Mark – NCAA/Midwest/Big 10 Rank
Kineke Alexander – 400 Meters – 52.73 – 3rd/1st/1st
Kineke Alexander – 400-Meter Relay – 45.39 – 26th/8th/1st
Kineke Alexander – 1,600-Meter Relay – 3:40.43 – 23rd/7th/1st
Meghan Armstrong – 1,500 Meters – 4:27.10 – 27th/3rd/4th
Andy Banse – Discus – 175-3 (53.41 m) – 28th/8th/3rd
Andy Banse – Shot Put – 61-11 1/2 (18.88 m) – 9th/1st/1st
Tim Brodersen – Discus – 190-8 (58.12 m) – 7th/1st/1st
Ashley Granger – 400-Meter Relay – 45.39 – 26th/8th/1st
Dan Haut – 5,000 Meters 14:08.90 – 31st/5th/5th
Aisha Hume – 1,600-Meter Relay – 3:40.43 – 23rd/7th/1st
Tiffany Johnson – Triple Jump – 40-9 1/2 (12.43 m) – 36th/12th/2nd
Tiffany Johnson – 100 Hurdles – 13.64 – 27th/7th/1st
Tiffany Johnson – 400-Meter Relay – 45.39 – 26th/8th/1st
Ken Kemeny – Shot Put – 60-5 3/4 (18.43 m) – 16th/4th/2nd
Eric MacTaggart – 5,000 Meters – 14:04.79 – 19th/3rd/3rd
Lindsey McCalla – 1,600-Meter Relay – 3:40.43 – 23rd/7th/1st
Tony Rakaric – Steeplechase – 9:04.19 – 29th/8th/6th
Peaches Roach – High Jump – 5-10 3/4 (1.80 m) – 9th/2nd/1st
Peaches Roach – 400-Meter Relay – 45.39 – 26th/8th/1st
Erin Sheeley – 1,600-Meter Relay – 3:40.43 – 23rd/7th/1st
Chris Voller – Hammer – 199-6 (60.81 m) – 22nd/4th/1st
BREAKIN’ RECORDS — Two Hawkeyes set school records last weekend. Sophomore Tiffany Johnson broke the triple jump record she had been flirting with, and sophomore Becca Franklin broke the hammer throw record. Johnson’s mark of 40-9 1/2 at the Mt. SAC Relays broke the record of 40-7 1/2 set in 1988 by Becki Borg. Franklin’s winning mark of 163-1 at the Jim Duncan Invitational broke the record of 161-10 set by Kerri Blackstone in 1992.
LAST WEEK — The men’s team competed at the Tom Botts Invitational in Columbia, MO. The women sent athletes to the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, CA, the Long Beach State Invitational in Long Beach, CA, and the Jim Duncan Invitational in Des Moines, IA.
For the men’s team, junior Tony Rakaric qualified for the NCAA Midwest Regional in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a winning time of 9:04.19. Freshman Matty Gorman won the triple jump (46-11 3/4) and ran the third leg of the winning 400-meter relay (41.51). Seniors Robert Beach and Derrick Burks, and freshman Max Milder also ran on the relay.
The women’s team had a successful weekend, qualifying for the Midwest Regional in four events and setting two new school records. Freshman Kineke Alexander won the 400 meters (52.73) at Mt. SAC to qualify for the regional, beating the runner-up by over a full second. She also ran on the qualifying 400 and 1,600-meter relays. The 400-meter relay of freshmen Ashley Granger and Alexander, and sophomores Tiffany Johnson and Peaches Roach won their race in 45.39. The 1,600-meter relay of senior Aisha Hume, sophomores Lindsey McCalla and Erin Sheeley, and Alexander placed third in 3:40.43, which is the second-fastest time in school history. Freshman Meghan Armstrong also qualified in the 1,500 meters at Mt. SAC, placing 22nd in 4:27.10. Johnson set the school triple jump record with her runner-up finish of 40-9 1/2 at Mt. SAC, which improves her previous regional qualifying mark.
At the Jim Duncan Invitational, sophomore Becca Franklin won the hammer throw with a school-record setting 163-1. Also winning events for Iowa were senior Michelle Sokol (800 meters – 2:17.20) and redshirt freshman Jordan Laney (1,500 meters – 4:45.40).
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.
CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS! — Nineteen Hawkeye seniors will be making their final appearance at Cretzemeyer Track. They are Andy Banse, Robert Beach, Derrick Burks, Juan Coleman, Dan Dziubski, Omar Isaacs, Ken Kemeny, Bill Neumann, Ryan Strang, Josh Tweedy and Chris Voller for the men’s team and Jenni Capista, Aisha Hume, Kamesha Marshall, Georgia Millward, Tiff Pedersen, Michelle Sokol, Laura Spencer and Latoya Stiffend for the women.
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 Hawkeyes will compete in the 96th running of the Drake Relays, April 27-30, in Des Moines, IA. The meet will be held on Jim Duncan Track in Drake Stadium. The meet will be aiming for its 40th consecutive sellout in the 18,000 seat Drake Stadium, which is the longest streak in U.S. track history. Tickets are available at (515) 261-3647 at the following prices:
Competition Day – Ticket Price – Ticket Type
Thursday – $5 – General Admission
Friday – $30 – Adult Reserved
Friday – $15 – Child Reserved (Ages 14 and under)
Saturday – $30 – Reserved