Five Hawkeyes Head To NCAA Championships

June 6, 2005

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THIS WEEK — The Iowa men and women’s track teams will send five athletes to the 2005 NCAA Championships, Wednesday thru Saturday in Sacramento, CA. All events will be held at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex. All-session reserved tickets are $55, all-session general admission adult tickets are $40 and all-session general admission tickets for senior citizens, children and students are $25. Tickets can be purchased by calling (916) 566-6560. Events start at 1 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday, 2:15 p.m. Thursday and 2 p.m. Friday (CDT).

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS — Following is the NCAA Championships schedule of events that will include Hawkeye competitors. All times are Central.

Wednesday, June 8
3:00 p.m. – Men’s Hammer Throw Qualifier
8:25 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters, Round One
10:00 p.m. – Men’s Shot Put Qualifier

Thursday, June 9
5:00 p.m. – Women’s High Jump Qualifier
5:15 p.m. – Men’s Discus Qualifier

Friday, June 10
4:00 p.m. – Men’s Hammer Throw Final
9:40 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters Semifinal
10:15 p.m. – Men’s Shot Put Final

Saturday, June 11
5:30 p.m. – Men’s Discus Final
8:10 p.m. – Women’s 400 Meters Final
9:00 p.m. – Women’s High Jump Final

BREAKIN’ RECORDS — Iowa set four school records during the outdoor season. Sophomore Tiffany Johnson set marks in the triple jump and 100-meter hurdles. She broke the triple jump record of 40-7 1/2 set in 1988 by Becki Borg with a leap of 40-9 1/2 at the Mt. SAC Relays. She also broke the 100-meter hurdles record of 13.60 set in 1999 by Colleen Prendergast and in 2000 by Paula Ruen with the 13.57 she ran in the Big Ten Championship prelims. Sophomore Becca Franklin shattered the hammer throw record of 161-10 set in 1999 by Kerri Blackstone with an 181-11 at the Iowa Musco Twilight VII. The 6,400-meter relay of sophomores Nikki Chapple and Jordan Laney, and seniors Katie Donlon and Michelle Sokol also set a school record (20:39.12) at the Drake Relays. The previous record was 20:40.89 set in 2001 by Sarah Arens, Atalie Barber, Katie Butler and Ericka Roberts.

2004 NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW — The Hawkeyes sent seven competitors to the 2004 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, TX. Senior Shellene Williams and sophomore Adam Hamilton took home all-America honors. Williams placed sixth in the 400 meters with a school-record setting time of 51.94. Hamilton placed 10th in the hammer throw (206-9), throwing a collegiate-best 208-11 in the prelims. Freshman Peaches Roach placed 11th in the high jump (5-11 1/4), senior Brad Daufeldt placed 17th in the hammer throw (200-1) and 23rd in the discus (172-5) and junior Ken Kemeny placed 15th in the shot put (59-5 1/2). Also competing for Iowa were seniors Sarah Arens (3,000-meter steeplechase) and Russell Peterson (400-meter hurdles).

IOWA IN NCAA OUTDOOR HISTORY — The Iowa men’s track team has crowned 13 NCAA Champions and 80 all-Americans in program history. Its highest finish at the NCAA outdoor meet was tying for seventh in 1967. The women’s team has crowned three NCAA Champions and 38 all-Americans, and its highest finish at the NCAA outdoor meet was 10th in 1992. Sophomore Peaches Roach and freshman Kineke Alexander both earned their first all-America honors during the 2005 indoor season. Roach placed sixth in the high jump (6-0) and Alexander placed sixth in the 400 meters (54.06).

2005 NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL REVIEW — The men’s and women’s teams each placed 17th at the 2005 NCAA Midwest Regional in Norman, OK, May 27-28. The women’s team scored 17 team points, while the men scored 15, and both automatically qualified two competitors for the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Seniors Ken Kemeny and Tim Brodersen automatically qualified in the shot put and discus, respectively. Roach and Alexander placed second in the high jump and 400 meters, respectively, to earn automatic bids in those events.