Tracksters Compete At Iowa State

Tracksters Compete At Iowa State

Feb. 7, 2006

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THIS WEEK — The Iowa track team competes in the two-day Iowa State Classic in Ames, IA, Friday and Saturday. Competition begins Friday at 2 p.m. with the long jump and 60-meter hurdle preliminaries. The women’s 3,000 meter run kicks things off on Saturday at 9:45 a.m.

LAST WEEK — The Iowa track teams were successful against national competition at three meets last weekend. The Hawkeye women competed in the Husker Invitational at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Four throwers from the men’s team competed in the New Balance Collegiate Invite while the rest of the team was at the Meyo Invitational at Notre Dame.

Sophomore Kineke Alexander and junior Peaches Roach took home gold in the Husker Invitational. Alexander won the 400 meters in 52.88 and also provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Roach won the high jump when she cleared 5-7. Five student-athletes also set new personal best marks.

Sophomore Jake Berns took home the only gold for the Hawkeye men at the Meyo Invitational. He won the mile in a personal best time of 4:07.43. In all, 14 student-athletes set personal bests in the two meets.

RECORD FALLS — Sophomore Eric MacTaggart now owns the best indoor 3,000 meter time in Iowa history. The Illinois native broke the previous school record at the Meyo Invitational when he crossed the finish line in 8:08.79. Former indoor and outdoor all-American Stetson Steele held the record (8:09.54), and he currently has the best 5,000 meter time in school history.

NCAA QUALIFIERS — Three Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified for the 2006 NCAA Indoor Championships. This past weekend, sophomore Kineke Alexander qualified in the 400 meters at the Husker Invitational. She joins sophomore Shane Maier and junior Adam Hamilton who have qualified in field events.

Name                    Event    Mark        Big Ten/NCAA RankKineke Alexander#       400 Meters   52.88           2nd/2ndAdam Hamilton#     Weight Throw     63-4.25     3rd/16thShane Maier#         Shot Put   58-11.25    3rd/27th
* -- automatic qualifier, # -- provisional qualifier

TOP TEN INDOOR PERFORMERS — Several student-athletes have made it onto Top Ten indoor performance lists for the first time this season. Others have improved their standings. Here is list of Hawkeyes who are putting their names in the history books this season:

Women's Top Ten Indoor Performers
200 Meters Mile Run5. Kineke Alexander 24.13 5. Meghan Armstrong 4:48.146. Peaches Roach 24.42 8. Krista Anderson 4:51.79
400 Meters 3,000 Meters3. Kineke Alexander 52.88 5. Krista Anderson 9:37.87
Shot Put Long Jump10. Amanda Chandler 43-2.25 2. Renee White 19-3.25
Weight Throw2. Becca Franklin 49-11.253. Erin O'Hern 49-10
Men's Top Ten Indoor Performers
60 Meters 200 Meters7. Lee Elbert 6.91 10. Lee Elbert 21.788. David Chaplin 6.95
Mile 3,000 Meters6. Jake Berns 4:07.43 1. Eric MacTaggart 8:08.79
Triple Jump Shot Put5. Matty Gorman 48-3.5 6. Shane Maier 58-11.259. Aaron Reed 45-5.25 8. John Hickey 56-3
Weight Throw8. Ryan Jordan 57-0.75
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QUOTING COACH WIECZOREK — “Overall, we competed well and made progress last weekend. The athletes that competed in New York had a good trip. Adam Hamilton, placing second in the weight throw in a national meet, was excellent. The meet at Notre Dame was a tough experience, also, competing against national talent. Lee Elbert and David Chaplin moved up into the top ten list in the 200 meters and it was great to see Eric MacTaggart break the school record in the 3,000 meters. The meet next week at Iowa State will be another test. It will be good for us to compete against another group of quality schools this close to the Big Ten meet. This meet will help us see what kind of team we really are.”

IOWA HEAD COACHING STAFF — Head Coach Larry Wieczorek is in his 10th season at the helm of the Iowa men’s track team. During his career at Iowa, Wieczorek has coached 23 all-Americans and 35 Big Ten Champions. Iowa’s highest Big Ten meet finishes during his tenure are 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 Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame.

James Grant is in his 10th year at the helm of the women’s track program. The past three seasons have been outstanding for Grant and the Hawkeyes. Iowa placed third at the 2004 Big Ten Indoor Championships in Iowa City and sixth at the 2003 conference outdoor meet. Both were Iowa’s highest placings during Grant’s tenure. The third-place indoor finish tied the team’s highest conference finish in school history. In the last three seasons, the Hawkeyes crowned 11 Big Ten champions, 38 regional qualifiers, 15 all-region selections, 24 NCAA qualifiers and three all-Americans, while setting 17 school records.