Hawkeyes Head To Drake Relays

April 24, 2006

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

THIS WEEK — The Hawkeye men and women’s track teams will compete in the 97th running of the Drake Relays, Wednesday thru Saturday, in Des Moines, IA. Events will be held on Jim Duncan Track in Drake Stadium. The meet is expected to sellout for the 40th straight year, which is the longest streak in U.S. track history. The newly renovated Drake Stadium seats 18,000. Tickets are available at (515) 261-3647. Following are ticket prices:

Competition Day – Ticket Price – Ticket Type
Thursday – $5 – General Admission – All Ages
Friday – Day Session – $25 – Adult Reserved
Friday – Day Session – $13 – Youth Reserved (Ages 14 & under)
Friday – Night Session – $10 – Adult General Admission*
Friday – Night Session – $10 – Youth Reserved (Ages 14 & under)
Friday – Night Session – $20 – Adult Reserved
Saturday – $30 – Reserved – All Ages
* – only available for purchase during Friday’s Day Session

2005 DRAKE RELAYS REVIEW — The Hawkeyes competed at the 96th annual Drake Relays in Des Moines. Senior Ken Kemeny was unable to defend his shot put title, placing second with a throw of 59-0 3/4. The Hawkeyes also snagged four third-place finishes. Senior Chris Voller placed third in the hammer with a collegiate-best 203-1, sophomore Peaches Roach placed third in the special invitation high jump (5-9 3/4), junior Tim Brodersen placed third in the discus (177-0) and the women’s 1,600-meter relay of senior Aisha Hume, sophomores Lindsey McCalla and Erin Sheeley and freshman Kineke Alexander placed third in 3:44.24.

HAWKEYES BREAK RECORDS — Hawkeye juniors Micah VanDenend, Tiffany Johnson and Peaches Roach have set new school records this outdoor season. VanDenend broke a 38-year-old 5,000-meter record at the Stanford Invitational, running a collegiate-best 13:55.96 for sixth place in the event. Iowa Head Coach Larry Wieczorek set the previous record of 13:56.0 in 1968. Johnson broke her own 100-meter hurdles and triple jump records. Her collegiate-best 13.53 at the Mt. SAC Relays broke the hurdles record of 13.57 she set in 2005, and she smashed the triple jump record of 40-9 1/2 she set in 2005 with her collegiate best 41-3 1/4 leap at the Iowa Musco Twilight VIII. Johnson now holds school records in the indoor and outdoor triple jump, 60-meter hurdles, 100-meter hurdles and as part of the indoor 1,600-meter relay. Roach broke the 23-year-old school high jump record of 6-0 set in 1983 by Mary Mol with the collegiate-best 6-0 3/4 at the Mt. SAC Relays. Roach holds the school indoor high jump mark, which is also 6-0 3/4.

WOMEN’S TEAM MAKES TRACKWIRE 25 — The Hawkeye women’s track team is 21st in the most recent national outdoor rankings released by Trackwire. The list, compiled by Gary Verigin of www.trackwire.com, ranks schools according to a projected hypothetical score for the NCAA outdoor championships, which is generated by a power ranking of the top 12 athletes and relay squads in each NCAA event. Iowa is ranked 21st with 10 points after opening the outdoor season ranked 20th. Texas is first with 61.

LAST WEEK — Iowa qualified 10 student-athletes for the NCAA Midwest Regional, set a school record and crowned nine event champions at the eighth annual Iowa Musco Twilight meet in Iowa City.

Junior Tiffany Johnson set a school and meet record in the triple jump with her winning 41-3 1/4, which bettered her previous qualifying mark. Iowa’s other regional qualifiers were seniors Tim Brodersen (discus) and Tony Rakaric (3,000-meter steeplechase); junior Peaches Roach (100 meters),; sophomores Kineke Alexander (200 meters), Matty Gorman (long jump), Shane Maier (discus) and Adam Hamilton (hammer); and freshmen A.J. Curtis (discus and shot put) and John Hickey (shot put).

Winning events for the Hawkeyes were Roach (100 meters, 400-meter relay), Alexander (200 meters, 400-meter relay), Johnson (triple jump, 400-meter relay), sophomore Tammilee Kerr (400-meter relay), senior Dan Haut (3,000 meters), Gorman (long jump), sophomore Kale Katt (long jump), Hamilton (hammer) and Maier (shot put).

NEXT COMPETITION — The men and women’s teams will compete at the Big Ten outdoor championships, May 12-15, in East Lansing, MI. All events will be held at Ralph Young Track and Field Facility. Tickets are available from the Michigan State University Athletic Ticket Office at (800) 467-8283 or www.msuspartans.com. Tickets are $10 for adults (Ages 18-54) and $5 for youth and seniors (Ages 0-17 and 55+) each day.