Feb. 27, 2007
IOWA CITY, IA –
THIS WEEK — Members of the Iowa women’s track team will have one final chance to qualify for the NCAA Championship. Some competitors will travel to South Bend, IN to compete in the Alex Wilson Invitational, while others will attend the Last Chance meet hosted by Iowa State.
NCAA QUALIFIERS — Junior Kineke Alexander is the lone Hawkeye to automatically qualify (400 meters) for the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships. The Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified in seven other events. Alexander (200 meters), Meghan Armstrong (Mile, 3,000 meters), Diane Nukuri (3,000 meters and 5,000 meters), Tiffany Johnson (60 meter hurdles) and Peaches Roach (high jump) have all qualified in individual events.
LAST WEEK — The Hawkeyes finished fifth at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. Kineke Alexander and Peaches Roach accounted for three titles at the championships.
For the second year in a row, Alexander took the title in both, 200 (23.67) and 400 meters (52.23). Alexander is the only athlete in Iowa history to win two titles in back-to-back years. Roach won her fourth career high jump (5-10) title. Alexander and Roach are the third and fourth athletes to win four Big Ten titles during their career.
HAWKEYE COACHES — James Grant is in his 11th year at the helm of the women’s track and field program. The past four seasons have been outstanding for Grant and the Hawkeyes. Kineke Alexander became Grant’s first NCAA champion (400 meters) and only the fourth in school history. In his time at Iowa, the Hawkeyes have crowned 21 Big Ten champions, 60 regional qualifiers, 21 all-region selections, 28 NCAA qualifiers and 10 all-Americans, one NCAA champion (Alexander) and set 22 school records.
Assistant coach Layne Anderson is in his third season at Iowa. He works with the distance runners and is also the head women’s cross country coach.
Victor Houston is in his third season with the Hawkeyes. His main area of responsibility include field events and multi-event athletes.
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