April 2, 2007
IOWA CITY, IA –
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THIS WEEK — The Iowa men’s track team will compete at the co-ed UNI-Mark Messersmith Invitational Saturday in Cedar Falls, IA. All events will be held at the University of Northern Iowa Messersmith Outdoor Track and Field Complex. Field events are set to start at 11 a.m. with running events at 1:10 p.m.
IOWA’S REGIONAL QUALIFIERS — The Hawkeyes have qualified three individuals to the NCAA Midwest Regional, which will be held May 25-26, at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA. Their events, qualifying marks and where they rank in the Big Ten, region and nation are listed below.
Name – Event – Mark – Big 10/Region/Nation
John Hickey – Shot Put – 59-5 1/2 (18.12 m) – 1st/1st/6th Adam Hamilton – Hammer Throw – 200-11 (61.24 m) – 1st/3rd/19th Micah VanDenend – 5,000 Meters – 13:49.31 – 1st/2nd/4th
LAST WEEK — Hawkeye senior distance runner Micah VanDenend shattered his own school 5,000-meter record Saturday at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, CA. The Glen Ellyn, IL, native became the first Hawkeye in school history to break 13:50 in that event with his time of 13:49.31. He set the previous record of 13:55.96 at the same meet last season. Van Denend, who was the fourth collegian to finish the race and placed seventh overall in the first section, also became the third Hawkeye to qualify for the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Iowa’s other two competitors at Stanford were senior Jeff Kent and freshman Jesse Luciano. Kent placed 10th in the fourth section of the 5,000 meters (14:21.05), while Luciano ran a collegiate-best 3:49.99 to place seventh in the 1,500-meter “B” section.
HAWKEYE COACHING STAFF — Head Coach Larry Wieczorek is in his 11th season at the helm of the Iowa men’s track team. He has coached 24 all-Americans and 40 Big Ten Champions at Iowa. The team’s highest conference 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 – and a four-time all-American. In 1998, Wieczorek was inducted into the National Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame. He is assisted by three-time Indiana all-American Scott Cappos and World Champion and four-time Northern Iowa all-American Joey Woody.
NEXT COMPETITION — The Hawkeyes will compete at the John Jacobs Invitational April 13-14, in Norman, OK. All events will be held at John Jacobs Field on the Oklahoma University campus. Four distance events will take place Friday night, starting at 7:30 p.m. The remainder of the track and field events are scheduled for Saturday. Field events will start at 11 a.m. and running events at 1 p.m.
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