April 16, 2007
IOWA CITY, IA –
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
THIS WEEK — The Iowa Hawkeyes will host the ninth-annual Iowa Musco Twilight Meet Saturday at Cretzmeyer Track in Iowa City. Teams scheduled to compete at the co-ed meet are Drake, Illinois-Chicago, Marquette, Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois and Wisconsin. Admission is $3 for adults. Youth and University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge. Starting times are as follows:
1 p.m. “B” Section Field Events
3 p.m. Field Event Finals
“B” Section & Preliminary Running Events
6 p.m. Running Event Finals
ELITE ATHLETES TO COMPETE AT IOWA MUSCO TWILIGHT IX — Several elite athletes are scheduled to compete at the ninth-annual Iowa Musco Twilight Meet. Current Hawkeye Assistant Coach Joey Woody, former University of Northern Iowa standout Dirk Homewood, former Wisconsin-LaCrosse standout Andrew Rock, Northwestern College alum Jacob Koczman and former Hawkeye all-American Shellene Williams are scheduled to compete.
Woody has earned a spot on three United States World teams. In 2003, he won the silver medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the World Championship and was ranked second in the world in the event. The Iowa City, IA, native was also part of the 1,600-meter relay which won the World Championships gold medal in 1999. In 2000, he ran on the 3,200-meter relay which set a world record. A four-time all-American at Northern Iowa, Woody won the 1997 NCAA title in the 400-meter hurdles. He currently holds the Twilight meet record in the 400-meter hurdles (48.94), and is scheduled to compete in that event and as part of a 1,600-meter relay.
Homewood was a three-time all-American and nine-time conference champion (2001-05) at Northern Iowa. He placed ninth in the 400 meters at the 2005 USATF Outdoor National Championships. The Cedar Falls, IA, native is expected to compete in the 400 meters and as part of a 1,600-meter relay.
Rock was a two-time Division III national 400-meter champion and 17-time all-American for the Eagles. He earned an Olympic gold medal in 2004 as part of America’s 1,600-meter relay. The Stratford, WI, native is the 2006 USA outdoor 400-meter champion, and earned a silver medal in the 400 meters and a gold medal as part of a 1,600-meter relay at the 2005 World Outdoor Championships. He will compete in the 200 meters and as part of a 1,600-meter relay.
Koczman qualified for the 2004 Olympic Trials in the 800 meters, winning two conference and two NAIA national titles at Northwestern College. The West Des Moines, IA, native will compete in the 800 meters.
Williams was an all-American and four-time Big Ten champion for the Hawkeyes in 2003-04. She still holds the school and meet 200-meter record (23.50), the meet 400-meter record (53.02) and the Rec Building 400-meter mark (54.17). She is a native of Old Harbour, Jamaica, and will compete in either the 200 or 400 meters.
HAWKEYE FOOTBALL PLAYERS COULD COMPETE — Wide receivers Paul Chaney, Jr. and Trey Stross, and long snapper Clint Huntrods could compete at Saturday’s Musco Twilight meet. Chaney, Jr. and Stross competed during the 2007 indoor season and Huntrods has competed during the last two outdoor seasons. All three have been occupied with spring football practice since March 7.
Chaney, Jr. led the Hawkeyes in the 60 (6.89) and 200 meters (21.45) during the indoor season. The freshman from St. Louis, MO, placed seventh in the 200 meters and eighth in the 60 meters at the Big Ten Championships. His best times in both events rank sixth on Iowa’s all-time best performers list. He redshirted the 2006 football season.
Stross led the Hawkeyes in the high jump at the Big Ten indoor meet, placing fourth with a jump of 6-9 3/4. That mark ranked second on the team and 10th on Iowa’s all-time list. The redshirt freshman from Avon Lake, OH, played in all 13 football games in 2006, catching 13 passes for 189 yards and averaging 14.5 yards per catch.
Huntrods placed 10th in the discus (155-4) at the 2006 Big Ten outdoor meet. The junior is a native of Collins, IA, and is also a member of Iowa’s offensive line.
IOWA’S REGIONAL QUALIFIERS — The Hawkeyes have qualified seven women and four men 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.
Women’s Regional Qualifiers
Name – Event – Mark – Big 10/Region/Nation
Meghan Armstrong – 5,000 Meters – 16:18.74 – 3rd/3rd/13th Becca Franklin – Hammer Throw – 187-11 (57.27 m) – 4th/7th/31st Tiffany Johnson – 100 Hurdles – 13.77 – 4th/8th/43rd Triple Jump – 41-2 1/4 (12.55 m) – 2nd/7th/29th Racheal Marchand – 5,000 Meters – 16:40.27 – 4th/6th/31st Diane Nukuri – 1,500 Meters – 4:20.95 – 4th/2nd/11th 10,000 Meters – 33:31.69# – 1st/1st/9th Peaches Roach – High Jump – 5-8 3/4 (1.75 m) – 2nd/10th/33rd Renee White – Triple Jump – 41-3 3/4 (12.59 m) – 1st/6th/28th
Men’s Regional Qualifiers
Name – Event – Mark – Big 10/Region/Nation
A.J. Curtis – Discus – 202-11 (61.84 m) – 1st/1st/3rd
Adam Hamilton – Hammer Throw – 207-7 (63.28 m) – 1st/3rd/20th
John Hickey – Shot Put – 59-5 1/2 (18.12 m) – 1st/1st/13th
Micah VanDenend – 5,000 Meters – 13:49.31 – 1st/2nd/6th
# — NCAA provisional qualifier
MUSCO MEET HISTORY — The annual Iowa Musco Twilight Meet was named for Musco Lighting of Oskaloosa, IA, which has supplied mobile lighting equipment for the event’s nine-year history. In its first four years, the meet produced 43 NCAA provisional qualifiers. Since the creation of the regional qualifying system in 2003, 187 competitors have achieved qualifying standards at the meet.
HAWKEYE COACHES — Larry Wieczorek and James Grant are in their 11th seasons at the helm of Iowa men and women’s track, respectively.
Wieczorek has coached 24 all-Americans and 40 Big Ten Champions at Iowa. The Hawkeyes’ 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. He was also 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.
In his tenure with the Hawkeyes, Grant has coached 24 Big Ten champions, 60 regional qualifiers, 21 all-region selections, 31 NCAA qualifiers, 12 all-Americans and one NCAA champion. Iowa placed third at the 2004 Big Ten Indoor Championships in Iowa City and sixth at the 2003 conference outdoor meet – the team’s highest placings during Grant’s tenure. The third-place indoor finish tied the team’s highest conference finish in school history. He is assisted by three-time conference champion Layne Anderson and NCAA champion and four-time all-American Victor Houston.
HAWKEYES BREAK RECORDS — Four Hawkeyes have set school records so far this season. Senior distance runner Micah VanDenend, senior thrower Becca Franklin, sophomore jumper Renee White and sophomore thrower A.J. Curtis are the new record holders.
VanDenend shattered his own school 5,000-meter record at the Stanford Invite on March 31. 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.
Franklin broke her own hammer school record at the Auburn Tiger Classic on April 7. The toss of 187-11 surpassed her previous best of 187-6.
White also set a new triple jump school record at Auburn. Her winning jump of 41-3 3/4 bested the previous record of 41-3 1/4 set in 2006 by Iowa senior Tiffany Johnson.
Curtis broke a school record that is older than himself with his winning discus throw of 202-11 at the Central Collegiate Invite on April 6. He was born on February 7, 1987. The previous record of 202-4 was set in 1986 by former Hawkeye Gary Kostrubala. Curtis’ throw also set a meet record and smashed his previous personal best of 173-11 in that event. He and Kostrubala are the only two Hawkeyes in school history to throw over 200 feet in that event.
VANDENEND, CURTIS EARN BIG TEN HONORS — Hawkeye senior distance runner Micah VanDenend and sophomore thrower A.J. Curtis have earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors this outdoor season. VanDenend was named co-Big Ten Runner of the Week April 3 for his school-record setting time of 13:49.31 in the 5,000 meters at the Stanford Invitational. Curtis was named Big Ten Field Event Athlete of the Week April 10 for his school record-setting performance in the discus (202-11) at the Central College Invitational in Pella, IA. They are the first Hawkeyes to earn the weekly conference honor since javelin thrower Bill Neumann in 2003.
LAST WEEK — The Hawkeye women’s team competed at the John Jacobs Invitational in Norman, OK, while the men’s squad sent competitiors to the Jacobs Invitational, the Jim Duncan Invitational in Des Moines and the Lee Calhoun Memorial in Macomb, IL.
Senior Adam Hamilton qualified for the regional meet in the hammer throw for the third time this season at Jacobs (207-7), improving his previous best mark by almost seven feet. Sophomore John Hickey also qualified for the regional in the shot put for the second time this season (59-0).
For the women, juniors Diane Nukuri and Meghan Armstrong placed third (4:30.11) and fourth (4:30.18), respectively in the 1,500 meters. Also placing fourth were senior Becca Franklin (hammer throw – 178-2) and sophomore Renee White (long jump – 18-9).
NEXT COMPETITION — The Hawkeye men and women’s track teams will compete in the 98th running of the Drake Relays, April 26-28 in Des Moines. Events will be held on Jim Duncan Track in Drake Stadium. Drake is aiming for its 42nd consecutive sellout, which is the longest streak in U.S. track history. Tickets are available at (515) 271-3647 or www.drakerelays.org.
Click HERE for more information about the Big Ten Network.