April 23, 2007
IOWA CITY –
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THIS WEEK — The Hawkeye men and women’s track teams will compete in the 98th running of the Drake Relays, Thursday 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 41st straight year, which is the longest streak in U.S. track history. Drake Stadium seats 18,000. Tickets are available at (515) 261-3647 or at www.drakebulldogs.com. Following are ticket prices:
Competition Day Ticket Price Ticket Type
Thursday $5 General Admission – All Ages
Friday – Afternoon Session $25/$13 Adult/Youth (Ages 14 & under)
Friday – Night Session $20/$10 Adult/Youth (Ages 14 & under)
$20 Adult Reserved
Saturday $30 All Ages
ON THE AIR — Portions of the Drake Relays will be broadcast on Des Moines Mediacom channels. Friday’s events will be shown on Mediacom Connections Channel 22 in Des Moines and Mediacom College Channel 16 from 5-9:30 p.m. Saturday’s events will be aired on Mediacom College Channel 16 from 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Live video streaming coverage of the event will be available on the internet at the Drake Relays Telecast link at www.drakebroadcasting.com
2006 DRAKE RELAYS REVIEW — The Hawkeyes crowned two champions at the 97th annual Drake Relays in Des Moines, IA. Sophomore Kineke Alexander won the women’s special 400 meters (52.01), while junior Tiffany Johnson won the women’s University 100-meter hurdles (13.58). Junior Meghan Armstrong placed third and qualified for the NCAA regional in the women’s special 1,500 meters (4:26.01). For the men’s team, sophomore Shane Maier placed second in the shot put (59-11 1/4), junior Adam Hamilton placed third in the hammer throw (213-6) and sophomore Matty Gorman placed third in the long jump (24-8 1/2) and fifth in the triple jump (48-0).
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 for the fourth time this season at Iowa Musco Twilight IX April 21. The toss of 195-0 surpassed her previous best of 187-11.
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 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.
IOWA’S REGIONAL QUALIFIERS — The Hawkeyes have qualified seven women and 11 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 1,500 Meters 4:21.86 6th/6th/23rd
5,000 Meters 16:18.74 3rd/4th/16th
Becca Franklin Hammer Throw 195-0 (59.45 m) 4th/7th/16th
Tiffany Johnson 100 Hurdles 13.65 4th/7th/35th
Triple Jump 41-2 1/4 (12.55 m) 7th/8th/42nd
Racheal Marchand 5,000 Meters 16:40.27 5th/8th/39th
Diane Nukuri 1,500 Meters 4:20.95 4th/2nd/14th
10,000 Meters 33:31.69 # 1st/1st/10th
Peaches Roach High Jump 5-10 3/4 (1.80 m) 1st/4th/14th
Renee White Triple Jump 41-3 3/4 (12.59 m) 1st/11th/42nd
Men’s Regional Qualifiers
Name Event Mark Big 10/Region/Nation
Paul Chaney, Jr. 400-Meter Relay 40.58 2nd/12th/47th
A.J. Curtis Discus 202-11 (61.84 m) 1st/1st/4th
Shot Put 56-2 (17.12 m) 5th/9th/55th
Lee Elbert 400-Meter Relay 40.58 2nd/12th/47th
Adam Hamilton Hammer Throw 215-2 (65.59 m) 1st/2nd/13th
John Hickey Shot Put 60-1 1/4 (18.32 m) 1st/2nd/13th
Kale Katt Javelin 204-0 (62.17 m) 3rd/15th/63rd
Shane Maier Shot Put 57-6 1/2 (17.54 m) 3rd/5th/34th
Max Milder 400-Meter Relay 40.58 2nd/12th/47th
Aaron Reed 400-Meter Relay 40.58 2nd/12th/47th
Micah VanDenend 5,000 Meters 13:49.31 1st/3rd/9th
Ray Varner 400 Hurdles 51.63 1st/11th/28th
# — NCAA provisional qualifier
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.
LAST WEEK — The Hawkeyes hosted the ninth annual Musco Twilight track meet at Cretzmeyer Track in Iowa City. The beautiful weather allowed eight meet records and one Iowa school record to fall during the eight-team co-ed meet. Collegiate competitors also tallied 38 regional qualifying performances.
For the women’s team, Hawkeye senior Becca Franklin smashed her own school record in the hammer throw for the fourth time this season with a winning throw of 195-0. Senior Peaches Roach and juniors Meghan Armstrong and Diane Nukuri also won events and set meet records. Roach won the high jump (5-10 3/4), Armstrong won the 1,500 meters with a regional qualifying 4:21.86 and Nukuri won the 3,000 meters (9:23.91).
The men’s team tripled its amount of individual regional qualifiers during the meet. The team had previously qualified four student-athletes, and added eight to the list Saturday. Freshman Ray Varner qualified in the 400-meter hurdles (51.63), junior Kale Katt won the pole vault with a career toss of 204-0. Junior Shane Maier (57-6 1/2) and sophomore A.J. Curtis (56-2) each qualified in the shot put, with sophomore John Hickey winning the event (60-1 1/4). The Hawkeye 400-meter relay of juniors Max Milder, Aaron Reed, Lee Elbert and freshman Paul Chaney, Jr., also qualified for the regional with a winning time of 40.58. Senior Adam Hamilton won the hammer throw with a season-best mark of 215-2, which leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the region.
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