May 21, 2007
IOWA CITY –
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THIS WEEK — The Iowa men and women’s track teams will send 29 student-athletes to the 2007 NCAA Midwest Regional, Friday and Saturday in Des Moines, IA. All events will be held at Drake Stadium. All-session tickets are $30 and single day tickets are $15. Tickets can be ordered from the Drake University Athletic ticket office at 515/271-3647 or www.drakebulldogs.org.
The midwest region is comprised of 39 schools from Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. The top five finishers in each individual event and the top three relays from each of the four regionals will automatically advance to the NCAA Championships in Sacramento, CA. The other three regions are the West (40 men’s teams, 42 women’s teams), Mideast (78 men, 81 women) and East (110 men, 112 women).
IOWA’S REGIONAL QUALIFIERS — The Hawkeyes have qualified 14 women and 15 men to the NCAA Midwest Regional. 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 Region/NationKineke Alexander 400 Meters 52.15 2nd/10th 1,600-Meter Relay 3:39.36 13th/62ndMeghan Armstrong 1,500 Meters 4:20.92 7th/29th 5,000 Meters 16:18.74 8th/26thMegan Clarke 400-Meter Relay 45.21 16th/46thBecca Franklin Hammer Throw 195-0 (59.45 m) 5th/24thKara-Aretha Graham 1,600-Meter Relay 3:39.36 13th/62ndTiffany Johnson 100 Hurdles 13.20 1st/10th 400-Meter Relay 45.21 16th/46th Triple Jump 41-8 3/4 (12.72 m) 17th/49thAditya Jones 1,600-Meter Relay 3:39.36 13th/62ndTammilee Kerr Javelin 157-0 (47.86 m) 10th/32nd Heptathlon 5,332 # 24thRacheal Marchand 5,000 Meters 16:35.04 12th/54th 10,000 Meters 34:50.37 # 39thMonica Mims 1,600-Meter Relay 3:39.36 13th/62ndDiane Nukuri 1,500 Meters 4:20.95 9th/31st 5,000 Meters 16:15.28 7th/22nd 10,000 Meters 33:31.69 # 14thPeaches Roach High Jump 6-0 3/4 (1.85 m) 3rd/6th 100 Meters 11.71 23rd/84th 400-Meter Relay 45.21 16th/46thRhonda-Kaye Trusty 400-Meter Relay 45.21 16th/46thRenee White Triple Jump 42-1 1/2 (12.84 m) 13th/40th
Men's Regional Qualifiers
Name Event Mark Region/NationPaul Chaney, Jr. 400-Meter Relay 40.58 19th/72ndA.J. Curtis Discus 202-11 (61.84 m) 1st/6th Shot Put 56-2 (17.12 m) 15th/84thLee Elbert 400-Meter Relay 40.58 19th/72ndAdam Hairston 800 Meters 1:49.99 15th/64thAdam Hamilton Hammer Throw 222-2 (67.73 m) 2nd/10thJohn Hickey Shot Put 60-1 1/4 (18.32 m) 2nd/23rdRyan Jordan Hammer Throw 184-6 (56.23 m) 25th/127thKale Katt Javelin 204-0 (62.17 m) 19th/88thShane Maier Shot Put 57-6 1/2 (17.54 m) 7th/47thMax Milder 400-Meter Relay 40.58 19th/72ndAndy Napier 3,000 Steeplechase 9:06.65 14th/107thAaron Reed 400-Meter Relay 40.58 19th/72ndPrince Riley 400 Meters 46.61 14th/43rdMicah VanDenend 5,000 Meters 13:49.31 5th/15thRay Varner 400 Hurdles 50.99 5th/18th# -- NCAA provisional qualifier="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/ahref="http:>="https://hawkeyesports.com/http:%3E%3C/pre%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHAWKEYE%20REGIONAL%20FACTS%20--%3C/strong%3E%20In%20the%20five-year%20history%20of%20the%20NCAA%20Midwest%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Regional%20meet,%20the%20Hawkeye%20women's%20team%20has%20sent%2081%20qualifiers%20to%20the%20meet%20and%20crowned%20one%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20champion%20and%2025%20all-region%20selections.%20The%20men's%20team%20has%20sent%2076%20qualifiers%20and%20crowned%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20one%20champion%20and%2011%20all-region%20honorees.%20Iowa's%20regional%20champions%20were%20%3Ca%20href="/roster.aspx?rp_id=5203" class="imported_story_link" oldlink="/sports/w-track/mtt/alexander_kineke00.html">Kineke Alexander (400 meters - 2006) and Bill Neumann (javelin - 2003).
Seniors Tiffany Johnson and Peaches Roach hold the women’s school record for times qualified to the regional meet in a career. Both are 10-time qualifiers. Johnson advanced in three events in 2005 and 2007, and four events in 2006. Roach qualified in three events in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and one event in 2004. The Hawkeye women posted the most qualifiers in school history in 2007 (21). In all the events, the Hawkeyes have qualified the most in the 1,500 meters (6).
Five Hawkeyes hold the men’s school record for most times qualified. Senior Adam Hamilton, junior Shane Maier and sophomore A.J. Curtis, and former Hawkeye throwers Tim Brodersen and Brad Daufeldt have each qualified for the regional meet four times. Hamilton is a four-time hammer throw qualifier (2003-04, 2006-07), while Brodersen was a four-time discus qualifier (2003-06). Daufeldt qualified in the discus twice and hammer throw twice (2003-04), Maier has qualified in the shot put three times (2004, 2006-07) and discus once (2006), and Curtis has qualified in the shot put twice and discus twice (2006-07). The men posted the most qualifiers in school history in 2004 (18), and have qualified the most student-athletes in the discus (13) and shot put (13).
2006 NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS REVIEW — The Iowa women’s team placed 10th with 28 points and the men’s team placed 19th with 12 points at the 2006 NCAA Midwest Regional in Austin, TX. It was the highest finish for the women in school history. Their previous best was 12th in 2004.
Sophomore Kineke Alexander became Iowa’s first women’s regional champion in school history when she won the 400 meters in a season-best 51.75. Sophomore Meghan Armstrong placed second in the 1,500 meters (4:23.33), and junior Peaches Roach placed third in the high jump (6-0 1/2). Earning all-region honors for the Hawkeyes were Alexander, Armstrong, junior Tiffany Johnson, sophomore Racheal Marchand, Roach and junior Shannon Stanley. Johnson broke her 100-meter hurdle school record with a 13.24 in the preliminaries.
The men’s team was led by all-region honorees Adam Hamilton and Shane Maier. Hamilton placed second in the hammer throw (217-11), while Maier placed fifth in the shot put (61-0 1/4).
2007 BIG TEN OUTDOOR REVIEW — The Hawkeye men and women’s track teams crowned four individual champions at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships in University Park, PA, May 11-13. The Hawkeye women’s team placed fifth with 81 points, while the men placed seventh with 74.5 It was the women’s team highest finish in 13 years and the best under Head Coach James Grant. The previous high finish was fourth place in 1994.
Senior Peaches Roach (high jump), junior Kineke Alexander (400 meters), senior Micah VanDenend (10,000 meters) and sophomore John Hickey each won Big Ten titles. Roach won her fifth conference title in the high jump with a leap of 6-0, while Alexander won her fifth individual Big Ten title with a season-best and regional qualifying 52.15 in the 400 meters. The duo are Iowa’s 60th and 61st Big Ten champions and the only Hawkeyes in women’s school history to win five conference titles. This title was Alexander’s first at the Big Ten outdoor meet, and it was the first time she ran the 400 meters this outdoor season.
VanDenend, who ran the event for the first time in his career, was the first Hawkeye distance runner to win a Big Ten title at either the indoor or outdoor conference meet since 1994 when Kevin Herd won Iowa’s other 10,000-meter conference title (30:05.21). Hickey won the shot put with a throw of 58-4 1/2. He is Iowa’s 166th conference outdoor champion and the third outdoor shot put champion in school history. Hawkeye junior Shane Maier won the Big Ten indoor shot put title in February. He placed fourth in that event (57-3 3/4) at the league’s outdoor meet.
Several Hawkeyes posted strong performances. Junior Tammilee Kerr provisionally qualified for the NCAA Championships in the heptathlon with a school-record 5,332. In the javelin portion of the heptathlon, Kerr unleashed a collegiate-best and regional qualifying toss of 157-0, which bettered her previous best by over 15 feet. Sophomore Renee White broke her own triple jump school record with a runner-up leap of 42-1 1/2. She is the first Hawkeye in women’s school history to leap over 42 feet in that event. Junior Diane Nukuri placed second in the 5,000 meters (16:26.08), while sophomore Prince Riley placed fourth in the 400 meters with a collegiate-best and regional qualifying 46.61. Freshman Adam Hairston (800 meters) and sophomore Andy Napier (3,000-meter steeplechase) also posted collegiate-best and regional qualifying marks.
HAWKEYES BREAK RECORDS — Six Hawkeyes set school records during the 2007 outdoor season. Seniors Micah VanDenend, Becca Franklin and Tiffany Johnson, junior Tammilee Kerr, and sophomores Renee White and A.J. Curtis are the new record holders. Two broke records that were older than themselves.
VanDenend shattered his own school 5,000-meter record at the Stanford Invite. The Glen Ellyn, IL, native became the first Hawkeye in school history to break 13:50 in that event with a 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 the Iowa Musco Twilight IX meet. The toss of 195-0 surpassed her previous best of 187-11.
Johnson broke the school record of 13.24 that she set last season in the 100-meter hurdles with a winning time of 13.20 at the 2007 Drake Relays.
Kerr broke the 24-year-old school record heptathlon the day before her 21st birthday with her fourth-place total of 5,332 points at the Big Ten Championships. She never placed lower than eighth in any of the seven events, and won the javelin with a collegiate-best throw of 157-0. Kathy Gillespie set the previous record of 5,062 in 1983. Kerr and Gillespie are the only Hawkeye women to score over 5,000 points in the heptathlon. Kerr ws born May 13, 1986.
White broke the triple jump school record of 41-3 3/4 she set earlier this season with a runner-up finish of 42-1 1/2 at the Big Ten Championships. She is the first Hawkeye female to leap over 42 feet in that event.
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 Gary Kostrubala. Curtis’ throw also set a meet record and smashed his previous personal best of 173-11. He and Kostrubala are two of four student-athletes in Big Ten history to throw over 200 feet in that event.
THREE HAWKEYES NAMED BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE WEEK — Hawkeye senior distance runner Micah VanDenend, sophomore thrower A.J. Curtis and senior thrower Adam Hamilton each earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors this outdoor season. They were the first Hawkeyes to earn the weekly conference honor during the outdoor season since javelin thrower Bill Neumann in 2003.
VanDenend was the first of the trio to earn the honor, earning co-Big Ten Runner of the Week accolades 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 setting the school discus record of 202-11 at the Central College Invite April 6.
Hamilton was named Big Ten Field Event Athlete of the Week May 1, placing second in the hammer throw at the 98th annual Drake Relays April 28 with a personal-best mark of 222-2. That distance ranks second in school history, and is only nine inches off the school record of 222-11 set by Arno van der Westhuizen in 2001. The mark also leads the Big Ten, ranks second in the NCAA Midwest Region and eighth in the nation.
WOMEN’S TEAM MAKES TRACKWIRE 25 — The Iowa women’s track team is ranked 18th in the most recent national outdoor rankings released by Trackwire.com. The list 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 18th with 13 points. LSU is ranked first with 69.
Three Hawkeyes are listed in Trackwire’s Dandy Dozen individual rankings. Junior Kineke Alexander boasts Iowa’s highest ranking at third in the 400 meters, after winning the 2007 Big Ten indoor and outdoor titles in that event. Senior Peaches Roach is ranked fifth in the high jump after winning the 2007 Big Ten indoor and outdoor titles. Junior Diane Nukuri is also ranked sixth in the 10,000 meters.
HAWKEYE COACHES — Larry Wieczorek and James Grant are in their 11th seasons at the helm of the Iowa men and women’s track teams, respectively.
Wieczorek has coached 24 all-Americans and 42 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 at Iowa, winning four track and two cross country titles. He was also a four-time all-American. In 1998, Wieczorek was inducted into the 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 26 Big Ten champions, 81 regional qualifiers, 21 all-region selections, 34 NCAA qualifiers, 12 all-Americans and one NCAA champion. Iowa placed third at the 2004 Big Ten Indoor Championships in Iowa City and fourth at the 2007 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.
NEXT COMPETITION — The Hawkeye men and women’s track teams will send qualifying student-athletes to the 2007 NCAA Championships, June 6-9 in Sacramento, CA. All events will be held at the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex. All-session reserved tickets are $80 and all-session general admission tickets are $65. Tickets can be purchased by calling (916) 566-2400. Events start at noon (CT) Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and 12:30 p.m. on Friday.
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