Jan. 28, 2008
Iowa City
THIS WEEK —
The Iowa men’s track and field team will compete at the UNI Open at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, IA, this weekend. Hawkeye multi-event competitors will participate in the heptathlon Friday at 3:10 p.m. The rest of the squad will compete Saturday. Hepthatlon events will start at 10:50 a.m. with field events at 11 and running events at 1 p.m. The Hawkeye women’s team will be off this weekend.
NCAA QUALIFIERS —
The Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified five student-athletes in three events for the NCAA Indoor Championships, which will be held March 14-15 in Fayetteville, AR. Their event, qualifying marks and where they rank in the Big Ten and the nation are listed below.
Name Event Mark Big 10/NCAA RankingMeghan Armstrong Mile 4:46.89 1st/5th 3,000 Meters 9:26.02 3rd/3rdJohn Hickey Shot Put 61-3 (18.67 m) 1st/5thTammilee Kerr Pentathlon 3,908 points 2nd/3rdShane Maier Shot Put 58-3 (17.75 m) 2nd/10thDiane Nukuri Mile 4:48.48 2nd/7th 3,000 Meters 9:24.25 2nd/2nd="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%20WOMEN%20EARN%20NATIONAL%20RANKING%20--%3C/strong%3E%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20The%20Hawkeye%20women's%20team%20is%20ranked%2024th%20in%20the%20U.S.%20Track%20and%20Field%20and%20Cross%20Country%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Coaches%20Association%20national%20pre-season%20rankings.%20Iowa%20is%20one%20of%20five%20teams%20representing%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20the%20Big%20Ten%20in%20the%20pre-season%20poll%20(Michigan%204th,%20Penn%20State%2012th,%20Minnesota%2015th%20and%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Illinois%2025th).%3C/p%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3EThe%20rankings%20are%20compiled%20strictly%20from%20the%20NCAA%20descending%20order%20lists.%20The%20preseason%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20rankings%20are%20scored%20based%20on%20the%20final%20descending%20order%20list%20of%20the%20previous%20season%20with%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20improvements%20based%20on%20NCAA%20post-season%20competition%20from%20that%20year.%3C/p%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3EThe%20Hawkeyes%20scored%2037%20team%20points,%20all%20coming%20from%20three%20seniors,%20based%20on%20their%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20national%20ranking%20in%20each%20event.%20Senior%20%3Ca%20href="/roster.aspx?rp_id=5203" class="imported_story_link" oldlink="/sports/w-track/mtt/alexander_kineke00.html">Kineke Alexander accounts for 23.11 points between the 400 (2nd) and 200 meters (15th), senior Meghan Armstrong accounts for 8.69 points between the 3,000 meters (20th) and mile (9th) and senior Diane Nukuri accounts for 5.19 between the 5,000 meters (12th), 3,000 meters (22nd) and the mile (26th).
HAWKEYES POST THREE QUALIFIERS AT JACK JOHNSON INVITE —
The Hawkeye men and women’s track and field team combined to provisionally qualify five student-athletes for the NCAA Championships at the Jack Johnson Invitational Saturday in Minneapolis, MN. Seniors Diane Nukuri (9:24.25) and Meghan Armstrong (9:26.02) each qualified in the 3,000 meter run, senior Tammilee Kerr qualified in the pentathlon with a school-record 3,908 points, and junior John Hickey (61-0) qualified in the shot put for the second straight week.
The women’s team had ten top-three finishes including first place finishes by sophomore Rhonda-Kaye Trusty in the 60 meters (7.70) and senior Kineke Alexander in the 200 meters (24.88). Junior Renee White was second in the 60-meter hurdles by less then one-thousandth of a second, with a career best time of 8.66. Sophomore Caleigh Bacchus finished second in the long jump (17-11) and fourth in the high jump (5-5 1/4).
The men’s team posted 13 top-three finishes including five event winners. Winning events for the Hawkeyes were sophomore Paul Chaney, Jr. (200 meters – 22.09), freshman Chris Barton (400 meters – 49.59), junior Matty Gorman (long jump – 23-3 1/2), junior John Hickey (shot put – 61-0) and the 1,600 meter relay of sophomore Zach Splan, Chaney, sophomore Ray Varner and Barton (3:17.82). Senior Max Milder turned in an impressive performance by finishing second in the 60-meters (6.98) and third in the 200 meters (22.33).
HAWKEYE WOMEN’S COACHING STAFF —
Head Coach Layne Anderson is in his first year as head women’s track and field coach at Iowa. In his four seasons as an assistant with the track and field team, there has been one national champion, 22 all-Americans and 18 Big Ten Champions. While competing for The Citadel in college, Anderson set 10 school records on his way to becoming a three-time Southern Conference champion. He is assisted by four-time Auburn all-American, 1996 decathlon national champion and Olympian Victor Houston and Hawkeye all-American and four-time Big Ten Champion Shellene Williams.
HAWKEYE MEN’S COACHING STAFF —
Head Coach Larry Wieczorek is in his 12th season at the helm of the Iowa men’s track team. He has coached 25 all-Americans and 42 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 men and women’s teams will compete at the Meyo Invitational at the Loftus Center in South Bend, IN, Feb. 8-9.
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