Men's Track & Field February 18, 2008

Hawkeyes To Host Iowa Invitational

Feb. 18, 2008

Iowa City, IA
THIS WEEK — The University of Iowa men and women’s track teams will host the co-ed Iowa Invitational Friday in Iowa City. Events are scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at the University of Iowa Recreation Building. Competing teams include Coe College, Augustana College, University of Dubuque and North Central College. Admission to the event is free.

NCAA QUALIFIERS — The Hawkeyes have provisionally qualified 11 student-athletes 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 RankingKineke Alexander 400 Meters      53.14                1st/3rd             Dist. Medley Relay     11:20.11        4th/12thMeghan Armstrong Mile                 4:41.07        3rd/4th             3,000 Meters       9:20.02     2nd/9th             Dist. Medley Relay     11:20.11        4th/12thJolly Burke   5,000 Meters        16:43.14        3rd/10thAdam Hairston   800 Meters      1:49.86     1st/10thLauren Hardesty   Dist. Medley Relay      11:20.11        4th/12thJohn Hickey   Shot Put                 61-3 (18.67 m)     1st/7thTammilee Kerr   Pentathlon      3,908 points        4th/11thShane Maier   Shot Put                 58-3 (17.75 m)     3rd/20thDiane Nukuri Mile                 4:48.48        5th/24th             3,000 Meters          9:20.07      3rd/10th             5,000 Meters          16:10.71     1st/2nd             Dist. Medley Relay    11:20.11     4th/12thMicah VanDenend   5,000 Meters        14:07.06         1st/4thRenee White   Triple Jump     42-0 1/2 (12.81 m) 1st/16th="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%20WOMEN%20EARN%20NATIONAL%20RANKING%20--%3C/strong%3E%20The%20Hawkeye%20women's%20team%20is%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20ranked%2025th%20in%20the%20most%20recent%20U.S.%20Track%20and%20Field%20and%20Cross%20Country%20Coaches%20Association%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20national%20rankings.%20Iowa%20is%20one%20of%20four%20teams%20representing%20the%20Big%20Ten%20in%20the%20poll%20(Michigan%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%203rd,%20Minnesota%208th%20and%20Penn%20State%2010th).%20The%20rankings%20are%20compiled%20strictly%20from%20the%20NCAA%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20descending%20order%20lists.%3C/p%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ELAST%20MEET%20--%3C/strong%3E%20The%20men%20and%20women's%20teams%20tallied%20five%20NCAA%20provisional%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20qualifiers%20as%20the%20squads%20split%20competition%20between%20the%20ISU%20Classic%20in%20Ames%20and%20the%20Husky%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Classic%20in%20Seattle,%20WA.%3C/p%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3EThe%20Hawkeyes%20crowned%20four%20event%20champions%20at%20the%20ISU%20Classic.%20Senior%20%3Ca%20href="/roster.aspx?rp_id=5203" class="imported_story_link" oldlink="/sports/w-track/mtt/alexander_kineke00.html">Kineke        Alexander provisionally qualified in the women's 400 meters with a winning time of        53.14, junior Renee        White was second in the women's triple Jump (41-5 1/4), junior Eric        MacTaggart won the non-seeded section of the men's 3,000 meters with a season-best        8:28.24 and Iowa Assistant Coach Joey        Woody won the unseeded men's 400 meters in 49.42. Several other Hawkeyes posted        collegiate-best performances at the meet. Sophomore Dan        Rolling led the men's group with a 6-11 leap in the men's high jump, which ranks        seventh in school history.

Iowa posted four provisional qualifers at the Husky Classic. Senior Diane Nukuri and sophomore Jolly Burke qualified in the women’s 5,000 meters, senior Meghan Armstrong improved her provsional mark in the women’s mile and senior Micah VanDenend provisionally qualified in the men’s 5,000 meters. Nukuri placed second with a collegiate-best 16:10.71, which missed the automatic qualifying mark by 1.11 seconds and ranks fourth in school history. Burke’s time of 16:43.14 was a collegiate-best by 17 seconds and ranks ninth in school history. Armstrong placed seventh with a season-best 4:41.07, which just missed the automatic qualifying mark of 4:40.60. VanDenend placed 16th in his first race of the season with a time of 14:07.06.

Also competing at the Husky Classic were throwers John Hickey and Shane Maier, and distance runner Andy Napier. Hickey (58-3) and Maier (57-11 1/2) placed second and third in the shot put, respectively. Napier placed 25th in the 3,000 meters with a collegiate-best 8:15.70. That time is almost eight seconds faster than his previous best and ranks sixth in school history.

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.

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