Five Hawkeyes Advance NCAA Championships

Five Hawkeyes Advance NCAA Championships

March 11, 2008

THIS WEEK —
Five members of the Hawkeye track team will compete at the NCAA Championships Friday and Saturday in Fayetteville, AR. Seniors Kineke Alexander (400 meters), Meghan Armstrong (3,000 meters), Tammilee Kerr (pentathlon) and Diane Nukuri (5,000 meters) will represent the Hawkeye women’s team, while junior John Hickey (shot put) will compete for the Iowa men. Hickey’s entry marks the first appearance for the Hawkeye men at the meet since 2002.

All events will be held at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, AR, on the University of Arkansas campus. The weight throw will be held at Walker Pavilion. Tickets for the meet are available from the University of Arkansas Athletic Ticket Office at 800/982-4647 or 479/575-5151. Live results will be available throughout the championships at www.ladybacks.com.

NCAA QUALIFIERS —
The Hawkeyes have qualified five student-athletes for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Their event, qualifying marks and where they rank in their event are listed below.

Name        Event       Mark        NCAA RankingKineke Alexander 400 Meters  53.14       10thMeghan Armstrong 3,000 Meters    9:18.30     12thJohn Hickey   Shot Put    61-3 (18.67 m)  6thTammilee Kerr   Pentathlon  3,974 points    16thDiane Nukuri 5,000 Meters    16:02.96    5th="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%3Cstrong%3ENCAA%20SCHEDULE%20OF%20EVENTS%20--%3C/strong%3E%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Following%20is%20the%20schedule%20of%20events%20for%20Iowa's%20NCAA%20qualifiers:%20%3Cpre%3EDay%20Event%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20Time%20(CST)%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20CompetitorFriday%20%20Men's%20Shot%20Put%20-%20Prelims%20&%20Finals%20%20%202:30%20p.m.%20%20%20Hickey%20%20%20%20Women's%20400%20Meters%20Prelims%20%20%20%20%20%205:50%20p.m.%20%20%20Alexander%20%20%20%20Women's%205,000%20Meters%20-%20Finals%20%20%208:30%20p.m.%20%20%20NukuriSaturday%20%20%20%20Women's%20Pentathlon%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%2011:30%20a.m.%20%20Kerr%20%20%20%20Women's%20400%20Meters%20-%20Finals%20%20%20%20%207:05%20p.m.%20%20%20Alexander%20%20%20%20Women's%203,000%20Meters%20-%20Finals%20%20%207:50%20p.m.%20%20%20Armstrong%3C/pre%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cstrong%3EIOWA'S%20NCAA%20HISTORY%20--%3C/strong%3E%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20The%20Hawkeye%20women's%20team%20have%20crowned%20four%20individual%20champions;%20Nan%20Doak%20(10,000%20meters%20-%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%201985),%20Tracey%20Dahl%20(5,000%20meters%20-%201992,%201993)%20and%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). Iowa has also produced 51 all-Americans. The 1982 season        marks the most all-Americans by Iowa in one year with 12.         

Current athletes on the women’s track team account for nine of the 51 all-Americans in school history. Alexander is a six-time all-American, senior Meghan Armstrong is a two-timer and senior Diane Nukuri has earned all-America honors once. Alexander is currently tied with Doak for the most all-America honors earned in school history (6). Alexander is the only Hawkeye to garner that many in one event (400 meters).

The Iowa men’s track team has crowned one NCAA individual champion and made 13 appearances at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Former Hawkeye Bashir Yamini won the long jump in 1998 with a leap of 26-0 1/4. The Hawkeyes have a combined total of 83 all-Americans during the indoor and outdoor seasons. Iowa’s last indoor all-American was Jim Costello in the weight throw in 2002.

HAWKEYE WOMEN’S COACHING STAFF —
Interim 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.

Complete Release in PDF Format

Click HERE for the Big Ten Network home page.