May 18, 2008
CHAMPAIGN, IL – The University of Iowa men and women’s track team completed competition at the Big Ten Championships at the University of Illinois today. The women placed sixth while the men were eighth. Leading the women was senior Diane Nukuri who earned her first Big Ten championship with a time of 16:24.21 in the 5,000 meters. Junior A.J. Curtis and sophomore Adam Hairston led the men by placing third in the shot put and 800 meters respectively.
“I thought our team put up a good fight from the first night of competition all the way until the last event on Sunday,” Head Coach Layne Anderson said. “We were one point away from fifth and four away from fourth place. We left some points out on the track, but overall it was a good performance.”
Nukuri became the second Hawkeye from the women’s team to win an outdoor Big Ten Championship this weekend, classmate Meghan Armstrong won the 10,000 meter title Friday. Armstrong (16:28.71) and senior Racheal Marchand (16:40.03) placed third and fifth behind Nukuri.
Placing fourth in the triple jump was junior Renee White. She broke the school record with a leap of 42-8 ¼, more than four inches better then the previous school record, which she set earlier this season at the Sun Angel Classic.
Other impressive performances turned in by the Hawkeyes included senior Kineke Alexander’s fourth place finish in the 400 meters with a time of 54.06. Sophomore Caleigh Bacchus had career best leap in the high jump of 5-7 ¼, placing her sixth.
In the men’s shot put, Curtis had a career best toss of 59-8 ¼, it was good enough for third place while senior Shane Maier placed fifth with a season best throw of 59-4 ¼.
Hairston’s third place finish in the 800 meters with a time of 1:50.68 was only .6 seconds behind the 800 meter champion, Hans Storvick from Minnesota. Hairston’s time was his fastest of the season.
The 400-meter relay of Max Milder, Brandon McSkimming, Aaron Reed and Lee Elbert placed fourth with a season best 40.98. The 1,600 meter relay of Steven Willey, Zach Splan, Ray Varner and Chris Barton took fifth with a time of 3:11.39.
Members of the University of Iowa track and field teams will be back in action at the NCAA Regional meet in Des Moines, IA, May 30-31.
WOMEN'S MEET RESULTS (Event Winner Plus Iowa Placers) Team Scores1. Penn State 1512. Michigan 1183. Minnesota 113.54. Illinois 775. Ohio State 746. IOWA 736. Wisconsin 738. Purdue 70.59. Michigan State 3510. Indiana 31 Triple Jump1. Casey Taylor (Mich) 43-64. Renee White (Iowa) 42-8 ¼ High Jump1. Megan Seidl (Wisc) 5-8 ¾6. Caleigh Bacchus (Iowa) 5-7 ¼14. Tammilee Kerr (Iowa) 5-2 ½ 400-Meter Relay1. Ohio State 44.638. Iowa 47.29(Trusty, White, Kerr, Hendricks) 400 Meters1. Shana Cox (PSU) 52.004. Kineke Alexander (Iowa) 54.06 5,000 Meters1. Diane Nukuri (Iowa) 16:24.213. Meghan Armstrong (Iowa) 16:28.715. Racheal Marchand (Iowa) 16:40.0318. Krista Anderson (Iowa) 17:35.80 1,600-Meter Relay1. Penn State 3:36.246. Iowa 3:44.21(Praska, Mims, Hendricks, Alexander)
MEN’S MEET RESULTS (Event Winner Plus Iowa Placers)
Team Scores1. Michigan 1292. Wisconsin 1193. Ohio State 1004. Purdue 945. Minnesota 846. Penn State 777. Indiana 698. IOWA 689. Illinois 5910. Michigan State 19
Shot Put1. Billy Hardcastle (Purdue) 61-10 ¼3. A.J. Curtis (Iowa) 59-8 ¼5. Shane Maier (Iowa) 59-4 ¼14. Mark Schaapveld (Iowa) 49-6 ½
400-Meter Relay1. Michigan 40.264. Iowa 40.98(Milder, McSkimming, Reed, Elbert)
800 Meters1. Hans Storvick (Minn) 1:50.063. Adam Hairston (Iowa) 1:50.68
400-Meter Hurdles1. Dan Harmsen (Mich) 51.128. Ray Varner (Iowa) 1:05.70
1,600-Meter Relay1. Michigan 3:08.395. Iowa 3:11.39(Willey, Splan, Varner, Barton)
Triple Jump1. Kyle Jenkins (Indiana) 53-9 ¼9. Matty Gorman (Iowa) 48-2 ¾10. Josh Bean (Iowa) 48-2 ½=”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%3Cbr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3C/p%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Cp%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Ctable%20border=’0’%20cellpadding=’0’%20cellspacing=’0’%20align=’left’%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Ctr%3E%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%3Ctd%20align=’center’%20width=”150″>
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