Nov. 17, 2008
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
- Hawkeye Harriers web site
THIS WEEK — The University of Iowa women’s cross country team and men’s individual qualifier Jesse Luciano will compete in the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, IN, Nov 24. The women’s race will start at approximately 11:08 a.m. CT and the men’s race will follow at 11:48 a.m.
IOWA WOMEN EARN BID TO NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP — The Iowa women’s squad earned an at-large bid to compete in the NCAA Championship, following their fourth place finish (126 pts.) at the Midwest Regionals. Senior Racheal Marchand won the women’s 6,000 meters (20:32.05), becoming the third consecutive Hawkeye to take home the women’s title. Along with Marchand, graduate student Sarah Spencer Perry (22nd, 21:33.95) earned all-region honors.
LUCIANO EARNS INDIVIDUAL BID – Junior Jesse Luciano will represent the Hawkeyes in the NCAA Championship after earning an automatic bid for his performance in the Midwest Regionals. Luciano (15th, 31:32.55) earned all-region honors along with senior Eric MacTaggart (21st, 31:42.90) helping the Iowa men’s team to a seventh place finish (189 pts.).
IOWA WOMEN’S COACH Layne Anderson — Anderson is in his sixth season as the women’s cross country head coach. In his five years, the Hawkeyes have reached a level of success not seen since the 1980’s. The Hawkeyes qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2006 for the first time in 14 years, and then qualified again in 2007. The Hawkeyes finished 5th in the 2007 Big Ten Championship, the team’s highest finish since 1993, and placed third in the NCAA Midwest Regional the last two years. The team has earned academic all-American honors all five seasons, with 26 Hawkeyes earning academic all-Big Ten honors. Anderson holds two degrees from The Citadel: a bachelor’s (1989) and masters of education (1991), both in health and physical education. Anderson and his wife, Alexis, have a son, Sawyer.
IOWA MEN’S COACH Larry Wieczorek — Wieczorek is in his 22nd season as the men’s cross country coach. Under Wieczorek, the Hawkeyes placed sixth or higher 10 times at the NCAA Regional championships, posted 31 all-region selections and qualified for the NCAA championship five times. In 2002, the Hawkeyes won the NCAA Regional for the first time in school history and Wieczorek was named Midwest Region Coach of the Year by the United States Cross Country Association. Wieczorek is a six-time Big Ten champion (two in cross country) and four time all-American at Iowa. He was also part of the last Big Ten track championship team (1967). He earned a B.S. degree in physical education from Iowa (1969) and a M.S. degree from Northern Illinois University (1973). His wife’s name is Jackie.