Track Squads to Head To Auburn, AL

March 30, 2009

Complete Release in PDF Format

THIS WEEK — The Iowa men and women’s track teams will compete at the Tiger Track Classic at Auburn, AL, Friday and Saturday. Events at Auburn University’s Hutsell-Rosen Track are set to start at 4:30 p.m. (CT) Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. It will be the outdoor season opener for the Hawkeye men’s team and the majority of the women’s squad. Eight women’s distance runners competed at the Stanford Invite last weekend.

LAST MEET — Eight Hawkeyes got their 2009 outdoor season underway last week at the Stanford University Invitational in Stanford, CA. It was a good start for Iowa, with all of the student-athletes earning new collegiate best times in their respective events. In the 1,500-meter race, it was the freshmen pair of Betsy Flood (2nd, 4:31.42) and McKenzie Melander (3rd, 4:31.70) heading up the pack with sophomore Lauren Hardesty (12th, 4:40.59) closely behind. Freshman Brooke Eilers (21st, 17:20.73) led the Hawkeyes in the 5,000-meter race, joined by sophomore Amanda Hardesty (23rd, 17:33.25), graduate student Sarah Spencer Perry (24th, 17:40.94) and freshman Lindsay Anderson (27th, 18:27.04). Junior Jolly Burke (12th, 36:06.96) was Iowa’s lone representative in the 10,000 meters.

HAWKEYE COACHING STAFF — The Hawkeye coaching staff has some new faces and responsibilities for the 2009 season. Larry Wieczorek is the men’s head track and cross country coach, and Layne Anderson is the women’s head track and cross country coach. The teams now share administrative responsibilities, coordinate their competition schedules and divide coaching responsibilities by event instead of gender. Assistant Scott Cappos, who is in his 13th year at Iowa, will coach the throws, while third-year assistant Joey Woody will coach the men’s sprints, short hurdles and relays, and women’s long sprints and hurdles. First-year assistant Clive Roberts will coach the women’s short sprints, hurdles and relays, as well as the horizontal jumps for both groups. First-year assistant Christi Smith will direct the multi-events and vertical jumps.

NEXT UP — The Hawkeyes are set to split competitors between three meets next weekend. Team members will compete at the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, AZ, the Lee Calhoun Memorial in Macomb, IL, or the Jim Duncan Invite in Des Moines, IA. All three meets have events scheduled for Friday and Saturday.