April 6, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK — The Iowa men and women’s track teams will split competitors between three meets this weekend. Team members will compete at the Mesa Classic in Mesa, AZ, Friday; the Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, AZ, Friday and Saturday or the Lee Calhoun Memorial in Macomb, IL, Friday and Saturday.
Sun Angel Classic events are set to start at 10 a.m. Friday (CT) and 8 a.m. Saturday at Arizona State University’s Joe Selleh Track at Sun Angel Stadium. Lee Calhoun Memorial events are set to start and 4 p.m. Friday (CT) and 9 a.m. Saturday at Western Illinois University’s Hanson Field. The Mesa Classic will be held at Mesa Community College’s Riggs Stadium.
LAST MEET — The Hawkeyes posted six NCAA regional qualifiers and won two events at the Tiger Track Classic at Auburn, AL, Friday and Saturday.
The men’s throwers provided three of the six regional qualifiers with senior John Hickey in the shot put (2nd, 60-0 1/2), junior Zach Schimp in the javelin (2nd, 206-3) and redshirt freshman Nick Brayton in the discus (5th, 173-3). Schimp and Brayton’s marks were collegiate bests, with Schimp’s ranking third on Iowa’s all-time best performers list.
Hawkeye junior Ray Varner placed third in the 400-meter hurdles with a regional qualifying mark of 51.82. He also helped the men’s 1,600-meter relay team earn their qualifying mark of 3:09.70 with a fifth-place finish. Sophomore Steven Willey, freshman Patrick Richards, and sophomore Chris Barton ran the first three relay legs. For the women’s team, junior Hannah Roeder won the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a collegiate-best and regional qualifying 10:40.86. That time was over one minute faster than her previouse best in that event and ranks third in school history. Junior Adam Hairston won Iowa’s other event – running a 1:50.56 in the 800 meters for first place.
IOWA TRACK TO HOST CLINICS & CAMPS — The Hawkeye coaching staff is scheduled to a four-day summer camp June 21-25. For more information contact Assistant Coach Scott Cappos at (319) 335-9392 or scott-cappos@uiowa.edu, or visit www.hawkeyetrack.com.
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 two meets next weekend. Team members will compete at either the John McDonnell Invite at Fayetteville, AR, Friday and Saturday or the UNI Mark Messersmith Invite at Cedar Falls, IA, Saturday. McDonnell Invite events are set to start at Noon Friday (CT) and 10 a.m. Saturday at the University of Arkansas’ John McDonnell Field. Messersmith Invite events are set to start at 11 a.m. Saturday at the University of Northern Iowa’s Messersmith Outdoor Track and Field Complex.