Distance Runners Compete on West Coast

March 26, 2010

Live Stanford Invite Results

Iowa City, IA – The University of Iowa track and field teams were represented by a group of distance runners in Friday action at the Stanford Invite. Numerous student-athletes set collegiate-best marks and some earned their way into the Iowa record books.

Senior Jesse Luciano won his heat in the 5,000 meters at 14:08.71, a collegiate-best that ranks seventh all-time at Iowa. Junior Lauren Hardesty now ranks seventh all-time in the 1,500 meters, following her collegiate-best fourth-place finish of 4:24.73. Sophomores Betsy Flood and McKenzie Melander earned their way into the record books Friday in the 5,000 meters, following second (16:32.34) and ninth-place (16:42.79) finishes that rank seventh and tenth all-time, respectively. Freshman Jeff Thode finished sixth in the 1,500 meters (3:49.65) with a collegiate-best finish that is good enough to put him eighth in the Iowa record books. Junior Mark Battista was Iowa’s sole competitor in the 3,000-meter steeple chase and he finished seventh at 9:08.96 which places him tenth all-time at Iowa.

A group of Iowa men’s student-athletes, primarily sprinters and hurdlers, will be in action Saturday at the Razorback Spring Invite hosted by The University of Arkansas. Events in Fayetteville, AK, are set to start at 3:00 p.m. CDT.