SEC Awaits Hawkeye Track

SEC Awaits Hawkeye Track

March 29, 2010

Complete Release in PDF Format

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s track teams will split competitors between the Auburn Tiger Track Classic and the Central Invitational this weekend.

TIGER TRACK CLASSIC
Auburn University will host the Tiger Track Classic Friday and Saturday at the Hutsell-Rosen Track. The men’s and women’s hammer and javelin will begin Friday at 4:30 p.m. CDT. The remaining events will be held Saturday, with field events beginning at 11 a.m. and running events scheduled for 12 p.m. A link to live results from the meet can be found on the track and field schedule at hawkeyesports.com

CENTRAL INVITATIONAL
A smaller group of student-athletes will be heading to Pella, IA for the Central Invitational Saturday at Ron and Joyce Schipper Stadium. Running events are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. The field events will start at 11 a.m.

WEST COAST HAWKEYES
Iowa sent a group of distance runners to Stanford University for the Stanford Invite on Friday, March 26. Numerous athletes earned collegiate bests and a few earned their spot in the Iowa record books.

Junior Mark Battista recorded the 10th fastest 3,000-meter steeple chase in program history at last weekend’s Stanford Invite.

Senior Jesse Luciano’s 5,000 meter time of 14:08.71 places him seventh all-time at Iowa. The formidable sophomore duo of Betsy Flood and McKenzie Melander both earned spots in Iowa’s record books, following second (16:32.34) and ninth-place (16:42.79) finishes in the 5,000-meters. Their respective times were fast enough to rank seventh and 10th all-time in program history.

Freshman Jeff Thode’s 1,500-meter time (3:49.65) is a collegiate-best and ranks eighth in Iowa history. Junior Mark Battista’s seventh-place finish in the 3,000-meter steeple chase (9:08.96) ranks 10th all-time in program history.

RAZORBACK INVITE
Last weekend, the Iowa men’s squad sent a group of sprinters, hurdlers, and relay teams to the Razorback Invite in Fayetteville, AK, where the Hawkeyes won three events and two student-athletes had top-ten all-time finishes.

Junior Steven Willey won the 400-meter dash with a collegiate-best 46.31 which moves him up to fifth all-time at Iowa. Freshman Jordan Mullen placed second in the 110-meter hurdles and now ranks seventh in the Iowa record books. Iowa’s two other event winners were freshman Kevin Dibbern in the 200-meter dash (21.33) and senior Ray Varner in the 400-meter hurdles (52.60).

UP NEXT
Iowa will have their choice among three meets in the Mesa Classic, the Sun Angel Classic, and the Western Illinois Invitational.