June 25, 2010
DES MOINES, IA – On the heels of the NCAA Track and Field Championships, three Hawkeye student-athletes laced up their spikes to compete at the USA Track and Field National Championships in Des Moines, IA, this week. All-Americans Erik Sowinski and Steven Willey and Big Ten Champion Ray Varner competed in the preliminary round at Drake Stadium Thursday.
Willey won the opening heat of the 400 meters with a time of 46:35, earning the fourth overall seed in Friday’s semifinals. Varner advanced in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 51.16. He is seeded 14th heading into Friday’s semifinals. Sowinski was unable to advance in the 800 meters, turning in a time of 1:48.92.
“Today was a good day for our Hawkeye student-athletes,” said Head Coach Larry Wieczorek. “They were competing against some of the best professional and collegiate runners in the country and two of the three managed to position themselves for strong performances in the semifinals.”
Willey’s 400 meter semifinal race is scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight. Varner will compete in the 400-meter hurdles at 7:45 p.m. tonight. The finals for both races are scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
Click HERE for a complete schedule of events.