April 6, 2011
- Big Ten Championships – Iowa City, Iowa
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
Complete Release in PDF Format
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team is sending student-athletes to compete at the Sun Angel Classic and the Cornell Open this weekend. Hawkeyes traveling to ASU will compete Friday and Saturday, while competitors at Cornell will be in action Saturday.
BYERS SETS CONFERENCE RECORD
Sophomore Matt Byers let the javelin fly at the LSU Invite last weekend. The Wichita, Kan., native recorded a mark of 245-8 (74.89m), beating out the runner up by nearly two feet. Byers set the Big Ten conference and the Iowa javelin record with the throw. The sophomore broke his personal own record, set at the 2010 outdoor Big Ten Championships (220-6), to set the new Big Ten and Iowa standard. The former Big Ten and school record was set by Bill Neumann in 2002 at 244-8 feet. The performance this weekend ranks Byers second in the nation among javelin throwers.
LEACOCK SHINES IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT
Carisa Leacock, a freshman from Port of Spain, Trinidad, claimed first in the long jump. Leacock leapt 19-11.5 feet (6.08m) to take the top spot in her outdoor collegiate debut. Leacock’s mark ranks 19th nationally and third on Iowa’s all-time top performers list.
IOWA MEN IN TOP-TEN
Two Iowa track and field athletes stand among the nation’s best following the LSU Invite. Byers and Sowinski, both LSU Invite champions, rank among the top 10 competitors in the country. Byers performance in the javelin throw propelled him to a No. 2 spot while Sowinski’s run in the 800 secured him the No. 6 spot nationally.
WOMEN OWN THE FIELD IN PELLA
Sophomore Kirsten Weismantle and freshman Zinnia Miller dominated in the field events at the Central Invite last week. Weismantle pole vaulted to 10-6 (3.20m) and Miller recorded a long jump of 17-6 (5.33m). Both athletes earned first place finishes in their respective events.
CHAMPIONS IN BLACK AND GOLD
Four Hawkeye student-athletes earned the champion distinction last weekend at the LSU Invite. In addition to Byers and Leacock, Junior Erik Sowinski claimed first place in the men’s 800 meter run after clocking a time of 1:48.15, and sophomore Ethan Holmes dominated the men’s 400 meter hurdles (51.85) for the first place finish.
DOING MORE WITH LESS
The Iowa women were represented well at the Central Invite. Despite having only nine competitors at the invite, the women placed third, tallying 80 points and crowning four champions. Junior Jackie Laesch was the first runner in Black and Gold to take the top spot in the 1,500 meter run. Laesch finished the race in 4:43.57. Sophomore Hannah Simonson narrowly beat out teammate Kelsey Labs for the first place finish in the 400 meter hurdles (1:01.84). Weismantle and Miller were also Central Invite Champions.
COMING UP
Iowa is slated to compete at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif., next weekend.