March 31, 2012
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Iowa track and field team finalized competition at the Arkansas Spring Invitational Saturday. The Hawkeyes rallied behind first place finishes by juniors Jeff Thode (1500 meters) and Matt Byers (javelin), and the women’s 1,600-meter relay team.
The women’s 1,600-meter relay team started the outdoor season on a positive note. The team of junior Hannah Simonson, sophomore Ashley Liverpool, senior Nicole Erickson, and freshman Victoria Sack finished first crossing the line in 3:38.07. That time ranks fourth all-time at Iowa.
Thode took the title in the men’s 1,500 meters seeded competition. The junior crossed the line in 3:46.32. Sophomore Nathan Prom, and freshmen Ben Witt and Kevin Lewis competed in the non-seeded 1,500 meters. Prom finished seventh with a personal best time of 3:57.70. Witt followed close behind finishing eighth with a time of 3:58.60, while Lewis’ time of 4:01.73 secured a 12th place finish.
Byers took the title in the javelin with a toss of 223-03 (68.06m). Junior Kyle Reid also competed in the javelin. Reid finished 13th with a throw of 149-4 (45.52m).
The men’s 1,600-meter relay team of junior Justin Austin, senior Patrick Richards, freshman Brennan Davey, and senior Erik Sowinski crossed the line in 3:06.49 to finish just behind Arkansas (3:06.45). The Hawkeye’s time of 3:06.49 ranks tenth all-time at Iowa.
“The 1,600-meter relay team challenged one of the best teams in the country,” said director of track and field Larry Wieczorek. “They hung with them until the very end.”
Freshman Gabe Hull finished second for the Hawkeyes in the seeded discus competition. Hull’s toss of 185-11 (56.66m) ranks second all-time at Iowa. Sophomore Andrew Carman (4th; 165-10; 50.56m) and seniors Ryan Lamparek (7th; 161-08; 45.04m) and Nick Brayton (10th; 147-09; 45.04) also competed in the discus.
Austin sprinted to a second place finish in the 100 meters. The junior ran a time of 10.40, while senior D’Juan Richardson (10.69), sophomore Tevin-Cee Mincy (10.75), and Richards (10.78) finished seventh, eighth, and ninth, respectively.
Sowinski recorded a third place finish in the 400 meters. The senior ran a personal best time of 46.81. Davey also competed in the event. The freshman finished fifth with a time of 47.15.
Junior Ethan Holmes captured a fourth place finish in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 14.17, while senior Dan Davis finished sixth crossing the line in 14.56. Davis’s time ranks tenth all-time at Iowa.
Seniors Jeffery Herron and Troy Doris competed in the long jump for the Hawkeyes. Herron finished third with a leap of 24-5 ¾ (7.44m), while Doris came in 5th with a jump of 24-1 ¾ (7.36).
Senior Matt Banse finished third in the shot put with a toss of 54-00 (16.46m), while Lamparek’s toss of 53-8 ¼ (16.36m) secured a fourth place finish.
“Overall we had a terrific outdoor meet,” said Wieczorek. “We had a lot of really outstanding performances. We showed that we are going to be a very good track and field team.”
Junior Majesty Tutson finished third in the discus with a toss of 156-7 (47.72m). Sophomores Courtney Fritz (9th; 140-0; 42.68m), Ashlyn Gulvas (11th; 137-9; 41.99m), and Amanda Stahle (14th; 131-11; 40.22m) also competed in the event.
Senior Nicole Erickson and sophomore Raven Moore both recorded personal best times in the 400 meters. Erickson finished fourth with a time of 55.70, while Moore came in fifth posting a time of 57.14.
Simonson and sophomore Kelsey Quinn finished fifth and seventh, respectively in the 400-meter hurdles. Simonson’s personal best time of 59.83 ranks sixth all-time at Iowa, while Quinn’s personal best time of 1:00.94 ranks ninth.
Liverpool’s personal best performance in the 200 meters earned her a spot in Iowa’s all-time record books. Liverpool finished 8th with a time of 23.98. That time ranks ninth all-time at Iowa.
“I thought it was an outstanding way to kick off the outdoor campaign,” said head track and field coach Layne Anderson. “We certainly had a variety of highlights. It was a great trip that gives us something positive to build off of.”
The Hawkeyes will return to action when they split competitors April 6-7 between the San Francisco Invitational in San Francisco, Calif., the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., and the LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, La.