Hawkeyes Set for West Regional

May 21, 2012

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NCAA Championships Weekly Release

THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team travels to Austin, Texas, to compete at the 2012 NCAA Championships on May 24-26. The event will be held at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas.

LIVE RESULTS
Live results are available on the track and field schedule page at hawkeyesports.com BACK-TO-BACK
Junior Matt Byers became the fifth Hawkeye in school history to capture three Big Ten titles in the same event when he threw 222-11 (67.94m) to take the 2012 crown in Madison, Wis. on May 13. A three-time NCAA regional qualifier, Byers holds the school and Big Ten javelin record with a mark 245-8 (74.89m).

DORIS CONTINUES TO IMPROVE
Senior Troy Doris won his fourth triple jump conference title and broke his own school record with a mark of 54-8 (16.66m) at the 2012 Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Doris’ mark ranks No. 3 in the country and No. 2 in the West Region. The 2011 outdoor All-American placed fifth (53-3, 16.23m) at NCAA Championships.

MULTI-EVENTS
Ten Hawkeyes have qualified for the West Regional in more than one event. Junior Ethan Holmes has qualified in three events (110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 1,600-meter relay). Junior Justin Austin (200m) and senior D’Juan Richardson (400m hurdles) are expected to double-dip in the 400-meter relay, and freshman Brennan Davey (400m) and senior Erik Sowinski (800m) will do the same in the 1,600-meter relay. Senior Matt Banse will throw the shot put and the hammer, and senior Jeffery Herron will compete in the long jump and high jump. Sophomore Ashley Liverpool (400m), senior Nicole Erickson (400m hurdles) and junior Hannah Simonson (400m hurdles) will all make a return to the track in the 4×4.

IT’S A BUSY 5K
The Hawkeye women have four runners qualified in the 5,000 meters. Senior Betsy Flood, senior McKenzie Melander, junior Megan Ranegar and grad student Mareike Schrulle hit the track Saturday at 8:45 p.m. Melander is the defending Big Ten 5k champion. She captured her first conference title in 16:14.03. Her career best time of 15:57.13 ranks No. 2 in school history. Flood qualified for the 5k for second straight year. She placed 15th (16:08.63) at the 2011 NCAA Championships, earning second team All-America honors. Ranegar and Schrulle are competing in their first NCAA Championships.

LIVERPOOL OF TALENT
Sophomore Ashley Liverpool in one of three Hawkeye women qualified in two events. She is a member of the 13th-seeded 1,600-meter relay team and the No. 6 seed in the 400 meters. Liverpool is part of three of the top four 1,600-meter relays in school history and ran the third leg on the school record relay (3:35.93). Her career best in the 400 meters (52.47) ranks third in school history, trailing only 2006 NCAA Champion Kineke Alexander and 2004 All-American Shellene Williams.

SOWINSKI GOING FOR THREE
Senior Erik Sowinski could become the first Hawkeye since Bashir Yamini to earn All-America honors three straight years. Sowinski is the No. 7 seed in the 800 meters and a member of the ninth-seeded 1,600-meter relay. He earned All-America honors as a member of 1,600-meter relay in 2010 and was an All-American in the 800 in 2011. Yamini earned All-America honors from 1996-99. He totaled six All-America awards in the long jump and 1,600-meter relay.

SCHOOL RECORD HOLDERS AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Hawkeyes are sending six school record holders to the NCAA West Regional. They include Justin Austin (200m, 20.31), Matt Byers (javelin, 245-8; 74.89m), Troy Doris (triple jump 54.8; 16.66m), Jeffery Herron (high jump, 7-4 1/4; 2.24m), Erik Sowinski (800m, 1:47.02) and Majesty Tutson (discus, 172-11, 52.72m).

PAST CHAMPIONS
Thirteen Hawkeye student-athletes have combined for 14 NCAA titles since Eric Wilson won the 220 meters in 1921. Wilson also won the 220m title in 1923. Tracy Dahl and Ed Gordon also won multiple NCAA titles — Dahl in the 5k (1992-93) and Gordon in the long jump (1929-31). The women’s last NCAA champion was Kineke Alexander (2006, 400m). The men’s last title came from Bashir Yamini (1998, long jump).

DIRECTOR OF TRACK AND FIELD Larry Wieczorek
Larry Wieczorek is in his 25th season as head men’s cross country coach and his 16th season as head men’s track and field coach at the University of Iowa. He served as an assistant track and field coach for 12 years before taking the helm in 1997. In 2011, Wieczorek was named Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Iowa to its first conference team title since 1967.

HEAD COACH Layne Anderson
Layne Anderson is in his fourth year as head coach of the University of Iowa women’s cross country and track and field teams. He has served as the Hawkeyes’ head women’s cross country coach for the past eight seasons, and was the interim head women’s track and field coach in 2008. From 2003-07, he served as an assistant women’s track and field coach for the Hawkeyes.