Track and Field Names Team Captains

Sept. 18, 2012

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa head track and field coach Layne Anderson announced today that Matt Byers, Kelsey Hart, Ethan Holmes, Nick Holmes, Raven Moore, Megan Ranegar, Keaton Rickels and Jasmine Simpson have been named team captains for the 2012-13 season.

“We are excited with the leadership present in our program and look forward to having these eight student-athletes fill these very important roles,” said Anderson.

Byers, a native of Wichita, Kan., is a three-time conference champion in the javelin and a three-time NCAA qualifier. He holds the school and Big Ten record with a career-best of 245-8 (74.89m).

Ethan Holmes is a six-time NCAA qualifier from Clinton, Iowa. He has four silver medals from the last two Big Ten Championships and ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in the outdoor 110- and 400-meter hurdles.

Moore is a native of Atlanta, Ga. She qualified for the NCAA Championships in 2010 and ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in four different events.

Ranegar, a native of Valparaiso, Ind., ran the third leg on last year’s Drake Relays 6,400-meter relay championship team and is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

Rickels is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree from Iowa Falls, Iowa. His 600-meter indoor time ranks third in school history and he ran the second leg on the school record setting distance medley relay at the 2012 Big Ten Indoor Championships.

Simpson, a thrower from Wheaton, Ill., is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Her career bests in the weight throw and hammer throw rank fourth all-time in program history.

Ethan Holmes was the only student-athlete in the country to qualify for the NCAA final site in three different events.

Hart and Nick Holmes also share the honor of serving as team captains for the men’s and women’s cross country teams.

Hart, a native West Branch, Iowa, is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree. Her career-best in the 3,000 meters ranks seventh in school history.

Nick Holmes is a former NCAA all-Region honoree from Peoria, Ill. He ranks among Iowa’s all-time top 10 competitors in eight different events that range from cross country to indoor and outdoor track.

The Hawkeyes open the season Saturday, Dec. 1 at the annual intrasquad meet hosted inside the UI Recreation Building. The indoor season officially begins at home Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013 at the Iowa Open.