Jan. 24, 2015
Complete Results 
| Dual Scores
AMES, Iowa — The University of Iowa track and field team captured 12 event titles at the annual Big 4 Duals on Saturday in Ames, Iowa. The men’s team went 3-0 over Northern Iowa (87-70), Iowa State (87-55), and Drake (100-53) to claim the team title, while the women’s team topped Iowa State (70-53) and Drake (77-64), but fell to Northern Iowa (78-72).
“The biggest thing is that we performed really well in every event area and competed as a complete team,” Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “To not only walk away with a lot of individual champions, but individuals who finished second, third, and fourth gives our program the depth we need to take the next big step toward the Big Ten Championships.”
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The Hawkeyes swept the field in the men and women’s 600-yard races. Senior Brennan Davey (1:11.24), sophomore Mitch Wolff (1:11.32) and senior Kaleb VanCleave (1:11.71) finished first, second and third, respectively, in the men’s race.
Sophomore Mahnee Watts crossed the 600-yard mark in 1:22.82 to capture the women’s title. Her time ranks fifth on Iowa’s all-time list. Junior Kaitlyn Nelson (1:24.52), sophomore Katharina Trost (1:24.65), and senior Adrianne Alexia (1:24.87) grabbed second, third, and fourth-place finishes.
The men’s mile received another solid performance from Kevin Lewis. The senior clocked 4:07.50, a time that lands him tenth on Iowa’s all-time list, to finish third overall.
Also making her way on Iowa’s top-ten list is freshman Jahisha Thomas in the 60-meter hurdles. The London native clocked a personal best 8.60, which marks the seventh fastest time in school history and falls 12th in the Big Ten.
For the men, senior Keith Brown recorded a career-best performance of 8.03 in the preliminary round of the 60-meter hurdles, placing him seventh on the all-time list for Iowa and the Big Ten. Sophomore Aaron Mallett (7.96) and Brown (8.12) ultimately came in second and third for the Hawkeyes. Mallett’s time puts him fourth on the conference list.
Lake Kwaza repeated her victory from a year ago in the 60-meters. The senior sprinted to victory in 7.42, falling just shy of the school record (7.41) she set at last year’s meet alongside sophomore Brittany Brown. Kwaza currently holds the second fastest time in the Big Ten.
Junior MonTayla Holder sealed a first-place finish in her first collegiate 800-meter race, crossing the line in 2:10.34. That time ranks ninth in school history and fourth in the Big Ten.
“It felt like death, but I’m glad I did it,” Holder said. “I ran the 800 to make the 600 feel easier. Running the 800 really pushed me to a limit I’ve never experienced and hopefully that will come back to benefit my performance in the 600- and 400-meter races.”
Junior James Harrington captured gold in the men’s 200-meters (21.51), while sophomore Elexis Guster raced to the women’s title (24.33). Their times rank seventh and 12th in the conference, respectively.
Juniors Kerry Dean Jr. (22-03.00, 6.78m) and Klyvens Delaunay (48-03.25, 14.71m) led the Hawkeyes in the field events with first-place finishes in the men’s long and triple jumps. Delaunay’s mark ranks eighth in the conference.
Junior Kevin Spejcher reached new a height in the men’s high jump when he finished second with a new personal best 7-0 1/2 (2.15m). That mark ranks third all-time at Iowa and second in the Big Ten.
Freshman Michael Melchert (8:36.37) and sophomore Daniel Huff (8:37.41) battled it out in the men’s 3,000-meter race. The duo finished first and second, respectively, while sophomore Alana Jones led Iowa with a second-place finish in the women’s race (10:01.98).
The Hawkeyes concluded with victories in both the men and women’s 1,600-meter relays. Wolff, sophomore Brendan Thompson, Mallett, and Davey composed the men’s team, while the women’s team consisted of Guster, Watts, Holder, and Kwaza.
The Hawkeyes return to action Feb. 6-7 with the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational in Lincoln, Nebraska.
