Feb. 12, 2016
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AMES, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Lake Kwaza led the track and field team with a first-place finish on day one of the Iowa State Classic on Friday.
Kwaza was the only competitor in the women’s 200-meter field to run under 24 seconds en route to capturing the event title in a collegiate-best 23.85. The Sycamore, Illinois, native moves one spot to seventh on Iowa’s all-time list and would slate third in the Big Ten.
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“It was good to see Lake break 24 again,” UI director of track and field Joey Woody said. “She continues to show that she’s one of the best sprinters in the conference in both the 60 and 200 meters. She has big goals for the Big Ten meet in the next couple of weeks.”
In the field for Iowa, graduate student Khanishah Williams came in a close second in the women’s high jump when she tied her season best, 5-8 ¾ (1.75m), to finish behind Minnesota’s Sofie Albrechtsen (5-9 ¼, 1.76m). Junior Madison Rouw came in fifth, respectively, in an indoor collegiate-best 5-7 (1.70m).
“Both of them are athletes we see as scoring at the Big Ten Championships,” Woody said of Williams and Rouw.
Returning to the track, sophomore Jahisha Thomas matched her prelim time (8.52) in the finals of the women’s 60-meter hurdles to earn fifth place overall.
“Jahisha is starting to put together consistent races,” Woody said. “What I told her is that anytime you want to have big performances you have to be consistent, and those big races will be right around the corner. She’s a person I can see dropping an 8.30 or 8.40 all of a sudden and have a good opportunity to make the final at the Big Ten Championships.”
To conclude the first day, junior Tess Wilberding (24th) led Iowa in the women’s 3,000 meters with a personal-best 9:46.61, while sophomore Michael Melchert (27th/8:09.34) paced the Hawkeye men.
There is more to come Saturday for Iowa as running events begin at 10 a.m. (CT) and field events at noon inside the Lied Recreation Center.
“Tomorrow is going to be a great day for Iowa track and field,” Woody said. “I think we’re going to have the opportunity to have some national qualifiers and definitely people competing to be in that upper division of the Big Ten.”
