Feb. 24, 2016
- Read the February issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
- Download your Hawk Talk Monthly iOS app
- Download your Hawk Talk Monthly android app
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPad and iPhone app!
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye Android app!
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team travels to the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, Ohio, for the 2016 Big Ten Indoor Championships this weekend. The championships begin Friday at 9 a.m. (CT) and continue through Saturday. An awards presentation takes place at 3:50 p.m. following the conclusion of the event.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Follow @IowaXC_TF on twitter for updates and relevant statistics throughout the meet. Live results are also available on the track and field schedule page at hawkeyesports.com. Follow @bigtenchamps on twitter for live updates of the Big Ten Indoor Championships and interact with the championships by using #B1GTF.
 |
B1G WEEKEND AHEAD
Three Big Ten programs — Purdue (15), Penn State (17), and Minnesota (25) — are ranked in the nation’s top 25 on the men’s side, while Michigan (6), Wisconsin (22), and Purdue (25) highlight the field for the women.
2ND, 3RD, 4TH ALL-TIME
The Hawkeyes boast the strongest 800-meter crew in school history this season. Senior Will Teubel (1:47.74) and freshman Pavlo Hutsalyuk (1:48.97) recorded the second- and third-fastest all-time marks at the Alex Wilson Invitational on Feb. 20. Sophomore Carter Lilly posted a collegiate-best 1:49.09 in the 800 meters at the Iowa State Classic on Feb. 13. Lilly’s time ranks fourth at Iowa. The trio is ranked third, seventh, and eighth, respectively, in the Big Ten.
MALLETT GOES FOR GOLD
After finishing runner-up in the men’s 60-meter hurdles at last year’s Big Ten Indoor Championships, junior All-American Aaron Mallett (7.71) is the conference’s top seed. He has held the top spot for seven consecutive weeks.
Mallett last faced a conference opponent at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 12, where he edged out Nebraska’s Oladapo Akinmoladun (7.74) in 7.73 to earn Big Ten Athlete of the Week.
400-METER SHOWDOWN
Defending Big Ten outdoor 400-meter champion, junior Elexis Guster (53.32), enters the weekend seeded second in the event behind Purdue’s Symone Black (53.13). Guster placed fourth in 2015 and third in 2014. Black was runner-up last season.
HAWKEYES TO WATCH
Based on the entry list, 14 Hawkeyes rank among the Big Ten’s top eight entering this weekend:
- 1st — Aaron Mallett (60-meter hurdles/7.71)
- 2nd — Elexis Guster (400 meters/53.32)
- 3rd — Lake Kwaza (60 meters/7.41)
- 3rd — Will Teubel (800 meters/1:47.74)
- 3rd — Jahisha Thomas (long jump/20-4.5, 6.21m)
- 4th — Mar’yea Harris (400 meters/47.10)
- 5th — Vinnie Saucer, Jr. (60 meters/6.75)
- 5th — Lake Kwaza (200 meters/23.85)
- 5th — MonTayla Holder (600 meters/1:30.09)
- 6th — Mahnee Watts (600 meters/1:30.83)
- 6th — Briana Guillory (200 meters/23.87)
- 7th — Pavlo Hutsalyuk (800 meters/1:48.97)
- 8th — Carter Lilly (600 meters/1:18.07)
- 8th — Christian Brissett (200 meters/21.36)
RELAYS MAKE HEADLINES
After breaking the school record in the women’s 1,600-meter relay at the Tyson Invitational on Feb. 13, the quartet of senior MonTayla Holder, juniors Elexis Guster and Alexis Hernandez, and freshman Briana Guillory rank third in the Big Ten (3:36.47).
The men’s 1,600-meter squad of junior Mitch Wolff, senior Brendan Thompson, junior Jared Ganschow, and freshman Mar’yea Harris stand second in the conference and 11th nationally after clocking 3:07.58 at the Alex Wilson Invitational on Feb. 20.
BEST FOR LAST
Four out of his six attempts in the men’s shot put were personal bests for redshirt freshman Reno Tuufuli at the Alex Wilson Invitational on Feb. 20. Tuufuli ended with an overall collegiate-best 60-3 ¼ (18.37m) on his final throw, becoming the fifth-ranked freshman in the NCAA. He slates sixth on Iowa’s all-time list and ninth in the Big Ten.
NCAA QUALIFYING STANDARDS
Qualifying for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships is based on the descending-order list for the season. The top 16 individual participants and the top 12 relays advance to the championships. The NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships are set for March 11-12 in Birmingham, Alabama.
B1GS ON BTN
The 2016 Big Ten Indoor Championships will air on BTN at 9:30 a.m. (CT) on Saturday, March 5.
