Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — April 2017 | jim click shootout results
By JACK ROSSI
hawkeyesports.com
TUCSON, Arizona – The University of Iowa track and field team wrapped up the 2017 Jim Click Shootout in Tucson, Arizona, returning to Iowa with a new school record and eight event titles.
As a team, the Iowa men ran away with it, tallying 179 points to win by 48 points over the second place team. The women took third place with 118 points in a competition where 11 points separated the top three teams.
The Hawkeyes had champions in the women’s 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, discus throw, the men’s 110 meter hurdles, 400 meter hurdles, discus throw and 200 meters including a school record in the women’s 200 meters.
“This is an exciting weekend for us with multi events the past two days with three girls in the top ten and to finish it off the way we did with a school record,” UI director of track and field Joey Woody said. “This is a meet that we have come to in the past and have always performed well and we definitely did not disappoint.”
Junior Brittany Brown led Iowa with two event titles and the school record. Brown’s 22.73 in the 200 meters is a meet record, surpassing the time of 22.84 set at the meet in 2011. Brown now ranks fifth in the NCAA, first in the Big Ten, and extends her school record that she shared with sophomore Briana Guillory.
“Brittany is a special athlete,” Woody said. “She has got some amazing ability and today was impressive to see her run the 100 meter and, in the 200 meters, it looked like she was on cruise control. She is going to be exciting to watch in the next couple months because she has the tools to win a national championship.”
Brown also won the 100 meters with a time of 11.43 and ranks first in the Big Ten.
Iowa sent nine athletes to compete in the men’s 200 meters and all nine set personal bests in the event –sophomore Christian Brissett (20.75, first), junior O’Shea Wilson (20.81, runner-up), sophomore Mar’yea Harris (20.89, third), freshman Emmanuel Ogwo (21.04, fifth), and sophomore DeJuan Frye (21.11, sixth) took five of the top six spots. Freshman Collin Hofacker (21.15, 10th), senior Brendan Thompson (21.24, 13th), sophomore Jacob Gourley (21.61, 18th), and freshman Tyler Kirkwood (23.02, 29th) rounded out the rest of the field.
“This is a great place to run the 200 meters because of how the way the track was set up and the wind was a little favorable on the curve,” Woody said. “The guys all went out and competed really well. Christian ran a lights out race and I was excited to see O’Shea because he has not run a 200 meter race outdoors in a couple years.”
Wilson added to his big day with a big personal best in the 100 meters. He finished third with a time of 10.35, erasing his previous best of 10.50. He is now second in the conference.
“That was something that I wasn’t even expecting but 10.35 in his second race of the year is impressive,” Woody said.
Freshman Laulauga Tausaga entered the Jim Click Shootout as Iowa’s school record holder in the discus throw and backed her efforts up with her first collegiate championship in the event. Tausaga finished with a mark of 54.95 meters (180 feet, 3 ¼ inches) to win by over three feet.
“It’s fun to see a freshman figure things out,” Woody said. “She is showing the ability that she can compete at this level and compete to do well at the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships.”
Iowa heads to the Mt. Sac Relays next weekend on the campus of El Camino College in Torrance, California. The meet runs April 13-15.
OTHER NOTEABLES
MEN’S 110M HURDLES
Tyler Kirkwood – Personal Best, event title (14.49)
Chris Douglas – Finished runner-up (14.52)
MEN’S 4X100 METER RELAY
Christian Brissett, O’Shea Wilson, Emmanuel Ogwo, Mar’yea Harris – Finished runner-up, 7th all-time in Iowa history (39.59)
MEN’S DISCUS THROW
Reno Tuufuli – Event title (60.23m)
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP
Gillian Urycki – Personal best (5.52m)
Hannah Schilb – Personal best (5.40m)
WOMEN’S HIGH JUMP
Gillian Urycki – Personal Best (1.70m)
Sydney Collins – Personal Best (1.70m)
WOMEN’S POLE VAULT
Amy Smith – Personal Best (3.52m)
MEN’S 400 METERS
Mar’yea Harris — Event Title (46.11)
Nick Jensen — Personal Best (48.86)
WOMEN’S 400 METERS
Alexis Hernandez – Event title, Personal Best (53.27)
MEN’S 100 METERS
O’Shea Wilson – Personal Best (10.35), 2nd in Big Ten, 7th All-Time
MEN’S 800 METERS
Tysen VanDraska – Personal best (1:50.86)
Anthony Chaidez – Personal best (1:52.87)
WOMEN’S 800 METERS
Tia Saunders – Personal best (2:12.77)
MEN’S 400 METER HURDLES
Noah Larrison – Event title (51.87)
Mitch Wolff – Runner-up (52.24)
Chris Douglas – 3rd place (53.33)
