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NCAA OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
The University of Iowa track and field team travels to Eugene, Oregon, to compete at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships from June 7-10.
Fifteen Hawkeyes will compete in 11 events at the NCAA final site at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon. The championships begin Wednesday at 6:32 p.m. (CT). The final event is scheduled for Saturday at 7:51 p.m.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Follow @IowaXC_TF on twitter for updates on the team. Links to live results can be found on the schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
ON YOUR TELEVISION/COMPUTER
ESPN3 will stream the NCAA Championships. ESPNU will provide live coverage beginning Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. (CT). Coverage turns to ESPN2 on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Thursday’s events are televised on ESPN2 beginning at 6:30 p.m. ESPN will provide television Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
HAWKEYE QUALIFIERS
A school record tying 15 individuals qualified 11 events at the 2017 NCAA Championships. The Hawkeyes are competing in eight individual events — three running, five field — and two relays. The 15 individuals ties the school record set last season, when nine men and six women competed at the NCAA Championships final site.
Three Hawkeye women punched their ticket to Eugene, Oregon. They include junior Brittany Brown (200 meters), freshman Laulauga Tausaga (discus), and junior Jahisha Thomas (long jump).
The Hawkeye men advanced 12 student-athletes to the championship site, including sophomore Christian Brissett (4×1), senior William Dougherty, sophomore DeJuan Frye (4×4), sophomore Mar’yea Harris (400m, 4×4), freshman Collin Hofacker (4×4), senior Antwon James (triple jump), senior Aaron Mallett (110m hurdles, 4×1), senior Avery Meyers (discus), freshman Emmanuel Ogwo (4×4), senior Brendan Thompson (4×1), sophomore Reno Tuufuli (discus), and junior O’Shea Wilson (long jump, 4×1).
QUALIFIERS/EVENT/SCHEDULE (PT, local to site)
Christian Brissett, Sophomore (Wyncote, Pennsylvania)
4×1 — Wednesday, 4:32 p.m. (s); Friday, 5:32 (f)
Brissett is making his second appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. He ran the lead leg of the 400-meter relay that finished sixth at the NCAA West Regional with a season-best time of 39.22. That mark is good for the No. 15 seed in Eugene, and ranks second all-time in program history. Brissett has ran the lead leg on four of the top 10 400-meter relays in school history. The Hawkeyes’ 400-meter relay is making its fifth consecutive appearance at the NCAA final site. Iowa placed sixth in 2013, sixth in 2014, 12th in 2015, and 16th in 2016. Brissett ran the second leg of the 400-meter relay that placed 16th in 2016 (39.75).
Brittany Brown, Junior (Upland, California)
200 meters — Thursday, 6:44 p.m. (s); Saturday, 5:07 p.m. (f)
Brown is making her third appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. She was a two-time qualifier as a freshman in 2014, anchoring the 400-meter relay to a 16th place finish and placing 11th in the 200 meters. She returned to the 200-meters semifinals in 2015 and placed 17th. Following an injury-riddled season in 2016, Brown returns the NCAA final site as the No. 3 seed in the 200 meters. Brown finished third at the West Regional in 22.33. She set a school record in a gold medal winning effort at the 2017 Big Ten Championships, finishing in 22.30, and she earned 2017 Indoor All-America honors by placing fifth in the 200 meters in 22.92.
Brown is aiming to become the first first-team All-American in school history in the 200 meters.
Will Dougherty, Junior (Moville, Iowa)
Decathlon — Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. | Thursday, 10:30 a.m.
Dougherty is returning to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive year. He competed in six events in 2016 before withdrawing due to injury.
Dougherty is the No. 24 seed at the 2017 NCAA Championships with 7471 points, a school-record breaking total. He has set personal bests this season in nine of the 10 decathlon events (1,500 being the exception). He placed eighth at the 2017 Big Ten Championships with 6,602 points.
DeJuan Frye, Sophomore (Lacey, Washington)
4×4 — Wednesday, 7:48 p.m. (s), Friday, 7:51 p.m. (f)
Fry is making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. He ran the lead leg on the 1,600-meter relay that set a school record (3:02.57) at the NCAA West Regional. The Hawkeyes finished second at the West Regional and are seeded No. 2 in Eugene behind top-seeded Texas A&M (3:00.57).
Frye has ran on three of the top 10 all-time 1,600-meter relays at Iowa. He ran the lead leg on No. 2 (3:02.57), and anchored No. 8 (3:05.72) and No. 10 (3:05.81). His personal best in the open 400 (46.22) ranks sixth in school history.
Frye ran the lead leg to help Iowa win the Musco Twilight (3:11.33) and the third leg on Iowa’s Drake Relays championship team (3:07.35). He was the anchor on Iowa’s fourth place team at the Big Ten Championships (3:05.82), and was a 2017 NCAA Indoor All-American in the 1,600-meter relay, running the third leg of Iowa’s fifth place team (3:05.60).
Iowa’s 1,600-meter relay is returning to the NCAA Outdoor Championships final site for the first time since 2011, when Patrick Richards, Ethan Holmes, Erik Sowinski, and Steven Willey placed fourth in 3:07.16.
Mar’yea Harris, Sophomore (Auburn, Washington)
400 meters — Wednesday, 6 p.m. (s), 6:32 p.m. (f)
4×4 — Wednesday, 7:48 p.m. (s), Friday, 7:51 p.m. (f)
Harris is making his second appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. He placed 18th in the open 400 meters in 2016 and was an honorable mention All-American.
Harris was an indoor All-American in 2017, running the anchor leg of the 1,600 meter relay that placed fifth (3:05.60).
He returns to the NCAA Championships final site to compete in the 400 meters and the 1,600-meter relay. He ran a personal-best 45.45 to place seventh at the NCAA West Regional and is the No. 13 seed at Eugene. His 45.45 ranks fourth in school history.
He ran the anchor leg on the 1,600-meter relay that set a school record (3:02.57) at the NCAA West Regional. The Hawkeyes finished second at the West Regional and are seeded No. 2 in Eugene behind top-seeded Texas A&M (3:00.57).
Harris is on three of Iowa’s all-time top 10 1,600-meter relays. He ran the second leg on the Florida Relays team that ranks fourth in school history (3:03.78) and the second leg on the Mt. SAC Relays team that ranks 10th (3:05.81). He was the anchor of Iowa’s Drake Relays championship team (3:07.35).
Iowa’s 1,600-meter relay is returning to the NCAA Outdoor Championships final site for the first time since 2011, when Patrick Richards, Ethan Holmes, Erik Sowinski, and Steven Willey placed fourth in 3:07.16.
Collin Hofacker, Freshman (Freedom, Wisconsin)
4×4 — Wednesday, 7:48 p.m. (s), Friday, 7:51 p.m. (f)
Hofacker is making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. He ran the third leg on the 1,600-meter relay that set a school record (3:02.57) at the NCAA West Regional. The Hawkeyes finished second at the West Regional and are seeded No. 2 in Eugene behind top-seeded Texas A&M (3:00.57).
Hofacker was a 2017 NCAA Indoor All-American, running the second leg of Iowa’s fifth place team (3:05.60). He ran the lead leg on Iowa’s Drake Relays championship team (3:07.55) and the lead leg at the Florida Relays on a team that ranks No. 4 in school history (3:03.78). He also ran the lead leg on the Mt. SAC Relay team that finished third and ranks No. 10 in school history (3:05.81).
His personal best in the open 400 (46.50) ranks 10th in school history.
Iowa’s 1,600-meter relay is returning to the NCAA Outdoor Championships final site for the first time since 2011, when Patrick Richards, Ethan Holmes, Erik Sowinski, and Steven Willey placed fourth in 3:07.16.
Antwon James, Senior (Lombard, Illinois)
Triple Jump — Friday, 5:40 p.m. (f)
Antwon James is moving onto the NCAA Championships final site for the first time. The transfer from Loyola landed 15.90 meters on his second attempt at the NCAA West Regional to place 10th overall and earn the No. 14 seed in Eugene.
James recorded a personal best 15.96 meters at the 2017 Big Ten Championships to place fourth overall and land at No. 4 on the school’s all-time top 10 list. Iowa has had a triple jumper at the NCAA final site in six of the last seven years. Troy Doris (2011-12), Klyvens Delaunay (2013), and Babatunde Amosu (2014-15) represented the Hawkeyes from 2011-15. Doris placed fifth in 2011 and 2012, the best NCAA finish among triple jumpers in school history.
Aaron Mallett, Senior (St. Louis, Missouri)
110m hurdles — Wednesday, 5:32 p.m. (s); Friday, 6:12 p.m. (f)
4×1 — Wednesday, 4:32 p.m. (s); Friday, 5:32 (f)
Mallett is making his third appearance at the NCAA final site. He placed 14th in 2016 and fifth in 2015 in the 110-meter hurdles. Mallett is a three-time defending Big Ten champion in the event, and a four-time first team All-American, having earned indoor honors in the 60-meter hurdles in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and outdoor honors in the 110-meter hurdles in 2015.
Mallett set a school record in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2017 Big Ten Championships, earning his third consecutive conference title with a time of 13.24. He won the NCAA West Regional with a time of 13.36 and is the No. 1 seed in Eugene.
Mallet is also the anchor of the men’s 400-meter relay. He ran the anchor leg of the 400-meter relay that finished sixth at the NCAA West Regional with a season-best time of 39.22. That mark is good for the No. 15 seed in Eugene, and ranks second all-time in program history.
The Hawkeyes’ 400-meter relay is making its fifth consecutive appearance at the NCAA final site. Iowa placed sixth in 2013, sixth in 2014, 12th in 2015, and 16th in 2016. Mallet ran the anchor leg of the 400-meter relay that placed 16th in 2016 (39.75), and the second leg of the relay that placed 12th in 2015.
Avery Meyers, Senior (West Liberty, Iowa)
Discus — Friday, 5:05 p.m. (f)
Meyers is making his first career appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. He placed eighth at the NCAA West Regional in discus with an all-time personal best mark of 56.62 meters, good enough for sixth all-time in program history. He is the No. 16 seed in Eugene.
Meyers won the discus at the Florida Relays (55.65m), placed second to teammate Reno Tuufuli at the Musco Twilight (53.20m), placed third at the Drake Relays (54.97m), and eighth at the Big Ten Championships (54.43).
Iowa’s last first team All-American in discus was Jeremy Allen in 2001 (5th/59.53m).
Emmanuel Ogwo, Freshman (Mesquite, Texas)
4×4 — Wednesday, 7:48 p.m. (s), Friday, 7:51 p.m. (f)
Ogwo is making his first appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. He ran the second leg on the 1,600-meter relay that set a school record (3:02.57) at the NCAA West Regional. The Hawkeyes finished second at the West Regional and are seeded No. 2 in Eugene behind top-seeded Texas A&M (3:00.57).
Ogwo is a 2017 NCAA Indoor All-American, running the lead leg on Iowa’s fifth place 1,600-meter relay (3:05.60). He has ran on three of the top 10 1,600-meter relays in school history, including the lead leg at the 2017 Florida Relays (3:03.78/4th all-time) and the third leg at the Mt. SAC Relays (3:05.81/10th all-time). He ran the second leg on Iowa’s Drake Relays championship team (3:07.35). His personal best in the open 400 (46.46) ranks ninth in school history.
Iowa’s 1,600-meter relay is returning to the NCAA Outdoor Championships final site for the first time since 2011, when Patrick Richards, Ethan Holmes, Erik Sowinski, and Steven Willey placed fourth in 3:07.16.
Laulauga Tausaga, Freshman (Spring Valley, California)
Discus — Saturday, 3:05 p.m. (f)
Tausaga set a then-school record in her second meet of the outdoor season at the Florida Relays, tossing the discus 56.10 to place fourth. She backed up her school record with a gold medal at the 2017 Big Ten Championships, and tossed her way into the NCAA finals with consecutive record breaking performances at the NCAA West Regional. Tausaga tossed 57.43 meters on her first throw and answered with a mark of 59.37 meters on her second attempt. That mark is the new school record and the No. 3 seed at the NCAA Championships.
Tausaga is the second Hawkeye in program history to advance to the NCAA finals in discus. Majesty Tutson placed 22nd as a senior in 2013 (45.18).
Jahisha Thomas, Junior (London, United Kingdom)
Long Jump — Thursday, 6 p.m. (f)
Thomas is making her second straight appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. She placed 15th in long jump in 2016 and enters the 2017 finals as the No. 17 seed. She jumped 6.35 meters at the NCAA West Preliminary round to finish eighth. Her new PR ranks second all-time in program history. Thomas is the first Hawkeye in school history to advance to the NCAA finals in the long jump in consecutive seasons. Zinnia Miller is the only other female to advance to the NCAA finals. Miller placed eighth in 2014 (6.25m).
Brendan Thompson, Senior (Fort Madison, Iowa)
4×1 — Wednesday, 4:32 p.m. (s); Friday, 5:32 (f)
Thompson is making his first career appearance at the NCAA Championships final site. He ran the third leg of the 400-meter relay that finished sixth at the NCAA West Regional with a season-best time of 39.22. That mark is good for the No. 15 seed in Eugene, and ranks second all-time in program history.
Thompson ran a season personal best 10.57 in the 400 meters at the 2017 Musco Twilight. He ran the third leg on Iowa’s Big Ten runner-up 400-meter relay (39.75) and the third leg on the runner-up 400-meter relay at the Drake Relays (39.72).
Thompson ran the third leg of the 400-meter relay that qualified for the NCAA Championships final site in 2015, but he did not run in the semifinal race in Eugene, Oregon. James Harrington ran the third leg in the semifinals as Iowa placed 12th overall (Saucer, Jr., Mallett, Harrington, Brown).
The Hawkeyes’ 400-meter relay is making its fifth consecutive appearance at the NCAA final site. Iowa placed sixth in 2013, sixth in 2014, 12th in 2015, and 16th in 2016.
Reno Tuufuli, Sophomore (Las Vegas)
Discus — Friday, 5:05 p.m. (f)
Tuufuli returns to the NCAA Championships final site for the second straight year with a chip on his shoulder. As a redshirt freshman in 2016, Tuufuli fouled on each attempt and did not place, but as a sophomore in 2017 he enters Eugene as the top seed in the discus.
Tuufuli placed second at the Big Ten Championships behind Nicholas Percy, but flipped the script at the NCAA West Regional and won the event with a personal-best of 62.06 meters on his final attempt. He now ranks second in school history behind two-time NCAA finalist Gabe Hull (63.11m).
Tuufuli has five first-place performances in discus this year, including the Baldy Castillo Invite (59.04m), Jim Click Shootout (60.23m), and Musco Twilight (56.58m), Drake Relays (59.34m), and NCAA West Regional (62.06m).
Iowa’s last first team All-American in discus was Jeremy Allen in 2001 (5th/59.53m).
O’Shea Wilson, Junior (Houston, Texas)
4×1 — Wednesday, 4:32 p.m. (s); Friday, 5:32 (f)
Long Jump — Wednesday, 6 p.m. (f)
Wilson is returning to the NCAA Championships final site for the first time since his freshman appearance in 2014, when he ran the second leg of Iowa’s sixth-place 400-meter relay.
Wilson will compete in the 400-meter relay and long jump in 2017. He ran the second leg of the 400-meter relay that finished sixth at the NCAA West Regional with a season-best time of 39.22. That mark is good for the No. 15 seed in Eugene, and ranks second all-time in program history. His 100 meters personal best of 10.22 is third in school history.
The Hawkeyes’ 400-meter relay is making its fifth consecutive appearance at the NCAA final site. Iowa placed sixth in 2013, sixth in 2014, 12th in 2015, and 16th in 2016.
Wilson jumped 7.75 meters on his second attempt at the NCAA West Preliminary Round, a mark that ranks sixth in school history and 12th in Eugene. Iowa’s last first team All-American in the outdoor long jump was Bashir Yamini, who placed third in 1998 (7.85m).
COUNTING CURRENT ALL-TIME HAWKEYES
The men have 22 current athletes in Iowa’s all-time top 10, led by Aaron Mallett (110-meter hurdles) and William Dougherty (Decathlon) who hold school records in their respective events. The women have 26 athletes in the top-10 and four school record holders on the roster in Briana Guillory (100 meters), Brittany Brown (200 meters), Marta Bote Gonzalez (3,000m Steeplechase), and Laulauga Tausaga (Discus).
8 HAWKEYES NAMED ALL-BIG TEN
Eight Hawkeyes earned All-Big Ten nods following the Big Ten Championships in Penn State, May 12-14. Senior Aaron Mallett (110-meter hurdles, junior Brittany Brown (200 meters) and freshman Laulauga Tausaga (Discus) were each named first-team All-Big Ten following victories in their respective events. Junior Jahisha Thomas (Long Jump), sophomore Reno Tuufuli (Discus), sophomore Christian Brissett, junior O’Shea Wilson, senior Brendan Thompson, and Mallett (4×100 meter relay) made second-team All-Big Ten after finishing runner-up.
21 HAWKEYES EARN SPRING ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN HONORS
Twenty-one Hawkeyes were named to the Spring 2017 Academic All-Big Ten Team. These athletes include junior Marta Bote Gonzalez, senior Kelly Breen, senior Heaven Chandler, junior Leah Colbert, senior Kevin Docherty, sophomore Chris Douglas, sophomore Ian Eklin, freshman Gage Eller, junior Daniel Gardarsson, sophomore Briana Guillory, sophomore Andy Jatis, senior Nick Jensen, junior Carter Lilly, sophomore, sophomore Andrea Shine, senior Jordyn Sindt, sophomore Amy Smith, Nolan Teubel, senior Brendan Thompson, junior Madison Waymire, senior Tess Wilberding, and senior Mitch Wolff.
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
Select Hawkeyes will compete in the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships in Sacramento, California, June 22-25. In order to qualify, an athlete must hit a specific mark set by USA Track & Field in their respective event.