Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2017-18 | Hawk Talk Monthly — January 2018
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa track and field team announced Monday that 32 Olympians and professional athletes will compete at the second annual Larry Wieczorek Invitational on Jan. 19-20 inside the UI Recreation building. Admission to the event is free.
The field includes former Olympic Gold Medalists, Diamond League Champions, and NCAA Champions. Former Hawkeyes Aaron Mallett, Erik Sowinski, Troy Doris, and Kineke Alexander also return to Iowa’s state-of-the-art indoor facility. The professionals join student-athletes from the University of Iowa, Florida State, LSU, Kansas State, Iowa State, Virginia, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Arizona.
The professionals in the field include:
Fred Kerley
NIKE
400 Meters (44.85)
Kerley earned a silver medal at the 2017 World Championships in the men’s 4×400 meter relay and won gold at the USATF Championships in the 400 meters. Kerley also holds the NCAA record in the 400 meters with a time of 43.70, ranking as the seventh fastest time recorded in history. Kerley graduated from Texas A&M in 2017.
Aries Merritt
60-Meter Hurdles
Merritt is a 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist and World Indoor and World Junior Championships gold medalist in the 110- and 60-meter hurdles. Merritt holds the world record in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 12.80. Merritt graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
CJ Ujah
NIKE
60 Meters (6.53)
Ujah is a sprinter from England and 2017 World and Diamond League Champion in the 4×100 meter relay and 100 meters, respectively. Unjah holds a personal best of 9.96 seconds set in Hengelo, Netherlands, on June 8, 2014.
Jarrion Lawson
Long Jump, 60 Meters
ASICS
Lawson is a 2017 World Championship silver medalist and 2012 World Junior bronze medalist in the long jump. Lawson won track and field’s “Triple Crown” at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, taking titles in the 100 meters, 200 meters, and long jump, a feat only previously accomplished by Jesse Owens eighty years earlier. Lawson graduated from the University of Arkansas in 2016.
Damar Forbes
Long Jump
PUMA
Forbes is an Olympic long jumper from Jamaica and 2013 NCAA Outdoor Champion. Forbes competed in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2011 World Championships in South Korea. Forbes is the 2011 Central American and Caribbean Championships silver medalist.
Vernon Norwood
New Balance
200 Meters, 4×400 Meter Relay
Norwood is two-time gold medalist in the 4×400 meter relay at the 2016 World Indoor Championships and 2015 World Outdoor Championships. Norwood’s personal best in the 4×400 meter relay is 2:58.13. Norwood graduated from LSU in 2015.
Aaron-Mallett
60 Meter Hurdles
Iowa Elite
Mallett was a six-time All-American and five-time Big Ten Champion in the 110 and 60-meter hurdles while competing at Iowa from 2014-2017. Mallett holds school record in 110-meter hurdles (13.24), 60-meter hurdles (7.63), and 4×100 meter relay (39.12).
Erik Sowinski
NIKE
600 Meters, 4×400 Meter Relay
Sowinski is a 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic trials participant and six-time All-American and two-time Big Ten Champion at Iowa. Sowinski holds the outdoor 800-meter school record (1:45.90).
Troy Doris
Triple Jump (17.18 meters)
Doris is a 2016 Olympic triple jumper representing Guyana. Doris competed at Iowa from 2009-12 where he was a four-time Big Ten Champion and All-American. Doris holds Iowa school records in the indoor and outdoor triple jump.
Kineke Alexander
Empire
400 Meters (53.50)
Alexander is a three-time Olympian for St. Vincent & The Grenadines. She is an eight-time All-American and five-time Big Ten Champion at Iowa (2005-08) and was the 2006 NCAA Indoor 400 meter champion. She won gold at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships (U20) in the 400 meters. She holds the indoor and outdoor 400-meter school records and the 600 meter school record.
Courtney Okolo
600 Meters
NIKE
Okolo is a seven-time NCAA Champion and Bowerman award winner while attending the University of Texas. She is undefeated (8-0) on the international stage with gold medals at the 2013 Pan American Junior Championships (400 meters, 4×400 meter relay), 2015 North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships (400 meters, 4×400 meter relay), 2016 World Indoor Championships (4×400 meter relay), 2016 Rio Olympics (4×400 meter relay), DécaNation (100 meters, 200 meters).
Jasmin Stowers
60-Meter Hurdles
Stowers is a 2015 NCAA and USA champion in the 60-meter hurdles. She is tied for 22nd all-time in the 60 meter hurdles with a time of 7.82 and is ninth all-time in the 100 meter hurdles (12.35).
Georganne Moline
NIKE
400 Meters
Moline was a 2012 Olympian in the 400-meter hurdles. She finished fifth in the 400 meters and holds a personal best time of 53.14. She was a PAC 12 champion and All American at Arizona. She graduated in 2013.
Tori Franklin
Oiselle
Triple Jump
Franklin is a 2017 USATF Indoor triple jump champion and 2014 North America Central American and Caribbean Under-23 Champion in the event. She graduated from Michigan State University in 2015.
