Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2017-18 | Hawk Talk Monthly — January 2018 | Track & Field Notebook
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team hits the road for the first time in 2018. The team travels to South Bend, Indiana, for the Meyo Invitational Feb. 2-3 inside the Loftus Sports Center, while another group will head to Nebraska for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational. The full schedule of events are located on the team’s schedule page.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow the meet on the live results page at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. Results will also be posted on the team’s official twitter account @iowaxc_tf. A portion of the Meyo Invitational on Saturday will be aired on the ACC Network Extra via watchespn.com from 1-3 p.m. (CT).
HAWKEYES ARE NATIONALLY RANKED
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s track and field teams are ranked in the latest United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Rankings, released Jan. 29. The men are ranked 27th in the nation, while the women are ranked 31st.
Regionally, men are ranked fourth in the midwest region while the women are seventh.
HAWKEYES SPLIT SQUADS
The Hawkeyes will split up the team this weekend for the first time this season. A portion of the team will go to Nebraska for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, while another group will head to Notre Dame for the Meyo Invitational. The team will split up in order to cater to specific event groups. The Husker Invitational benefits sprinters due to its 200 meter banked track, while the Meyo Invitational will aid middle to long distance runners because of its oversized 320 meter track.
BIG TEN LEADERS
The Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in five events in 2018.
- Senior Brittany Brown: 200 Meters (23.54)
- Junior Briana Guillory: 400 Meters (52.95)
- Junior Chris Douglas: 60 Meter Hurdles (7.76)
- Men’s 4×400 meter relay: 3:07.54
- Senior Jahisha Thomas: Triple Jump (13.11m; 43 feet, 1/4 inches)
NCAA LEADERS
Iowa has seven athletes represented in four events in the NCAA top 10, according to TFRRS.com.
- Junior Briana Guillory: 400 meters (5th)
- Men’s 4×400 meter Relay (8th)
- Junior Chris Douglas: 60 meter hurdles (9th)
- Senior Will Dougherty: Heptathlon (5,572 points)
THOMAS OPENS SEASON WITH SCHOOL RECORD
Senior Jahisha Thomas competed in her first meet of 2018 and opened with an all-time mark. Thomas participated in the triple jump at the Black & Gold Premier where she set a personal best and reset her own school record, jumping 13.11 meters (43 feet 1/4 inches) for a runner-up finish.
Thomas now ranks 11th in the country and first in the Big Ten after her performance.
LILLY’S RETURN TO NOTRE DAME
During the 2017 Meyo Invitational, senior Carter Lilly set the school record in the 800 meters. Lilly ran 1:47.33 to break the record previously held by former Hawkeye and Nike runner Erik Sowinski since 2012. Lilly’s time qualified him for the NCAA Championships in the event.
TAUSAGA TAKES ANOTHER SCHOOL RECORD
Sophomore Laulauga Tausaga broke the women’s shot put record for the second straight weekend at the Black & Gold Premier. Tausaga bested her previous mark with a throw of 16.01 meters (52 feet, 6.5 inches). Tausaga has now recorded a personal best in three straight meets and owns two throwing records.
Tausaga now ranks 27th in the nation in the shot put and seventh in the Big Ten. Tausaga is also 10th in the conference in the weight throw, an event she holds the second best mark in school history (19.15 meters; 62-feet 10 -inches).
MAKE ROOM FOR THE MULTI EVENTS
The Hawkeyes had three athletes set personal bests in the heptathlon and pentathlon at the Larry Wieczorek Invitational, including a school record by senior Will Dougherty in the heptathlon.
Dougherty reset his own school record in the event by 70 points, scoring 5,572 points. He ranks ninth in the NCAA in the heptathlon and second in the Big Ten. In addition, Dougherty finished first, defeating 2016 Olympian Zach Ziemek.
Sophomore Jenny Kimbro and junior Tria Simmons both moved up in the all-time Iowa pentathlon rankings. Kimbro won the pentathlon with a personal best 3,900 points, second in school history, while Simmons finished second with 3,859 points, third in school history. The duo also ranks second and third in the Big Ten and 13th and 17th in the country.
POLE VAULT POWER
Junior Andy Jatis continues to push his limits in the pole vault. Jatis cleared 5.05 meters (16 feet, 6.75 inches) at the Larry Wiezcorek Invitational on Jan. 20 to finish second overall. It is only the third time Jatis has cleared over 5 meters. He is nearing his personal best of 5.07 meters (16 feet, 7.5 inches) set at last years Big Ten Outdoor Championships. Jatis ranks seventh in the conference in the event.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Iowa has 110 athletes on its roster in 2018. There are 40 freshmen, 32 sophomores, 21 juniors, and 17 seniors. Of the 110 student-athletes, 42 are from Iowa followed by 20 from Illinois. The team also has seven international athletes.
COUNTING CURRENT ALL-TIME HAWKEYES
The men have 38 current athletes in Iowa’s indoor all-time top 10, led by school-record holders Mar’yea Harris, (400-meters, 1,600-meter relay), Carter Lilly (800-meters, Distance medley relay), Will Dougherty (heptathlon), DeJuan Frye (1,600-meter relay, Distance medley relay), Collin Hofacker (1,600-meter relay) and Matt Manternach (Distance medley relay).
The women have 34 athletes in the top-10 and five school record holders on the roster including Brittany Brown (200 meters), Jahisha Thomas (long jump, triple jump), Briana Guillory (1,600-meter relay), and Laulauga Tausaga (shot put).
BROWN, HARRIS NAMED PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
Senior Brittany Brown (200 meters) and junior Mar’yea Harris (400 meters) were named 2018 Preseason All-Americans by FloTrack.
Brown, a native of Upland, California, owns the 200-meter school record indoor and outdoor and is tied for the 100-meter record. Brown won Big Ten titles in the 200 meters during the indoor and outdoor seasons and went on to finish fifth at the NCAA Indoor championships with a time of 22.92.
Harris, a native of Auburn, Washington, holds the indoor 400-meter school record and placed runner-up in the 400-meters at the Big Ten Indoor Championships. Harris was part of the 1,600-meter relay that broke the indoor and outdoor school records and placed fifth and third at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships, respectively.
Brown and Harris join Ohio State’s Nick Gray as the only male or female representatives of the Big Ten in the 200 or 400 meters.
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes split up again next week for the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa, and Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Feb 9-10.
