Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Hawk Talk Monthly — March 2018 | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2017-18 – /sports/2017/7/19/24-hawkeyes-to-watch-2016-17.aspx | Track & Field Notebook
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team returns to competition after a short hiatus to compete in three meets this weekend. The multi-event athletes will be in Austin, Texas, for the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays to participate in the decathlon and heptathlon on Wednesday and Thursday. The distance group will head to Palo Alto, California, for the Stanford Invitational on Friday, and the rest of the team will be in Gainesville, Florida, for the Pepsi Florida Relays from Thursday to Saturday.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow the meets on the live results page at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. The URL will link to the Texas Relays on Wednesday and the Florida Relays Thursday through Saturday. Notable results from each meet will be posted on the team’s official twitter account @iowaxc_tf. All live results links will be posted on the team’s schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
BROWN, TUUFULI, WOODARD NAMED B1G AHTLETES OF THE WEEK
For the first time in program history three Hawkeyes — Brittany Brown, Reno Tuufuli, and Antonio Woodard — were named Big Ten Athletes of the Week on the same week (March 21). Brown was named the women’s Track Athlete of the Week. She won the 100 and 200 meters at the Willie Williams Classic, clocking what was the fastest time in the country in the 200 meters at 22.83 and second fastest 100 meter time (11.44).
Tuufuli was named the men’s Field Athlete of the Week for the third time in his career. Tuufuli posted the top discus mark of the weekend with a throw of 58.95 meters (193-5).
Woodard was awarded the men’s Track Athlete of the Week for the first time in his career. Woodard won the men’s 200 meters in 20.61, which was the NCAA-leading mark at the time of the release, and ranks sixth in school history.
Since the Big Ten started weekly conference honors, 14 of Iowa’s 36 weekly Big Ten honors have been under Director of Track and Field Joey Woody.
ITS HAMMER TIME
Senior Leah Colbert led a trio of Hawkeyes with personal bests in the hammer throw, winning the event at the Willie Williams Classic in Arizona. Colbert recorded a mark of 56.78 meters (160-3) in the third round of competition to improve her personal best, but remain fifth in school history. Sophomore Laulauga Tausaga finished runner-up to Colbert with an all-time mark of 54.43 meters (178-7), a mark that ranks sixth in program history. Junior Nia Britt’s 51.49 meter (168-11) throw enters her at No. 9 on Iowa’s all-time list. She finished fourth overall.
BIG TEN LEADERS
After two weekends of competition, the Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in three events in 2018.
- Sophomore Antonio Woodard: 200 meters (20.61)
- Senior Brittany Brown: 200 meters (22.83)
- Sophomore Laulauga Tausaga: Discus (56.54 meters, 193-5)
NCAA LEADERS
Iowa has four athletes represented in the NCAA top 5.
- Senior Brittany Brown: 200 meters (2nd)
- Sophomore Antonio Woodard: 200 meters (3rd)
- Junior Reno Tuufuli: Discus (4th)
- Sophomore Laulauga Tausaga: Discus (5th)
WOODARD WILDIN’ OUT
Sophomore Antonio Woodard set a personal best in the 200 meters for a third consecutive race at the Willie Williams Classic. Woodard won the 200 meters with a time of 20.61. Woodard holds the third-fastest 200-meter time in the country and is first in the Big Ten.
BROWN SETS FACILITY RECORD IN ARIZONA
Senior Brittany Brown started the outdoor season with a win, a top time in the NCAA, and a facility record. Brown’s 22.83 in the 200 meters was the fastest in the nation during the first weekend of competition. It also broke a facility record held by USC’s Jessica Davis since 2011.
TUUFULI LEADING MEN’S THROWS
Junior Reno Tuufuli went undefeated to collegiate competition when Iowa opened the outdoor season at the Willie Williams Classic. Tuufuli won the discus competition with a throw of 58.95 meters (193-5), ranking fourth in the NCAA and finished runner-up (17.92 meters, 58-9.5) in the shot put to former Arizona standout Aaron Castle. Tuufuli ranks 27th in the country in the shot put.
SHARPE MAKING IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Senior transfer Sommer Sharpe has already made an immediate impact in Iowa’s 400-meter hurdles group. The former George Mason Patriot entered Iowa’s all-time top-10 in the 400-meter hurdles at the Willie Williams Classic at No. 5. Sharpe finished second overall and as the top collegiate athlete in the event with a time of 59.54.
At George Mason, Sharpe was a two-time NCAA qualifier in the 400-meter hurdles, Atlantic 10 Champion (2017), and ECAC qualfier (2015).
SPANOUDAKIS OPENS BIG IN ARIZONA
Freshman thrower Konstadina Spanoudakis had a big opening at the Willie Williams Classic. Spanoudakis finished fourth overall in the discus throw with a best hurl of 52.11 meters (170-11) on her third legal throw. She has already vaulted herself among the program’s best discus throwers, ranking third in Iowa history behind teammate and school-record holder Laulauga Tausaga.
FRESHMAN DEBUTS
Iowa debuted 19 freshmen outdoors at the Willie Williams Classic. The athletes include:
Raymonte Dow, Marissa Mueller, Addie Swanson, Kylie Morken, Carly Donahue, Shelby West, Kylie Welch, Antonise Christian, Aly Weum, Tyree Sorrells, Josh Braverman, Jay Hunt, Cole Moeller, Daniel Gaynes, Karson Sommer, Konstadina Spanoudakis, Cooper Koenig, and Anthony Williams.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Iowa has 98 athletes on its roster in 2018. There are 36 freshmen, 27 sophomores, 19 juniors, and 16 seniors. Of the 100 student-athletes, 34 are from Iowa followed by 19 from Illinois. The team also has seven international athletes.
COUNTING CURRENT ALL-TIME HAWKEYES
Iowa holds a total of 47 current marks in the program’s all-time top-10 with 26 on the women’s side and 21 on the men’s side. In addition, the women have four school-record holders on the roster, including Briana Guillory (100 meters, 400-meter relay, 800-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay), Brittany Brown (100 meters, 200 meters, 800-meter relay), Marta Bote Gonzalez (3,000 meter Steeplechase), and Laulauga Tausaga (Discus).
The men boast five school-record holders heading into the outdoor season, including Will Dougherty (Decathlon), O’Shea Wilson (400-meter relay), Mar’yea Harris (800-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay), DeJuan Frye (1,600-meter relay), and Collin Hofacker (1,600-meter relay).
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to compete in the Battle on the Bayou, hosted by LSU on Saturday April 7. The meet is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. (CT) inside Bernie Moore Track Stadium.
