Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2017-18 | Hawk Talk Monthly — April 2018 | Track & Field Notebook
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa track and field team travels to the west coast for a trio of competitions in the Los Angeles area from April 19-21. The Hawkeyes will have competitors in the Mt. SAC Relays, the Beach Invitational, and the Bryan Clay Invitational.
The Bryan Clay Multi-Event competition is held inside Cougar Athletic Stadium on the campus of Azusa Pacific in Azusa, California, from April 18-19. Iowa will have five competitors, including sophomore Gillian Urycki’s heptathlon debut.
The 60th Mt. SAC Relays, hosted by El Camino College in Torrance, California, runs from April 19-21 inside Murdock Stadium.
The Beach Invitational is hosted by Long Beach State University inside Jack Rose Stadium from April 20-21.
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow the meets on the live results page at hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. 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.
TEAM RANKING
The Hawkeyes are ranked in the latest FloTrack National rankings released April 15. The women are ranked 25th, while the men are 22nd.
AVANT WINS TWO TITLES AT MUSCO TWILIGHT XIX
The Hawkeyes finished the 19th annual Musco Twilight meet with 14 event champions on April 12, including two by freshman Kyara Avant. Avant won titles in the 100 meters and 200 meters with times of 11.88 and 24.02, respectively.
Avant now ranks 13th in the Big Ten in the 200 meters and 18th in the 100 meters.
NCAA LEADERS
Iowa has six athletes and one relay represented in the NCAA top 10.
- Men’s 4×400 meter relay: 4th (3:04.38)
- Sophomore Laulauga Tausaga: Discus (5th; 196-feet, 5-inches)
- Junior Mar’yea Harris: 400 Meters (5th; 45.71)
- Senior Jahisha Thomas: Long Jump (7th; 21-feet, 1.5-inches)
- Junior Briana Guillory: 400 Meters (7th; 52.55)
- Junior Reno Tuufuli: Discus (8th; 193-feet, 8-inches)
- Senior Brittany Brown: 200 meters (8th; 22.76)
BIG TEN LEADERS
After four weekends of competition, the Hawkeyes lead the Big Ten in nine events.
- Senior Brittany Brown: 200 meters (22.76)
- Junior Mar’yea Harris: 400 meters (45.71)
- Junior Andrea Shine: 10,000 meters (33:50.25)
- Sophomore Nathan Mylenek: 3,000-meter Steeplechase (8:48.66)
- Men’s 4×400 Meter Relay: 3:04.38
- Senior Jahisha Thomas: Triple Jump (13.04m, 42-9.5)
- Senior Jahisha Thomas: Long Jump ( 6.44m, 21-1.5)
- Sophomore Laulauga Tausaga: Discus (59.86 meters, 196-5)
- Sophomore Jenny Kimbro: Heptathlon (5,164 points)
PLOCK ENTERS IOWA’S ALL-TIME TOP-10
Junior Sarah Plock notched her first 400-meter hurdles time under 60 seconds at the Musco Twilight on April 12. The Iowa City native ran 59.49 to enter at No. 6 in school history. In addition, Plock ranks seventh in the Big Ten.
MUELLER WINS MUSCO TWILIGHT JAVELIN THROW
Freshman Marissa Mueller won her first collegiate javelin event at the Musco Twilight meet on April 12. Mueller recorded a winning mark of 151 feet (46.02 meters), which ranks eighth in school history and ninth in the Big Ten.
THOMAS REIGNS AS B1G’S BEST JUMPER
Senior Jahisha Thomas took hold of the Big Ten in the horizontal jumps at the Battle on the Bayou on April 7. Thomas entered the meet with the conference lead in the triple jump and after winning the long jump title in Louisiana with a personal-best jump of 6.44 meters (21-1.5), she now leads the Big Ten in the long jump.
HARRIS OPENS WITH FASTEST 400
Junior Mar’yea Harris opened the outdoor season with the fastest 400 meter time in the Big Ten at the Battle on the Bayou on April 7. Harris won the event with a time of 45.71, which is the fastest opening 400 meter time in his career. In addition, Harris is ranked fifth in the nation and leads the Big Ten.
DOUGLAS RECORDS REGIONAL QUALIFYING MARK
Junior Chris Douglas got a big win in the 400 meter hurdles at the Battle on the Bayou on April 7. Douglas set a new personal best and entered Iowa’s all-time list at No. 8 with a time of 50.90. His new time places him third in the Big Ten and 11th in the country.
MEN’S 4X400 METER RELAY HOLDS TOP SPOT IN NCAA
The men’s 1,600-meter relay of Collin Hofacker, Antonio Woodard, DeJuan Frye, and Mar’yea Harris hold the No. 4 spot in the nation. Iowa’s time of 3:04.38 set at the Florida Relays is also first in the Big Ten. Iowa is the only Big Ten team in the nation’s top 10.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Iowa has 98 athletes on its roster in 2018. There are 36 freshmen, 27 sophomores, 19 juniors, and 16 seniors. Of the 98 student-athletes, 34 are from Iowa followed by 19 from Illinois. The team also has seven international athletes.
MYLENEK, SHINE LEADING IOWA DISTANCE
Sophomore Nathan Mylenek and junior Andrea Shine lead Iowa’s distance events with two conference-leading marks in the 3,000-meter steeplechase and 10,000 meters, respectively, set at the Stanford Invitational on March 30.
Mylenek recorded the second-fastest 3,000-meter steeplechase time in school history at 8:48.66, while Shine’s 33:50.25 in the 10,000 meters is the sixth-fastest time in program history. Nationally, Mylenek is 12th and Shine is 15th.
COUNTING CURRENT ALL-TIME HAWKEYES
Iowa holds a total of 56 current marks in the program’s all-time top-10 with 35 on the women’s side and 21 on the men’s side. In addition, the women have seven school-record holders on the roster, including Briana Guillory (100 meters, 400-meter relay, 1,600-meter relay), Brittany Brown (100 meters, 200 meters, 800-meter relay), Marta Bote Gonzalez (3,000 meter Steeplechase), Laulauga Tausaga (Discus, shot put), Sarah Plock (800-meter relay), Sheridan Champe (800-meter relay), and Kyara Avant (800-meter relay).
The men boast five school-record holders 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 University of Iowa track and field team heads to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee from April 25-28. Iowa will look to defend its 2017 title.
