Track & Field Notebook: Tyson Invitational and Iowa State Classic

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa track and field team competes at the Tyson Invitational hosted by Arkansas and the Iowa State Classic hosted by Iowa State on Friday and Saturday. On Friday at the Tyson Invite, field events start at 1 p.m. (CT) and running events begin at 2:30 p.m. On Saturday, field events start at 10:30 a.m. and running events start at 1:30 p.m. at the Tyson Indoor Track Center. The Iowa State Classic running and field events start at noon (CT) on Friday and Saturday. A full schedule of events is located at hawkeyesports.com on the track and field schedule page.

FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Fans can follow the Tyson Invitational on the live results page on hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. Live stats for both meets are linked on the Iowa track and field schedule page. Results will also be posted on the team’s official twitter account @iowaxc_tf.

HAWKEYES IN THE RANKINGS
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s track and field teams are ranked in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) poll. In week three, the women’s track and field team climbed 22 spots to No. 15, its highest ranking in program history, the USTFCCCA announced Monday. The Hawkeyes’ achieved the previous best ranking in 2008 at 18th. The men are ranked 34th.

TAUSAGA ON TOP
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named junior Laulauga Tausaga (LAU-long-a Tuh-saga) the National Athlete of the Week on Feb. 5. Tausaga is the first athlete from Iowa and the second female in the history of the Big Ten Conference to earn the honor during the indoor season.

Tausaga was recognized for her performances at the Frank Sevigne Invitational. In the weight throw, she threw a school record 23.26 meters (76-03 3/4) to win the event, a mark that leads the NCAA. She also won the shot put competition, throwing 16.25 meters (53-03 3/4). The two wins earned her Most Valuable Female Performer of the meet.

B1G ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Three Hawkeyes have been name Big Ten Athletes of the week, including Tausaga (Feb. 6), Mar’yea Harris (Feb. 6), and Jenny Kimbro (Dec. 12), this season. 

Tausaga was recognized for her performances at the Frank Sevigne Invitational over the weekend. In the weight throw competition, she threw a school record 23.26 meters (76-03 3/4) to win the event, a mark that leads the NCAA this season. She also won the shot put competition, throwing 16.25 meters (53-03 3/4). The two wins earned her Most Valuable Female Performer of the meet.

Harris earned the honor after winning the 400 (46.02) and 600 meters (1:16.60) at the Meyo Invitational over the weekend. His times in both events are leading the Big Ten this season, and ranks fifth on the NCAA performance list in the 400 meters.
 
Kimbro was honored after winning the 60-meter hurdles (8.34) at the Jimmy Grant Invitational, ranking third all-time in the event at the time. She also ran the first leg in the 1,600-meter relay team that placed third (3:53.93). In the long jump competition, Kimbro also placed third (5.54m, 18-2 1/4).

NATIONALLY RANKED HAWKS
The Hawkeyes have ten individual marks ranked in the NCAA’s top-15 times, including the top women’s weight throw from Laulauga Tausaga, the third highestpentathlon points from Tria Simmons, the fourth fastest women’s 400-meter time from Briana Guillory, and the fifth fastest men’s 400-meters from Mar’yea Harris.
 
Top 15 in the NCAA:
1. Laulauga Tausaga – weight throw (23.26m)
3. Tria Simmons – pentathlon (4,220 points)
4. Briana Guillory – 400 meters (52.67)
5. Mar’yea Harris – 400 meters (46.02)
6. Wayne Lawrence – 400 meters (46.14)
8. Jaylan McConico – 60-meter hurdles (7.73)
9. Jenny Kimbro – pentathlon (4,123 points)
13. Karayme Bartley – 400 meters (46.39)
15. Laulauga Tausaga – shot put (16.70m)
15. Chris Douglas – 60-meter hurdles (7.78)

B1G LEADERS
The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top five 16 times in the Big Ten Conference. Three Hawkeyes lead the conference in their respective events, including Jaylan McConico (60-meter hurdles, 7.73), Karayme Bartley (400 meters, 46.39), and Briana Guillory (400 meters, 52.67). Iowa holds three of the top-five best times in the Big Ten’s men’s 400 meters and 60-meter hurdles.
 
Top Five in the Big Ten:
1. Jaylan McConico – 60-meter hurdles (7.73)
1. Briana Guillory – 400 meters (52.67)
1. Mar’yea Harris – 400 meters (46.02)
1. Mar’yea Harris – 600 meters (1:16.60)
1. Laulauga Tausaga – weight throw (23.26m)
1. Tria Simmons – pentathlon (4,220 points)
2. Chris Douglas – 60 hurdles (7.78)
2. Jenny Kimbro – 60-meter hurdles (8.27)
2. Tria Simmons – high jump (1.78m)
2. Wayne Lawrence – 400 meters (46.14)
3. Karayme Bartley – 400 meters (46.39)
3. Amanda Carty – long jump (6.16m)
3. Amanda Carty – triple jump (12.84m)
3. Jenny Kimbro – pentathlon (4,123 points)
4. Aubrianna Lantrip – high jump (1.76m)
4. Matt Manternach – 800 meters (1:50.11)
4. Briana Guillory – 600 meters (1:30.92)
5. Anthony Williams – 60-meter hurdles (7.91)
5. Antonio Woodard – 200 meters (21.11)
5. Lualauga Tausaga – shot put (17.34m)
5. Anthony Williams – 60-meter hurdles (7.93)
5. Noah Healy – 5,000 meters (14:24.11)
5. Peyton Haack – heptathlon (5,279 points)

MEET THE RECORD HOLDERS
Six Hawkeyes on the roster account for four indoor school records:
Laulauga Tausaga: shot put (17.34m) and weight throw (21.30m)
Tria Simmons: pentathlon (4,220 points)
Mar’yea Harris: 400 meters (45.75), 600 meters (1:16.60
Reno Tuufuli: shot put (19.28m)
Nathan Mylenek, Collin Hofacker, Carter Lilly, and Michael Melchert: distance medley relay (9:33.90)
Collin Hofacker, DeJuan Frye, Mar’yea Harris: 1,600-meter relay (3:04.94)

2018 INDOOR ALL-AMERICANS
The Hawkeyes finished the 2018 indoor season with 14 All-America honors, the most in program history. Returning this season is first team All-American Briana Guillory (400 meters), and second team All-Americans Mar’yea Harris (400 meters, 1,600-meter relay), Chris Douglas (60-meter hurdles), Collin Hofacker (1,600-meter relay), and DeJuan Frye (1,600-meter relay). Guillory also earned second team honors in the 1,600-meter relay.

2018 Iowa All-Americans:
First Team —
Jahisha Thomas (LJ, TJ), Briana Guillory (400 meters)
Second Team — Mar’yea Harris (400 meters, 1,600-meter relay), Chris Douglas (60-meter hurdles), Collin Hofacker (1,600-meter relay), DeJuan Frye (1,600-meter relay), Bradford Garron (1,600-meter relay), Sheridan Champe (1,600-meter relay), Brittany Brown (200 meters, 1,600-meter relay), Sarah Plock (1,600-meter relay), Briana Guillory (1,600-meter relay)
 
ALL WE DO IS WIN

At the 2018 Indoor Big Ten Championships, Nathan Mylenek, Chris Thompson, Carter Lilly, and Michael Melchert impressed with a come-from-behind win as Melchert passed five teams in the home stretch to earn the Hawkeyes’ first ever conference title in the event.
Senior Briana Guillory earned her first Big Ten Indoor title at the 2018 conference championships in the 400 meters (52.08).

RETURNING NCAA LEADERS
Iowa returns four athletes that finished the 2018 indoor season inside the country’s top 10. Briana Guillory finished 2018 fifth in the country in the 400 meters (52.08), and Collin Hofacker, DeJuan Frye, and Mar’yea Harris were 10th in the 1,600-meter relay (3:05.33).

Iowa returns three NCAA top 10 athletes from the outdoor season. Laulauga Tausaga ranked seventh in discus (59.86m), Mar’yea Harris ranked eighth in the 400 meters (44.98), and Reno Tuufuli ranked ninth in discus (60.87m).
 
COUNTING CURRENT ALL-TIME HAWKEYES

The men have 17 current athletes in Iowa’s indoor all-time top 10 (46 times), led by school-record holders Mar’yea Harris, (400-meters, 1,600-meter relay), Carter Lilly (800-meters, Distance medley relay), Reno Tuufuli (shot put) DeJuan Frye (1,600-meter relay), Collin Hofacker (1,600-meter relay, distance medley relay), Nathan Mylenek (distance medley relay), and Michael Melchert (distance medley relay).

The women have 11 athletes in the top 10 (19 times). Laulauga Tausaga holds the school records in the shot put (16.51m) and weight throws (20.03m).

NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes will travel to the Alex Wilson Invitational (South Bend, Ind.) next Saturday. The Hawkeyes are three weeks away from the Big Ten Championships (Feb. 22-23) at Michigan and five from the NCAA Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, (March 8-9).

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFICATIONS
Qualification to the championships is based on the descending-order list for the season and adhering to the qualifying regulations/criteria published on www.NCAA.org. For each men’s individual event contested, including the heptathlon, the top 16 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the competition. For each women’s individual event contested, including the pentathlon, the top 16 declared student-athletes will be accepted into the competition. For each relay event contested, the top 12 declared relay teams will be accepted into the competition. The stated maximums are absolute and will not be extended as a result of ties.

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