Simmons, Kimbro Finish 1-2 at B1G Championships

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — A 1-2 combination in the pentathlon by University of Iowa senior Tria Simmons and junior Jenny Kimbro highlighted the first day of the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships for the Hawkeyes.
 
Simmons won gold, scoring 4,135 points and Kimbro earned silver with 4,030 points.
 
Those two placings earned 18 points and kick-started a productive opening day for the Hawkeyes.
 
Simmons finished second in the 60-meter hurdles, setting a personal best (8.40 seconds) to begin the day and stayed in second through the high jump (1.68 meters, 5-feet, 9 3/4-inches). After a career best effort in the shot put (11.58 meters, 38-feet), she moved into first place and never budged. Simmons went on to jump 5.86 meters (19-2 3/4) in the long jump and ran 2:19.79 in the 800 meters to nab her first Big Ten Championship.
 
“I just wanted to contribute to the team,” Simmons said. “We had big expectations coming in. We were ranked one and three and thought that’s how we would finish, but we came out better. It feels good to help the team score points. “
 
Kimbro started strong in the pentathlon 60-meters hurdles, running 8.29 and fell to fourth after the high jump. She stayed there through the shot put where she set a personal best with an 11.41-meter throw (37-05 1/4). She started climbing back to the top after jumping 5.82 meters (19-1 1/4) in the long jump and clutched the silver medal after finishing second in the 800 (2:19.90).
 
“Some parts of today did not go how I wanted,” Kimbro said, “but my coaches never lost hope in me and pushed me to get back in the running. It’s really exciting. We knew what we wanted to do going in and we’re just happy to help the team.”
 
Junior Amanda Carty placed eighth in the long jump (5.89 meters, 19-4), giving the Hawkeye women 19 for the day.
 
The distance medley relay including Tysen VanDraska, Chris Thompson, Matt Manternach, and Jeff Roberts scored two points for the Iowa men.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH JOEY WOODY
“Jenny and Tria did what we expect from them. They got the weekend started for us. Those two feed off each other. Without one of them, I’m not sure the other would have been as productive as they were today.”
 
“The team did a great job. It’s great to have as many athletes as we have in the finals (Saturday). They have to be prepared to toe the line and put in the work because there a lot of opportunities to score points.”
 
IOWA ALL-TIME MOVEMENT
The sprinters and hurdlers made moves on Iowa’s all-time lists. Simmons moved from ninth to sixth in the 60-meter hurdles, Chris Douglas improved his fourth all-time mark in the 60-meter hurdles (7.75), and Antonise Christian broke onto the 60 meters list, running 7.54.
 
FINALS QUALIFIERS
Twelve athletes advance to the finals on the second and final day Saturday. Senior Briana Guillory and junior Karayme Bartley both qualified for the 200 and 400 finals. The following also finished in the top eight of their respective events: (Freshman Wayne Lawrence Jr., was tripped in his heat of the 400, came back to win his heat, and was advanced by an officials’ ruling.
 
Antonise Christian – 60 meters (7.54), personal best
Chris Douglas – 60-meter hurdles (7.75), personal record
Jaylan McConico – 60-meter hurdles (7.92)
Anthony Williams – 60-meter hurdles (7.92)
Jenny Kimbro – 60-meter hurdles (8.31)
Antonio Woodard – 200 meters (21.18)
Mar’yea Harris – 400 meters (46.88)
Karayme Bartley – 400 meters (47.65), 200 meters (20.96)
Wayne Lawrence – 400 meters (46.88)
Briana Guillory – 400 meters (53.62), 200 meters (23.44)
Aly Weum – 400 meters (55.16)
Austin Lietz – 600 meters (1:18.71)
 
PERSONAL BEST MARKS
Hawkeyes tabbed career bests in six additional events:
 
Antonise Christian – 200 meters (24.62)
Jada Laye – 60 meters (7.59), 200 meters (24.30)
Jeff Roberts – mile (4:10.35)
Aly Weum – 400 meters (55.16)
Tyler Olson – 600 meters (1:20.15)
Payton Wensel – 600 meters (1:32.91)
 
B1G DAY TWO
Day two of the Big Ten Indoor Championship will feature Iowa’s 14 finalists. The championship rounds of the triple jump (M/W), shot put (M/W), high jump (W), 5,000 meters (M/W), and the 1,600-meter relay (M/W).
 
The Hawkeyes continue the heptathlon at 9 a.m. (CT), field events begin at 10 a.m., and running events start at 12:15 p.m.