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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa track and field team competes at the 40th annual Sun Angel Classic in Tempe, Arizona, on Friday and Saturday. The meet starts on Friday with the women’s premiere hammer throw at 2 p.m. (CT), running events start at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the meet starts with the women’s open discus at 11 a.m. (CT) and running events start at 1:15 p.m. with the women’s 100-meter hurdles. A full schedule of events is located at hawkeyesports.com on the track and field schedule page.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Fans can follow the Sun Angel Classic on hawkeyesports.com/tracklive. Live stats for the meet are also linked on the Iowa track and field schedule page. Results will also be posted on the team’s official twitter account @iowaxc_tf. A link to the FloTrack stream is on hawkeyesports.com/trackschedule. A subscription is required.
HAWKEYES IN THE RANKINGS
The University of Iowa men’s and women’s track and field teams are both ranked in the top 30 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association outdoor preseason poll. The USTFCCCA rank the men at No. 17 and the women at No. 27.
NATIONALLY RANKED HAWKS
The Hawkeyes have six individual marks ranked in the NCAA’s top 15, including the fastest men’s 1,600-meter relay from freshman Wayne Lawrence Jr., junior Antonio Woodard, junior Collin Hofacker, and senior Mar’yea Harris. The four men won the Pepsi Florida Relays last Saturday to post the leading mark.
Top 15 in the NCAA:
1. Lawrence, Woodard, Hofacker, Harris – 1,600-meter realy (3:03.10)
4. Laulauga Tausaga – discus (57.74 meters, 189-5)
6. Mar’yea Harris – 400 meters (46.02)
7. Matt Manternach – 800 meters (1:48.65)
7. Jaylan McConico – 110 hurdles (13.82)
8. Reno Tuufuli – discus (57.49, 188-7)
9. Chris Douglas – 400 hurdles (51.18)
10. Antonio Woodard – 200 meters (20.69)
13. Carter Lilly – 800 meters (1:48.95)
B1G LEADERS
The Hawkeyes are ranked in the top five 23 times in the conference. Four individual Hawkeyes are leading the Big Ten Conference in their respective events, including Jenny Kimbro (100 hurdles), Jaylan McConico (110 hurdles), Chris Douglas (400 hurdles), and Laulauga Tausaga (discus). Iowa also holds the fastest men’s 1,600-meter relay from freshman Wayne Lawrence Jr., junior Antonio Woodard, junior Collin Hofacker, and senior Mar’yea Harris.
Top Five in the Big Ten:
1. Jenny Kimbro – 100 hurdles (13.64)
1. Jaylan McConico – 110 hurdles (13.82)
1. Chris Douglas – 400 hurdles (51.18)
1. Laulauga Tausaga – discus (57.74 meters, 189-5)
1. Lawrence, Woodard, Hofacker, Harris – 1,600-meter realy (3:03.10)
2. Mar’yea Harris – 400 meters (46.02)
2. Noah Larrison – 400 meters (51.49)
2. Reno Tuufuli – discus (57.49 meters, 188-7)
3. Matt Manternach – 800 meters (1:48.65)
3. Chris Douglas – 110 hurdles (14.18)
3. Nathan Mylenek – 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:55.23)
3. Jay Hunt – high jump (2.11 meters, 6-11)
3. Reno Tuufuli – shot put (18.21 meters, 59-9)
3. Kimbro, Weum, Simmons, Wensel – 1,600-meter relay (3:36.32)
4. Antonio Woodard – 200 meters (20.69)
4. Carter Lilly – 800 meters (1:48.95)
4. Tria Simmons – high jump (1.76 meters, 5-9 1/4)
4. Williams, Woodard, Hofacker, Harris – 400-meter relay (40.16)
5. Tysen VanDraska – 800 meters (1:49.22)
5. Anthony Williams – 110 hurdles (14.25)
5. Jenny Kimbro – 400 hurdles (59.95)
5. Amanda Carty – long jump (5.99 meters, 19-8)
5. Kimbro, Laye, Guillory, Christian – 400-meter relay (45.60)
B1G ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
The Hawkeyes swept the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Week awards in the first week of the outdoor season. Sophomore Konstadina Spanoudakis earned the women’s honor and sophomore Jay Hunt earned the men’s, both earning the awards for the first time in their careers.
Spanoudakis threw 53.41 meters (175-2) in the discus at the Baldy Castillo Invitational on Saturday. She bettered her third ranked all-time mark on Iowa’s top-10 list by nearly a meter.
Hunt recorded a lifetime best high jump at Arizona State. Hunt’s 2.11-meter (6-11) high jump broke onto the Iowa top-10 all-time list, ranking ninth. He also ranks fifth in the NCAA.
Three Hawkeyes were named Big Ten Athletes of the week suring the indoor season, including Tausaga (Feb. 6), Mar’yea Harris (Feb. 6), and Jenny Kimbro (Dec. 12).
Tausaga was recognized for her performances at the Frank Sevigne Invitational. In the weight throw competition, she threw a school record 23.26 meters (76-03 3/4) to win the event. She also won shot put, throwing 16.25 meters (53-03 3/4).
Harris earned the honor after winning the 400 (46.02) and 600 meters (1:16.60) at the Meyo Invitational (Feb. 2).
Kimbro was recognized by the conference after running her 60-meter hurdles personal best (8.27) in December. The honor was the first of her career.
2019 INDOOR ALL-AMERICANS (14)
The Hawkeyes earned eight first team All-America honors at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships — Karayme Bartley (two events), Chris Douglas, Briana Guillory, Laulauga Tausaga, Collin Hofacker, Wayne Lawrence Jr., and Mar’yea Harris. The Hawkeyes tied the most indoor first-team honors in school history (2011). Six second team All-America honors were awarded to the Hawkeyes.
First Team All-Americans (8):
Laulauga Tausaga – weight throw (22.23 meters, 72-11 1/4), fifth
Karayme Bartley – 200 meters (20.97), sixth
Briana Guillory – 400 meters (52.86), sixth
Chris Douglas – 60-meter hurdles (7.83), sixth
Hofacker, Bartley, Lawrence, Harris – 1,600-meter relay (3:07.68), sixth
Second Team All-Americans (6):
Mar’yea Harris – 400 meters (46.96), ninth
Jaylan McConico – 60-meter hurdles (7.82), 12th
Tria Simmons – Pentathlon (4,090 points), 12th
Wayne Lawrence – 400 meters (47.73), 13th
Jenny Kimbro – Pentathlon (3,983 points), 15th
Laulauga Tausaga – shot put (15.84 meters, 51-11 3/4), 15th
BIG TEN INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS (11)
The women finished third overall with 80 points to tie the Hawkeyes’ best finish since 2004. They collected 10 medals, including gold medals by the 1,600-meter relay team, Kimbro in the 60-meter hurdles, Simmons in the pentathlon; and four silver medals by Kimbro in the pentathlon, Guillory in the 200 and 400 meters, and Tausaga in the shot put. Kimbro led the Hawkeyes over the weekend with the most points from an individual, scoring 20.5 points.
The men’s team tied for fourth place with 70 points, its best finish since 2011. The Hawkeyes collected nine medals, including Hofacker, Thompson, Woodard, and Harris’ 1,600-meter gold medals, McConico’s 60-meter hurdles gold medal, Karayme Bartley’s 200- and 400-meter silver medals, Chris Douglas’ 60-meter hurdles bronze medal, and Har ris’ 400-meter bronze medal.
At the 2019 Big Ten Indor Championships, juniors Collin Hofacker, Antonio Woodard, and Chris Thompson ran the first three legs of the 1,600-meter relay. When senior Mar’yea Harris received the baton, the Hawkeyes were in third place of their section. With 100 meters left in the race, Harris’ turbo kicked in and he passed Ohio State and Purdue to earn the title in 3:07.46.
Following the men, the women, including Jenny Kimbro, Tria Simmons, Aly Weum, and Briana Guillory, also won the 1,600-meter relay in 3:37.58. Kimbro won the 60-meter hurdles in 8.29 to earn the Hawkeyes’ first ever conference title in the event. Simmons also won the pentathlon (4,135 points) and Jaylan McConico won the 60-meter hurdles (7.79)
ALL-BIG TEN (17)
First Team All-Big Ten (11):
Tria Simmons – Pentathlon (4,135 points)
Jenny Kimbro – 60-meter hurdles (8.29)
Jaylan McConico – 60-meter hurdles (7.79)
Collin Hofacker, Antonio Woodard, Chris Thompson, Mar’yea Harris – 1,600-meter relay (3:07.46)
Jenny Kimbro, Tria Simmons, Aly Weum, Briana Guillory – 1,600-meter relay (3:37.58)
Second Team All-Big Ten (6):
Jenny Kimbro – Pentathlon (4,030 points)
Briana Guillory – 200 meters (23.37)
Briana Guillory – 400 meters (52.65)
Laulauga Tausaga – shot put (17.79 meters, 58-4 1/2)
Karayme Bartley – 200 meters (20.67)
Karayme Bartley – 400 meters (52.65)
TAUSAGA ON TOP
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named junior Laulauga Tausaga (LAU-long-a Tuh-saga) Midwest Region Female Field Athlete of the Year, becoming the second female in school history to earn a track and field regional honor.
Her farthest weight mark (23.26 meters, 76-3) at the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational broke the Iowa record, and her shot-put mark of 17.79 meters (58-4) at the 2019 Big Ten Indoor Championships expanded her previous record by 1.09 meters to also break the Hawkeye record.
The USTFCCCA also named her National Athlete of the Week on Feb. 5. She was 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.
NEXT ON THE BLOCK
The Hawkeyes will host their lone regular season home track meet, Musco Twilight, next Saturday.
